The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-11-19
SMOKE NUISANCE IS TOPIC
DISCUSSED BY CEOLOGIsT

Economic Aspects Of the Smoke Nuis-
ance," was the subject Of an address
before the Convention OF the American
Civic association. by Herbert NJ vii
son. chief engineer in the United
states Geological Survey.
Mr.. Wilson summed up the annual
toll levied by smoke damage and
waste in the United States saying that
a conservative estimate would be $780,
600 900 in the large cities alone.
In more detail, he said
The smoke nuisance is one Of the
greatest dangers of modern times, in
sidiously attacking the health Of the
Individual, lowering his vitality, in
creasing the death rate, and causing
untold loss and injury to property. The
damage which this evil inhicts can
hardly be estimated in money; it is
equally impossible to estimate the
amount Of suffering, disease and death
and the general effect of lowered vi
tality upon the people caused by this
nuisance
~, on, oraat and niddla-ei7ed cities
live more than thirty million people,
and these suffer all the loss shown in
the total Of 100000 900. This means
per capita loss Of $17 each year to
every man, woman and child in these
cities. This sum is SO vast that it
fails Of comprehension. 1t would
build nearly a Panama Canal and a
half every year But more startling
still, considered as an annual per cap
ita tax, the losses incurred by the
inhabitants Of American cities equals
the total taxes they pay on their real
and personal property, and it is equal
to one-third the total corporate debt
of all American cities.
These figures are SO astounding as
to be almost unbelievable. and it is but
fair to tell on what this estimate was
based. A short time ago, smoke Off
cials OF Chicago, after careful inquiry,
reported that that city lost $50,00O,-
1000 each year through smoke. Celeve-
land. Ohio, conducted a similar in
quiry among its merchants, and plac-
ed the smoke damage at S4,000.000. st.
Louis, Mo-. in estimating the damage
on merchandise alone gave it at ST.
100000. The city of Harrisburg, Penn.
showed $4,000 loss for the year.
Our present method of burning
coal with smoke is costing the people
Of this country unnecessarily $SO.00O,-
900. 1t is estimated that 8 per cent,
of the coal used In the production Of
power, light and heat, or in all about
twenty million tons of coal, are going
up the chimneys each year in smoke.
This coal COSTS the people at beast $40,-
600 600. It is further estimated that
in the production of coke twenty-five
million tons of coal are wasted in the
air. This coal is worth $50.00O000-
while this total loss of 100000, 900
due to imperfect combustion, added to
the losses due to damaged property,
aggregates a vast sum, it is as moth
ing compared with the injury which
the smoke inflicts to life in the great
cities. The smoke nuisance means
uncleanliness. wretchedness, disease
and death. Comparing physical and
vital assets as measured by earning
power, vital assets are three to five
times the physical assets.
aside from the possibility of re-
modelling existing plants, the secret of
all smokeless combustion of coal in
the future lies in four directions: First
as large plants may, for obvious rea-
sons, be operated more economically
than smaller ones, the concentration
of the functions of the latter in CEN
tral plants in cities offers solution Of
the problem of producing power, light
and heat at a reasonable price and
without smoke. Second the conversion
of coal into producer gas and the
utilization Of the latter in power pro-
duction by gas engines both in small
Independent installations and large
central generating stations
Third, the compressing of bitumin-
GUS black and lignitic Goals into bri-
quets which can be burned in locomo-
tives and domestic furnaces with less
smoke than the raw coal
Fourth, the coking of coal in by
product instead Of in common beehive
ovens, thereby eliminating smoke and
saving the gases and distillates for
power production and industrial use.
Altogether, the situation is hope