392 TRAM.SACTIONS OF SECTION B. 



under outlet the entire combustion-products are carried off, while by the upper 

 or ventilating outlet a large volume of ' ventilating ' air is removed, and volume 

 being controllable by a ventilation regulator. 



Mr. Yates then proceeded to describe the results of comparative tests, which 

 proved that the new ' ventilating ' gas-fire actually removes at least twice as 

 much air from the room as the previous best types of gas-fires for the same gas- 

 consumption and radiant efficiency, and approaches the ventilating capacity of 

 an ordinary coal-fire as closely as is necessary for the maintenance of a per- 

 fectly fresh atmosphere in the apartment heated. Moreover, the tests had 

 proved that this ventilating effect draws air up the flue from all parts of the 

 room, and is at least equal, if not superior, in this respect to that of an 

 ordinary coal-fire. Indeed, having regard to this latest improvement combined 

 with the previous great advances made in the radiant efficiencies and the com- 

 bustion generally of gas-fires, the author is emphatically of the opinion that in 

 every respect they are now more than equal to the best type of coal-fire. 



(vi.) Other Aspects of the Smoke Question. 

 Mr. Alfred Hutchinson, of the Skinningrove Iron Co., Ltd. (Cleveland 

 District), said that in the manufacture of iron and steel it had been found 

 possible, by the use of by-product coke-ovens and of gas-engines generating 

 electric current for driving electrically driven rolling mills, to obtain, from 

 the waste gases from the coke-ovens and blast-furnace plant, sufficient spare gas 

 not only to heat up steel ingots in soaking pits, but also to roll them down to 

 finished sections without using any extra fuel beyond the said surplus gases. 

 In addition to this, the valuable by-products could be recovered from the coal 

 charged into the coking-ovens. 



Mr. D. Brownlie (Manchester) wished to point out that it does not neces- 

 sarily follow that a smokeless chimney means an efficient boiler plant. For 

 example, the average working thermal efficiency of the boiler plants in this 

 country is probably about 60 per cent, with more or less smoke. If an enor- 

 mous excess of air is allowed to go through the fires, the smoke can be 

 stopped, but with considerable reduction in thermal efficiency. Under ideal 

 conditions a boiler plant can be rimning at an efficiency of 85 per cent., with 

 14 per cent, of CO, in the chimney gases, and no smoke. A very slight reduc- 

 tion in the air supply in such a case would give smoke and a reduced efficiency, 

 but this ' smoky ' plant might still be much more efficient than the average plant. 

 As a result of many years' experience in fuel economy and smoke prevention, 

 he had arrived at the conclusion that there is no relation between the 

 ' smokiness ' of a coal and the percentage of ' volatile matter ' which it con- 

 tains. In every case, however, smoke can be prevented by the application of 

 scientific methods. 



Mr. Walter F. Reid (London) advocated the widening of the scope of any 

 Committee that might be formed, so as to include at least 50 per cent, of 

 members who were themselves connected with industries that produce smoke. 



The Coal Smoke Abatement Society of London had many members of 

 Council who were connected with industries that in the past had been noxious. 

 The efforts of that Society extending over many years had succeeded in 

 improving the London atmosphere. The London fogs were less numerous and 

 less in.iurious than formerly. 



It was useless to recommend coal-gas for domestic heating unless it could be 

 supplied much more cheaply than at present ; the cost at present considerably 

 exceeded that of coal, especially for small dwellings. 



Mr. Arnold Lupton (London), speaking of the financial losses sustained by 

 the inhabitants of our industrial towns and cities by reason of their smoke- 

 polluted atmosphere, said that, whilst living near the ITniversity of Leeds, he 

 has estimated that the cost to him in damage to furniture and clothing caused 

 by smoke was equal to an annual rate of no less than six shillings in the pound 

 on his rental, and he was satisfied that the shopkeepers suffered an equally 

 serious loss ; he thought the smoke nuisance might be removed at the cost of a 

 rate of about one shilling in the pound. 



Mr. John W. Graham (Manchester), Chairman of the Smoke Abatement 

 League of Great Britain, cordially supported the proposal for the appointment of 



