The Washington times., 1904-12-28
BY some DEVICES
SMOKE NUISANCE
IS ERAD|CADLE
Hard Coal, Underneath
Stoklng. and Consun1-
ers Cited as Remedies.
PREVENTION IS PossM5LE
Opinions and Dsmonstra-
tons by Those Who Com
ply With Law.
PREVENTION IS P0SsMSLE

The complete prevention OF smoke IS
a practical thing. according TO asser-
ions made today to Times reporter by
several individuals
This position Is directly opposed to
the assertions made yesterday by va
flous engineers of Washington, and pub
iished in yesterdays Times
To Prevent Smoke.
According to what was saie today,
smoke can be prevented
By the use of anthracite. instead OF
bituninous, coal
By using a furnace into which coal
is fed from the bottom instead of on
top.
By means of a c5rtain kind OF smoke
consumer
Chief Engineer O'Donnen. of the POST
office Building. is the highest authority
for the claim that II is practicab.e and
sensible to comply with the District
smoke law by using anthracite. or hard.
coal in the furnaces. Another we'll
known engineer gave II as his opinion
that the time would soon come when
all the business houses and Governments
buildings would have to use anthracite
coal entirely
Stocked From Bottom
At the Portner Flats, FifteentE and
I Streets northwest, building which
requires the burning of about five tons
OF soft coal daily. a furnace is used
which IS automatically stocked from the
bottom IN this way the fresh coal
burns at the bottom, and whatever
smoke escapes from the first combustion
IS consumed entirely By passing upward
through the bed of whfte-hct Goals in
the furnace before reaching the saneke-
stack
For more than a year past, the tfrn,
lhaf this furnace has been used at the
Portner, no smoke has been seen TO IS
sue from the chimneys. and no CON-
plants have been made OF smoke from,
that structure, although 1t is situated
IN purely residential section. The
managers of the building testify that
the furnace referred TO is economical
both in labor and the amount OF fuel
consumed
Smoke Consumed.
At business house this morning IL
Was asserted by the person in charge
that smoke consumer used there act
ually consumed all the smoke from the
furnaces. and economical on the use
of fuel
For the enlightenment of the reporter
the furnaces Were allowed TO operate
some minutes without the use OF the
smoke consumer This resulted in the
sn1okestack emitting large volumes of
dense black smoke
PuttnS the consumer 10 work again
stopped the appearance of the smoke in
about one minute
Using Hard Coal.
Engineer O'DonneH, OF the Postones
Rtfiydirer
thoritieS last fan TO ask tais Cons-rass
1oF an additional appropriation 10
change his furnaces so as to allow oT
the use OF anthracite instead of sof+
coal in them.
II making his report. Mr. O-DonnaTT
eStlnated that II would cost the Govern
ment S6,ug9 TO change the furnaces. and
cite coal, which is 81 Is a ton more f1sn
sort coal The building uses 40e0 eorls
a year
Postmaster General Wyn9le accor,I;ps--
ly asked for $1,000 additional this vfsr
for heating. etc The bill passed rhe
Rouse and VIII probably pass the SEN
aye ana receive the Presidents sigma
TIRE
Engineer o'Donnell's Views.
Engineer O'DorneH said today:
when L start 10 change the fur
naces, I viii work on six at !. rfroa.
HNNCP-At5 tAt1TN AOA lLSG ana IIgTS6 -
serve in case of emergency. II VIII take
at least three months TO make tbe
change
As far as have been able TO observe
there viii not be q great difference. -
the amount of coal used
oeileve l can produce as much steam
inOus coal, and vice versa
Therefore, in making nv esfi-,,tss
for coal | merely calculated the difrer.
Last year we used about 4.oaa tons
ot coal in the Postoffice Department
There is a difference of a little Over -
per ton in the cost of anthracite coal T
asked for $500 70 cover this and
think Il will suffice
In my opinion, the use of anthracite
coal IS absolutely essential for a stTicf
compliance with the law There is no
smoke condenser which will do awsv
with all the smoke produced in a big
furnace
A Good Smoke Consumer.
At Schneider's bakery. 4sI Street
northwest. where a smoke consumer IS
used, an enploye said it was tbs only
thing that prevented the connpanv-s
being often fined in the Police Court
He said II was absolutely serviceable
and reliable
Several engineers today commended
the action OF District Commissioner
- So III sstANpNsttts45 tflS GITuCrl-
ties take steps 10 allow the emission OF
smoke for q reasonable length OF time
They argued that il is almost irnpos-
sole TO keep from emitting smoke from
the stacks altogether.
AT the Portner fats. however. the
manager said smoke was never seen
coming from the chimney OF mis- hI,ild
ing. He Is. he says. the only one VINO
uses the furnaces that are Stosed from,
the bottom Soft coal IS used il his
furnaces