12 
PHENOMENA OF WINTER. 
when charcoal is burned into this gas.” In common furnaces, this gas is formed by 
the union of the heated coal or coke with the carbonic acid, first produced by the 
direct union of the most heated portion of the fuel, with the oxygen of the air. 
“ These furnaces are usually open to the air at the bottom by the bars of the fire 
grate, brisk combustion takes place, and the body of the coke above becomes of a 
bright-red heat ; but the air is quickly deprived of its oxygen by the lowest layer of 
coal, the draught carries up the exhausted air, and with it the carbonic acid that has 
been formed ; this gas, as it passes over the ignited coal, dissolves a fresh portion, 
cools the fire, and ascends the chimney.” 
Thus, then, admitting the full force of this statement, a very great proportion of 
the actual body of the fuel, is dissolved in the carbonic acid, and carried off uncon- 
sumed, to the great loss of the concern. Now, where shall we find a remedy for 
this unsuspected evil ? The chemist could easily suggest one, by the introduction 
of a greater supply of oxygen, or fresh air, among and over the ignited body ; but 
great nicety of adaptation must be employed, for while one evil was obviated, another, 
in the melting and clinkering of the coal into a solid and most unmanageable mass, 
might be dreaded. However, the quality of the coal (the Moira is capital) may 
obviate much of the evil. 
Dr. Miller next alludes to the combustion of coal instead of coke or charcoal ; in 
which he says, “ Still greater loss is here sustained, because all the visible smoke 
is wasted, a good deal of carbonic oxide passes off in the invisible form, and still 
more coal-gas escapes unnoticed ; the coal in the upper part of the furnace becomes 
coked, by the heat of the lower portion, and nearly all that the gas-works obtain, by 
the distillation of coal in retorts, here passes unheeded into the air.” 
This is unfortunately true to the letter ; witness the volumes of smoke which are 
poured into the air from every shaft, where pure coal of any kind is employed, as the 
heating material. Dr. Miller denounces the evil as a nuisance, mischievous to 
health, and adverse to economy ; but he points out no remedy. Here, then, the 
writer must again urge the importance of a jet of steam as the only effectual 
remedy. Could the boiler be made to boil the water, a skilful machinist would find 
little difficulty in adapting a cast-iron jet pipe, to terminate in an expanding rose 
pierced fall of small orifices ; but as the constant return of cooler water, keeps that 
within the furnace below the boiling degree, the arrangements must become more 
complicated. 
Since the foregoing was written, and just at bringing this article to its close, a 
newspaper, writing on the “ smoke nuisance,” gives a notice, from Liverpool, that 
a remedy had been found, and adopted : the paper is not at hand, and, therefore, we 
can do no more than allude to the fact ; it, however, brings to mind that a very ob- 
servant person assured us, he had witnessed the immediate and total destruction of 
smoke, from some furnaces in Scotland, by merely turning the stop-cock of a tube, 
which conveyed a rose-jet of steam over the surface of the burning coal. The 
Liverpool article did not describe the agent or the machinery employed. 
