Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-25
RESULTS PLEASE
CHIEF ENGINEER
Preventers Being Tested at the
Pumping Station Are Do
ing the Work.
NEARLY ELIMINATES SMOKE
In Addition the Efficiency of the
Boilers Is Greatly Increased
Others Watching Results.

The tests on the new Scharf smoke
preventers, which have been installed
on the boilers at the city waterworks
pumping station, are proving most sat
isfactory, and although they have been
in commission only few days, the
superintendent of waterworks and
chief engineer are already convinced
that they are the real thing and that
they will do all that their makers claim
for them.
The tests will continue 80 days, and
at the end of that time, if the city feels
that they have done what the manufac-
turers said they would, they will be
bought; otherwise, the company will
remove them and make no charge for
the time they have been in operation.
Practically Eliminate Smoke.
If you are in the habit of crossing
over the bridge to the island, you have
probably noticed that there is little or
no smoke coming out of the smoke
stack at the pumping station. In place
of the huge clouds of black, dirty
smoke which formerly belched forth,
there is now a little reddish smoke,
which instantly dissolves in the air
and leaves no dirt or SCOT to fall. The
company claims that the apparatus
will eliminate 90 per cent of the smoke
from a boiler, and it is the belief of
Chief Engineer Walter H. Wise that
an even greater percentage than this
is being eliminated. In addition to
this doing away with the smoke nui-
sance, the Scharf preventer is guaran-
| teed to make a saving of 10 per cent
on the coal bill. The inventors of the
appliance state that the smoke is turn
ed into a power-producing gas which
| is ignited while still under the boil
ers, and that in this way more heat is
secured from the coal and accordingly
| less fuel is needed.
Efficiency Is Increased.
! The chief engineer believes also that
the efficiency of his boilers has been
| increased considerably by the attach
ment of the preventers. 1t is possible
| to get the same amount of power with
| less fuel, which is in itself a great in
crease in efficiency, and in addition to
| this the boilers require less attention
than formerly In the past it has been
! found necessary to blow out" the
! fiues each day-that is; turn a jet of
steam into the f1ues 10 remove the coal
dust and SCOT which collects there
! Since the time of first using the new
appliances, which was last Wednesday,
| the fiues have remained in such excel
! lent order that no blowing out" has
been necessary, and the indications
are that they will not have to be clean
ed for several days yet to come.
How 1t Works.
The smoke preventer is very simple,
as far as principle goes. 1t consists
of a continuance which sends out six
different jets of steam and air into
each furnace The mixture of this
steam and air with the smoke is the
object. Smoke itself is a gas which
does not burn, but the addition Of
steam and air turns 1t into a gas which
will burn. Careful tests have shown
that a furnace makes most of its smoke
for a period of six minutes after fresh
coal has been added to the fire, and
this fact is recognized by the Scharf
preventer. The contrivance causes the
mixture Of steam and air to be injected
/ into the furnace for a period of six
minutes after each opening of the fur
mace doors. and then the flow is auto
matically stopped until the door IS
| opened again 1t can be put in opera
ton at any time, however, without the
opening of the door. The burning of
the smoke in the furnace not only elm