Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-21
PROF. EBAUGH ON
SHELTER SMOKE
University Authority on Chemis-
try Tells OF Struggle
To Control Il.
FRICTION WITH THE FARMERS
IL Is. He says, Only One symptom Of
A Long Controversy Between
Unnighborly Vacations.

a growing University fashion Us for
members OF the faculty to apply the
learning OF their respective depart
ments TO the practical problems around
about the campus.
Prof. ". c. Ebaugh, head OF the de-
pdrtment Of chemistry OF the Unlver-
sty Of Utah. has contributed a paper
Of decided interest In the prevailing
valley problem OF smelter smoke. Prof
Ebaugh takes up the question as a
chemical problem, reviews the battle
10 decide whether the smoke could be
controlled and finally gives the results
ih the court decisions to close down
the Murray and Bingham Junction
plants
A few weeks ago." begins the ar
ucle which Is written for the Educa-
uonal Review. The public press an
nounced that the appellate court sit
ting I'm 81. Paul, had affirmed the de-
cision OF the United States district
court with respect TO the suit for
permanent injunction brought by an
association OF farmers against the
smeiters operating in the Salt Lake
valley.
STRUGGLES OF INDUSTRIES.
In many ways different industries
are 70 a certain extent Incompatible.
Thus paper mills and bleaCheries could
not very well turn out good white
products were they TO be located in an
iron working district. where clouds OF
black smoke constantly darken the
skies, Water issuing from mines is
sometimes Injurious TO vegetable and
animal life ana the refuse OF tail
ings' from ore concentrating plants
pOllutes streams, fills irrigating d.tches
and covers valuable agricultural land
with undesirable deposits The ways
IN which slaughter houses gas works.
chemical factories and other industrial
establishments emit offensive odors,
disc barge impurities upon surrounding
land and into neighborinE streams will
occur 10 one who gives the matter a
moments thought
STATUS OF CLAIMS.
There can be no question as TO the
fact that In some quarters exaggerated
ideas prevail as to the amount Of dam
age done by the smelters. At the
same time II is true that portions ~
the valley suffer severely from the
smoke. The harmful emanations are
either gaseous or solid. The former
include sulphur dioxide. with possibly
small quantities OF trioxide. and the
latter include arsenic. lead. copper,
ana othor metallic compounds largely
In the form Of oxides. sulphides and
sulphates Formerly Il was held
that the gases mentioned were alone
responsible for damage 10 vegetation,
and the solids were injurious TO ami
mails; but a more recent view shifts
2 larger portion Of the blame for in
jury 70 vegetation 10 the solid eman-
atoms Other things being equal the
amount OF damage done Is greater
In moist than I'm a dry climate.
PURIFYING SMOKE.
a question naturally arises as %
why the shelters do not purify" their
smoke, many persons thinking that IL
would be a problem as easy Of solution
as Is that Of consuming the smoke
trom coal fred power plant. As a
mater OF fact the two conditions are
In no way similar Black smoke
comes from coal only because the coal
Is not burning completely. and every
pound Of carbon going on in the form
OF SCOT means an actual loss OF that
much fuel. 1t becomes economical
10 install devices to render combustion
omplete. and many forms OF appara-
tus have been designed to bring this
ABOUT thus assuring an increased ef-
nciency for the plant as well as a ces-
sauon OF the coal smoke nuisance. But
IN the case OF smelter smoke this is
not true Sulphur dioxide is a suffo-