New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-05
NUISANCE IN SOFT COAL.
But 1T CAN BE BURNED so AS TO
REDUCE DISCOMFORT OF SMOKE

Either severe cold weather or a scarcity ~
coal in the city is bound to cause much suf
fering among the poor. Thousands Of New
Workers. are now looking forward anxiousIv 10
the time when winter frost and coal famine
shall combine 10 create and increase distress
Never. perhaps. has there been such dread
OF the approach of winter in the CITY
Even among people of means, the anxiety over
the situation is felt keenly. They have been
accustomed 10 depend upon anthracite coal for
heating their homes so long that the prospect OF
being compelled to use soft coal is troublesome
and veXattous, even when il is not actually
alarming There are thousands of dwelling
houses in the city in which the burning Of
bituminous coal for heating and for domestic
purposes is expected 10 create nuisance and dis
comfort The CRATES of furnaces and kitchen
ranges we're made for the burning of hard coal
Of domestic sizes and it would be difficult. If
not impossible, to burn the fine soft coal in
some Of them There is little time for making
changes In the CRATES before winter sets in All
the companies working overtime could not be-
gin to supply the wholesale demand in few
weeks. The fiues of the houses were made too
small in countless cases for the easy burning of
soft coal They would soon become cIogged with
SCOT, and choked up If sait coal were sent
through them. and failure to clean the fues
would result in harvest of chimney fires
The smoke nuisance is expected TO increase
enormously when the burning Of soft coal in the
furnaces Of houses all over the city begins in
earnest. II viii take much time for people TO
become acquainted with the best methods of
burning soft coal as 10 reduce the smoke
The chimneys of the ordinary houses do not
carry the smoke up far above the roofs II is
to be expected, therefore. that the general use
Of btuminous coal will result in clouds of black
smoke from one end Of the city TO the other. II
Is not expected that the Health Board will try to
enforce ordinances against the smoke nuisance
if the entire city breaks them
In the tenement houses of the city the situa-
tion is expected 10 be more troublesome than in
other dwellings II is believed that the use Of
soft coal In the tenements will mean a tre-
mendOus increase in dirt as we'll as an increase
of the smoke nuisance. II is difficult 10 handle
soft coal without raising black dust, and when
that kind Of coal is carried in small quantities
into countless tenements and used in stoves not
intended for H. II will be surprising If dirt
and gas from the coal do not permeate all rooms
and cause additional discomfort and perhaps
sickness.
Much of the nuisance in the use of soft coal
can be prevented however. by the exercise Of
care and common sense. Dwellers In tenemeuts
and people living I'm better dwelling houses may
learn by experience how 70 feed soft coal to
furnaces and ranges so as to reduce the amount
OF smoke They will have 20 understand that
soft coal cannot he burned in the same way
that hard coal is burned. The practice Of heap
ing large quantities Of coal on fire invariably
means great waste as well as increase Of smoke.
when soft coal is used. soft coal fire should
always be kept bright. in order that there shall
be perfect combustion. A little coal should be
sprinkled on the fire often. Burned in that way,
soft coal does not create much smoke, while its
heat is conserved The trouble will he in Undue
ing many people 10 take the necessary care with
soft coal fires
Combined with the trouble and discomfort OF
the use Of soft coal is the increase in the price Of
btturninous fuel. No sooner does il become ap-
parent that the city cannot get supply of hard
coal than the price of soft coal is raised almost
10 the prohibitive point The soft coal COM
panies have been reaping enormous profits since
the coal strike began AT 81 90 ton N the
summer the companies were making fortunes.
The price has been increased recently 10 twice
that sum. ON Friday, when the dealers mad
some expectation that the conference AT the
White House might result in the ending OF the
strike prices broke sharply. going down TO % ID
a ton Yesterday soft coal was up 10 - 'O
ton.
There has been no strike at the bituminOus
mines while the anthracite mines nave "ee"
closed There is said 10 he an abundance OF soft
coal The railroad companies have been holding
hack suppIv for the city. pleading that they did
not have enough cars TO carry the COAL when u
was known that most of the coal cars or the
anthracite roads were idle
The increase in the cost Of soft coal is driVins
many thousands of people 10 the use OF OIL as
fuel in the present emergency. and many tnou-
sands to the use Of gas The demand Tor OIL ana
gas ranges and heaters is so great that the sup
ply companies cannot meet II. AS iaS' as tne
appliances can be supplied. people are niaAins
themselves independent Of the use OF oo'h ndiu