New-York tribune., 1902-06-14
A CLOUD OVER THE CITY
THE SMOKE NUISANCE BECOMING
WORSE EVERY DAY-CHIMNEYS
BELCHING AWAY WASTE
OF CARBON.

Looking down from the top of a tall office
building early yesterday afternoon. when the
air seemed to be quivering with heat, an OBJ
server could see layer of smoke that hung
like cloud over the city. More chimneys than
could be counted were contributing to the cloud
by beIching forth quantities of black smoke
from burning soft coal The smoke nuisance is
becoming worse every day. The air of the city
is becoming tainted and poisoned by immense
quantities of unconsumed carbon.
The black smoke nuisance means tremen-
dous daily waste OF fuel. Some of the chimneys
yesterday vomted smoke so black that it must
have contained 20 per cent of the carbon that
was being fed into the furnaces One chimney
near the East River Immediately south of the
Brooklyn Bridge was sending out uncOnsumed
coal at a frightful rate the cloud of jet black
smoke being blown over the city for long
distance.
Competent engineers said yesterday that the
smoke nuisance and the consequent waste OF
fuel could be avoided either by proper stokins
at the furnaces by the use of smoke consum-
ing devices. Soft coal could be used without
offence or waste. 1t said. If the frenen fed
the furnaces gradually, instead of throwing on
large quantities Of coal at time. This means
steadier and harder work, of course. but the
employers would find it profitable to compel
because less coal woul1 be used and no nuisance
would be created. The city ordinances that are
supposed to be enforced by the Health Board
prohibit the smoke nuisance regardless OF the
kind of fuel used, and persons who persist IN
creating black smoke will be fined II woulu
be cheaper for owners of buildings to hlre coih-
petent firemen than to pay fines for maintain
ing nuisance.
There are several devices in use in the city
for consuming the black smoke from soft COAL
The smoke consumers are good Investments
the engineers say. because they increase the
efficiency of the coal burned In the Post
Office where soft coal has been burned for three
years, the saving has been demonstrated For
rnerlv tyyenty-four tons of hard coal were
burned there every day to make steam for a SIX
horsepower engine. Since the smoke consumers
have been in use there, eighteen tons OF so1t
coal are used daily to create twelve horsepower.
That means that with three-quarters or the
quantity of coal the steam plant is able 70 Gre
ate twice the power it formerly did, and there
is a saving in the price of coal as Well .
In the Postoffice plant the coal is shovelied
into the top compartment Of a furnace "hlcn
is divided into two compartments py grdIe
composed Of hollow tubes, through which water
is run The water tubes keep the smoke from
the top compartment from passing through lne
CRATE directly into the lower compartments
while drippings from the fire above insure
hot fire constantly below. Black smoke from
the top compartment goes into nue. WhicI IlIa
does not connect with the chimney, but taxes
i downward turn and opens at one side OF the
lower compartment. on the other side or tne
lower compartment is the entrance 10 the
chimney and the fire blazing there consumes all
the carbon when the smoke reaches IL Ihe
smoke that finally gets into the chimney Is 1ree
from SCOT and carbon The heat from botn COM
partments goes to the boilers, and all the energy
of the coal is used.
when the prevention of black smoke means
the saving of fuel the engineers say the smoke
nuisance is a criminal waste. and there is no ex-
cuse for It, BY enforcing the regulations
against black smoke 1t is declared. the city Off
cials will be compelling people to practise ordi-
nary economy in the use of coal