Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-10
By
FIR ederic
]. HdSkin
.SMOKEPREVENTlON

s,oounts To an average of 10 cents per
vsek On that basis the outlay for clean
linen alone would amount to at least
$50 100000 In addition to this must De
taken into consideration the great loss
to vegetation, the blackening of public
buildings. and the injury to the puohc
health.
Soma men have asserted that the
smoke nuisance is not injurious to
health, yet this seems contrary to the
Testimony of the statistics. 1t was
shown in the case of the heavy London
fogs that the death rate was, greater by
thousands during the prevalence of the
fogs than at other times. The spread of
pulmonary diseases has been largely In
keeping with the growth OF Industrial
regions. Nearly all of the serious stu
dents of the smoke question agree. that
the presence of smoke in the atmosphere
causes much damage to health.
The figures secured with reference to
the prevalence of smoke over London
show that this pail contains at least
so tons of solid carbon. One authority
estimates that the annual consumption
of coal in that city releases nearly
1000 tons of sulphuric acid. If one has
ever had occasion to note the damage
wrought upon animal and vegetable life
by sulphurous fumes, he will begin to
appreciate the possibilities of the Lon
don fog and the American smoke. 1t
is said that the area of smut from the
London smoke pail extends for more
than 40 miles into the surrounding coun-
try. When the wind blows from Lon
DON heavy deposits of matter are made
on the snow, ice or vegetation at that
distance. Prof Rollo Russell placed
the annual damage by, reason of the
London pail at nearly $25,OOo,oOo.
While great losses are caused by the
prevalence of smoke, these losses are
small in comparison to the estimated
losses by reason of the deficient combus-
ton which produces the smoke. No
question in the engineering world has
been so neglected as that of advanta-
geous conversion of fuel into power. 1t
has been stated frequently that not
more than per cent or all the latent
heat in coal is converted into power un-
der present conditions. 1t is said that
the production of power through the
medium Of producer gas gives twice as
much energy to the driving shaft as is
given by the use of the same quantity
of fuel through the medium of steam.
Not only is this remarkable saving eff
fected in the energy of the coal used,
but at the same time the smoke nui-
sance is entirely overcome, since the
producer gas engine needs no smoke
stack.
It is believed that the future will
witness the establishment of great pow
reproducing stations at the mouths of
the coal mines of the country, and that
here will be produced the power which
will drive the machinery of the future.
1t has been shown that electricity can
be transmitted at least $50 miles ad-
vantageously, and that thus a large pro-
Queer plant could serve territory of
practically 100000 square miles. Such
territory would be about four times
as large as the area of the state of
Illinois. Furthermore, the conversion of
the lowest grade of coal into gas yields
as much power as the best bituminous,
and thus may be made highly available
the billions of tons of Ignite In the