Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-06
&c. SMOKE REMEDY
IS HELD POSSIBLE
Engineer Says Proper Firing
and Grade of Coal Hold
Solution.

Proper firing and use of coal OF low
volatile content will prevent, to q con-
siderable extent, the smoke nuisance
from Government buildings in the Dis
trict of Columbia, in the opinion OF the
Commission of Fine Arts.
For many years the commission, and
particularly Charles Moore, its chair
man, has protested against the deface-
ment of public buildings and monuments
by smoke and SCOT poured forth from
improperly fred heating plants Only
a few days ago Representative w. r..
Coyle of Pennsylvania severely criticized
on the floor of the House the policy
which dictates use of soft coal in Gov
eminent buildings in the Capital and
attacked o. p. Hood, chief engineer of
the Bureau of Mines, as the man re-
sponsible for the condition.
Wartime Economy Blamed.
The Commission of Fine Arts has
reached the conclusion that, while the
change from use Of smokeleSs anthra-
cite coal to Snoke-p producing bitumtnous
coal, which came about during the war,
was economically necessary, the amount
of destructive black smoke emitted by
Government buildings, hotels, apartment
houses and Office buildings is excessive.
BY excessive lllG
that the evil may be mitigated greatly,
If not altogether removed.
THE Lincoln Memorial" Mr.. Moore
saws, receives deposits of SCOT from
the chimney of the heating plant of the
Public Health Service and the Naval
Hospital, as we'll as from neighboring
apartment houses. The Freer Gallery
of Art is situated in q center OF smok-
ing chimneys. The money cost OF this
preventable nuisance, already large, Is
on the increase. Every fine building
erected in the District Is soon begrimed.
With fine public buildings now going
up and the ones to be erected faced
with this condition, it Is imperative
that a change is necessary, If they are
to escape DETACHMENT"
The commission asked Mr.. Hood for
an opinion on the Smmoke nuisance, as
applied to public buildings.
Hood Replies.
In his reply Mr.. Hood said, in part:
Anthracite has from to per cent
volatile matter that burns without
smoke Other Goals can be had having
volatile content from IA per cent up. In
general the seriousness of the problem
of smoke elimination is about in proper
ton to the volatile content of the coal.
Goals having from IA to 20 per cent can
DC anu are UuTIeQ WIFI comparatively
little trouble from smoke. Under un-
favorable conditions they can and do
produce Objectionable smoke, although
they are clasSed under the trade name
of "smokeless coal" The upper limit
has increased of late years so that coal
having IS per cent volatile claims to
come under this title.
Washington is fortunate above most
cities in being located where it can draw
low-volatile coal in quantity at rela-
lively low prices from two competing
districts, West Virginia and Pennsylva-
mia. Yet an increasing amount of high
volatile coal is being bought in Wash
mgton. This is sure to aggravate our
smoke problem unless its use is restrict
ed TO those plants so equipped and man
aged as to burn such coal SmokelesSly.
I'm the installation of fuel-burning
equipment smokeleSSneSs has not been
made q primary requirement nor is it
required today. Emphasis is placed in
stead on low cost of installation, on util-
izing cramped and undesirable quarters,
and on limited chimney heights so they
look well, whether they draw well or not.
very little managerial ability is ap-
piled to the way fuel Is burned in many
plants and homes. It is so easy to
shovel coal into q furnace that 1t is as