View report page

107
of their shafts during the time of observation. The South shaft was
the worst, next the North shaft, and lastly the middle shaft. During
the period covered by the report black smoke issued for 294 minutes
from the South shaft, for 270 minutes from the North shaft, and for
203 minutes from the middle shaft. This would be respectively 13,
12 and 9 minutes per day of 7 hours.
The Thames Grain Drying Wharf is the next largest offender
with 124 minutes, making nearly 6 minutes per day. In this amount
is not reckoned portions of a minute, which were very numerous
with this particular shaft.
The next in amount was Younghusband, Barnes and Company's
premises for a period of 66 minutes, i.e., 3 minutes per day; and the
remainder, with the exception of Messrs. Barclay, Perkins' premises,
were for periods varying from 22 to 33 minutes, i.e., from 1 to 1½
minutes per day.
The least offender was Messrs. Barclay, Perkins' shaft, which
only sent out black smoke for a period of 7 minutes, i.e. one-third of
a minute per day.
The longest time continuous smoke was seen to issue was on
April 22nd from the North shaft of the City of London Electric
Lighting Station, and was for a period of 43 minutes.
It will be seen that the average quantity of black smoke issuing
during the whole period was not distinctly excessive, but when the
periods of smoking are taken into consideration, many of these must
be considered distinctly excessive and must have been a serious
nuisance to the neighbourhood. For many days the various shafts
of the City of London Electric Lighting Company behaved very well
there being little or no black smoke sent out on occasions for the whole
day, whereas on other days the smoking was distinctly bad. This
would point to carelessness in stoking, which with care ought to be
prevented.
Notices have been served on the various Companies where the
extent of the black smoke was beyond the periods mentioned in my
report.
On the 21st of April the Coal Smoke Abatement Society reported
black smoke for 30 minutes, from 12.55 to 1.25, foom the shafts of
the City of London Electric Lighting Station, which complaint agrees
pretty accurately with our inspectors' report.