Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
SOFT COAL AND BLACK SMOKE.
Bituminous Fuel May Be Burned
Without Emitting SCOT Clouds.
From the Literary Diges'

PAobi tne Lsterary Oisest.
The possibility of burning soft coal with
no production OF smoke is pointed out in the
Medical Record by an editorial writer. He
reminds his readers. In the first place, that
while 1t is not against the law to burn soft
coal, 1t is SO to produce by this means black
smoke and SCOT such as are nuisance and
menace to the communal health He goes
on to say:
"Bituminous coal can be burned In such
way that chimneys under which It is
used will not beIch forth hideous and nox-
ious vapors. Prof. w. Jones. who Is en-
gagged by the Metropolitan railroad states
in letter addressed to our esteemed lay
namesake that In the power plant Of this
company there is little or no smoke pro-
duced, This result depends in no way upon
any special apparatus termed a smoke
consumer indeed, Prof. Jones knows of no
such apparatus. The whole trick In burn
Ing soft coal and producing no smoke is to
feed the coal gradually to the furnaces
and In such a way that the smoke produced
Is produced only In the front part of the
furnace and is consumed In passing over
the back part Of the fire, which is a he'd Of
incandescent coke the whole Are heinp
gradually moved from the front TO the
back of the furnace. The feeding Is of
course, done in all large plants by machi-
IL.
furnaces an intelligent fireman-none other
should be empioyed-can get the same re-
suits no matter what coal Is used.
The city of Cleveland furnishes A DEM
onstration of smokeless city In the fac
tories of which soft coal is almost exeIu-
siveiy used; and this result Is brought about
IN community of nearly half million Nv
STAN composed of a special engineer and
three fnspectors-back ed up by a who!esome
public sentiment. The public sentiment lis.
after all. the thing that does the work. the
omcals are but the instruments They have
In that city law, rgfdly enforced. to ar
rest not only the firemen, but the owner
agent. tenant. occupant or any other per-
son in charge or control of any structure
other than a private house
The chief complaint of those prosecuted
for these nuisances Is that hard coal is so
difficult to get--it is too expensive. We con-
fess there is something In this. Hard coal
Is very expensive-why, Is not easy OF ex-
PLANTATION Mr. Baer and his confreres
might enlghten us: but they would proba-
bly, consider impolitic frank statement in
this regard. What the humble citizen can
reason out. however, is that a year ago the
Pennsylvania miner got 20 cents ton for
his diggings 1--WE have not seen what the poor
devil gets today. while the consumer must
pay nearly ten times as much for the same
amount OF coal Evidently there are some
where in this business those who are extor-
tionate. Here. we think. Is situation In
which we might well pray for at least
brief presence among us of q benevolent
despot with full power of life and DEATH,
Yes. anthracite comes high: but. as we
have pointed out, II does not have to be-
used. II Is compIained that II soft coal can
have to be- closed down. But the contrary
obtains in Cleveland. where. during the
past four years. the number Of manufaoto-
ries has doubled"