Evening star., 1908-02-02
SOLVE SMOKE EVIL
Experts Show How Pollution
Is Av0idabIe
FROM SOFT-COAL FURNACES
Large Combustion Chamber One Of
the Requirements.
rom SOFT-COAL FURNACES
TEMPERATURE NOT TOO HIGH
Trouble Largely From Use of Btu
minous Coal in Fire Boxes De-
signed for Anthracite.

Government experts who have been
municipalities have just issued a bulletin
showing low the pollution of the atmos-
phere can be avoided and how certain cit
les are earnestly endeavoring to solve this
problem: The general statement is made
that coal can be burned smokelessly. the
same as gas. gasoline or kerosene oil, if
the furnaces are properly designed and
adjusted Each of these fuels. it is known,
will smoke if conditions are not favor
able
The further statement is made that to-
day there arc many steam power plants in
the large cities of the Emitted States burn
ing bituminous coal virtually without
smoke and the Inference is drawn that
If this is true in certain plants it ulti-
mate,y can be true in all The purpose of
authorizing these Investigations. which
were carried on by the teclnologic branch
of the United States geological survey, is
to increase the efficiency and thus to pre-
vent the waste of fuels. especially such
as are used by the United States gov
ernment. ID. T. Randall. engineer in
and the author of the bulletin. declares
that it is a recognized fact that the more
nearly perfect the combustion of any fuei.
the greater the efficiency. With perfect
combustion there is no smoke.
Improvements Out West.
with the knowledge that it can be
prevented. there has come an increasing
demand from the people of the large cit
ia hat nI-a hall M ho a tn no.
lutte the atmosphere, says Mr.. Randall.
'In nearly all cities Of the United States
efforts are being made to abate the smoke.
AS result of the demands of the public
the ordinances of some of these cities re-
quire that all new plants be equipped
properly and that old ones be remodeled,
and permits are now necessary for the in
stallation of a II boilers and furnaces.
AT present no city in which consid-
cradle quantity OF bituminouS coal is
burned is free from smoke. The cities of
the east Glave avoided this problem by a
general use of anthracite. For this reaL-
son it is not surprising that the greatest
Improvement in the methods of burning
bituminous coal has been made in the CEN
trail and western states.
Stoves. ranges. hDIse-heating boilers
and hot air furnaces are. as a rule. in
tended for the use of anthracite or coke.
Whenever bituminous coal is burned in
suclr furnaces all the principles of COM
bustion are violated and smoke results.
The supply of anthracite is limited and.
except for domestic purposes. such coal
is little used outside of the territory
adjacent to the mines. The larger cities
of the eastern states which use anthra-
cite for power and heating purposes now
find it necessary to supplement this fuel
with a considerable tonnage of bitumin-
Gus coal. 1t is evident then that for
the most part, this country must depend
upon its bituminous coal for manufac-
turing, railroad and power plant pur-
poses. This means that we must i'm
prove our usual method of burning BIZ
luminous coal or continue to suffer from
the loss in economy and smoke resulting
from imperfect combustion.
Smokeless Furnace Requirements.