The New York herald., 1922-08-06

There is an apparent error In q
widely quoted remark attributed to Lord
Newton In the House OF Lords in Lon
don to the effect that the SCOT or smoke
carbon falling upon the city Of Man
chester and its vicinity aggregates four
tons yearly TO the square mile. As q
matter of fact, in the manufacturing
districts of England a maximum OF
nearly four tons a day would not be
an exaggerated estimate of the chimney
products which fall TO the ground.
Measurements made several years go
varied from more than 900 tons to the
square mile as yearly minimum to
nearly 1000 tons as maximum, and
the measurements of DR.. j. 8. Owen in
dicate that about $50 tons fall yearly
in Victoria Park. London. and more
than twice as much at Liverpool. In
western Pennsylvania elaborate meas
urements at twelve stations were made
under the direction OF DIR. Herbert II.
Kimban of the Weather Bureau. Ac-
cording to his report the average mini
mum to the square mile was sos tons.
the average maximum 1850 tons and
the year average for all stations 1.o31
tons to the square mile.
These figures indicate the extent CT
air pollution from the incomplete burn
ing of fuel which Is now costing from
81 to s14 a ton; and although the
unburned coal is steadily falling the
amount in the air at any one time may
be from. so to ESQ pounds over each
square mile in manufacturing districts
where soft coal is used as power fuel.
Each pound OF unconsumed smoke car
British thermal units.
In regions where soft coal Is extern
sively used smoke carbon and other
chimney products are the most notice.
able factors in the pollution of the air
But they are not the chief menace to
public health. Smoke pollution IS harm
ful chiefly 70 the feelings and the pock-
etb6ck. II may be Irritating to weak
bronchial tubes, but there Is nothing in
fectious about II; ; 1t is germ proof
In this respect it is not in the same
class with wind blown street dust and
the amount OF street dust falling on
New York city In single year prob
ably exceeds several hundred tons to
the square mile. II estimates or definite
measurements have been made they have
not been published. City street dust is
germ laden. Several years ago DR.. T.
M. Prudden exposed small plates var
nishcd with gelatine for Ave minutes in
different parts Of the city. Each micro
organism falling on the selatine devel-
oped into colony and the colonies were
numbered as follows
u ground. Central Park ........... 400
ZION Square, at fountain ....,....... 21i
private library ....-..........,...... 81
An uptown department store .......... lsa
Broadway at Thrty-fifth street a4i
Where street sweepers worked ....... $50
Tests made in suburban school rooms
and in a public library by similar
method showed that the dust and Its
content of ro-organisms was street
dust that had been brought indoors.
| Elaborate tests made by Winslow and
Kligler showed that many of the micro
organisms of the dust. indoors and ou.
of doors. were disease producing. The
bacilli OF tuberculosis were generally
present In city street dust and they re-
tain their virulcnce for considerable
period OF time. Other pathogenic M
GRO organisms are present from time to
time. but most OF them have only a
slight resistance to dry air and sunlight.
Flying dust cannot be taken out OF
the air by any practicable means. but a
very considerable proportion may be
prevented from getting into the air.
Washing hard paved streets with
eoperiy directed hose stream Is an ef-
fective method. Years ago. when as
phaIt paving superseded cobblestones on
the East Side of New York city, this
method OF street cleaning was quickly
followed by drop in the death rate.
Physicians practicing in that part of the