Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-16
sIscEII1NToUs REooED
Smoke From soft Coal.

While Wilmington may not be said to
be suffering acutely from the nuisance Of
volumes Of smoke resulting from the use
Of soft coal for fuel, there is enough Of
the nuisance TO make it worth while to
give the matter consideration before il
becomes worse.
In this connection an editorial from
the New York Times, dealing with this
question, which we print elsewhere in
this issue, will be read with general
interest. The editorial deals with the
complaint Of New York City hotel
keeper, to the effect that If the ordinance
against the smoke nuisance in that city
is strictly enforced ''it might be as we'll
TO close the hotels Immediately" His
argument is thatthe hotels are compelled
TO burn soft coal and. therefore, they
must be permitted TO inhict the smoke
nuisance upon the community or 20 out
Of business.
But it is fact that tho smoke nuisance
may be obviated and the use Of soft coal
continued without the slightest restriction,
indeed, with better results in the way of
steam and heat. The remedy is found in
improved methods of combustion, by
which the coal is fully utilized, instead
Of being wasted in the dense volumes of
smoke which so generally are seen emerg-
ing from stacks Of furnaces in which soft
coal is used as fuel That portion Of coal
which is wasted in the form of heavy
black smoke may be burned, and thus
become of value instead of being scat
tered around the neghborhood as most
insinuating and aggnvating nuisance.
There is no apparent reason why every
establishment which uses soft coal in
sufficient quantities to create smoke
nuisance under present conditions should
not resort 20 tho improved methods of
combustion, and thus save many people
a gnevous affection. Il is not unusual
even in Wilmington, for the family wash
to be spoiled by SCOT from the stacks of
soft coal furnaces, while houses are fre-
quently invaded to the great detriment
Of the furnishings II is entirely practi-
cable TO so consume tho coal that very
little Of It willgo up the stacks in the form
Of smoke, so little, in fact, that no
inconvenience will be occasioned.
In this matter, what is done in one
community may be done in another. The
city of Cleveland is a great manufac-
turing centre, where enormous quantities
Of soft coal are consumed daily. But
Cleveland suffers from no smoke nuisance.
A city ordinance requires the adoption
Of methods TO insure the thorough COM
bustion Of coal, 70 the almost entire climb
nation Of smoke, and special engineer
and three assistants are sufficient to in
sure a strict compliance with the ordi-
nance. In city Of nearly half a million
population, this is not serious burden
Of cost for the enforcement Of such an
admirable regulation. Indeed, il should
not be necessary TO have officers TO en-
force the continuance Of such desirable
reform. Those who use soft coal should
be only too willing to employ the ap-
phanccs by which almost absolute COM
bustion may be secured, for the saving
in coal by this process will in time cover
the cost Of the appliances. Thus the con-
sumers Of the coal may effect an economy
through the process by which they relieve
the community Of a nuisance