New-York tribune., 1906-04-28
SMOKE AND SMELL on WHEELS.


Comment on the smoke and smell emitted by
many automobile vehicles has hitherto been
made in these columns and it has been sug
gested that the nuisance should be abated upOn
the same principles those on which the cam
paign against smut smoke from chimneyS is
being wased. namely, that it is a nuisance in
furious to the public, that it is unnecessary,
and that it is actually n cause of waste and
needless expense to those who commit it. We
notice that the matter has been taken up in
London with characteristic energy and with Il
prospect that something will be done about it,
That city is now provided with system of au-
tomoble omnibuses. which seem to be pretty
good things for transportation, but in other re-
spects to he decidedly offensive. Thus find
Mr. Sidney Colvin saying Of them in the Lon
don Times:
Along their lines Of route the whir Of these
monsters is already deafening out of doors. and
all but deafening TO those who sit indoors with
open windows. And their stink is even worse
Dfagua than their din The nOisome
steam discharged in the trail Of these vehicles
hung blue and thick and low in the streets; it
penetrated the parks; to draw a clean breath
was impossible. If you sought refuge on the
roof of one of these machines you only found
yourself choked by the reek of another in front,
and came home sicilened in all your senses.
Is there no public authority which can
check the multiplication of these machines until
they can be made stinkess?
Mr. GOWNS vigorous NOfuS VIII nnu yulpd-
the1ic echoes in many New York heart. The
state of affairs here is not we think as bad as
he describes ii to be in London. But ii is bad.
and is growing worse Huge touring cars" pass
through quiet residence streets at all hours of
the night. making more noise than trolley cars
would and nearly as much railroad trains.
Sometimes one is left standing before house
for an hour, at midnight or later. with its en-
gine "chug-chuggng' loud enough to wake
everybody on the block As for the stencil Of
gasOlene and other cOmbusdbles, on some fire.
quented avenues and in parts of the parks it
is often pretty nearly as bad as Mr.. COlvin de-
scribes it, One may drive through Central or
Prospect Park from end to end any fine Sunday
afternoon without being able to draw one full
breath free from those nauseous fumes.
That these things, especially the smoke and
fumes. indicate imperfeetiOns I'm the engine or
! ignorance or carelessneSs in the use of il and
| a costly wear and tear OF the machinery and
waste OF fuel must be obvious to every thought
! full observer For the sake Of the machines and
| their owners the nuisance should be abated. As
/ 10 the legal abatement of 1t under the anti
| smoke law ii is TO be noted that the law, speak
| ing OF 'every building, vessel or place in or
upon which a locomotive or stationary engine"
is used, declares that person shall "cause.
suffer or allow smoke . gas steam or
offensive or nosome odors to escape or he dis
charged to the detriment or ANNOYANCE
"of any person or persons. :" II Is GER
| tain that many motor ears do emit and dis
charge smoke gas, steam and offensive and
noisome odors, to the detriment and great an
noyance OF many people. 1t is certain that mo
man would be permitted TO run a stationary
| engine that did such things In his own house
or yard. LIS 1t any more permissible for him 10
run such movable engine along the public