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67
three cubic yards, and accepted a new contract for the
same work, under which it pays 2s. 3d. per load; shewing
an increase in three years of 340 per cent in the cost
of removal. This increasing difficulty in the disposal of
dust, and the prospect that each year the difficulty and
expense would become greater (as well as the consideration
that it is not the highest policy to cart away our
nuisances for the poisoning of other neighbourhoods) led
the Clapham Committee to investigate whether some
plan for destruction of the offending materials immediately
after their collection by the dust carts was not
feasible. It was found that in various large towns the
dust was disposed of effectually and economically by
cremation, the waste heat being utilised for various
collatetal operations by generating steam power. The
experience of these towns was found to vary so far
as the success of the cremating process was concerned.
At Richmond, for instance, the furnace was constructed
on a wrong principle, and the draught was so great,
that even pieces of paper escaped up the chimney! In
the City of London the cremator is not at present satisfactory,
owing to the fact that various refuse materials
are burnt in a separate small furnace, from which a hole
has been opened into the main chimney. The consequence
is, imperfectly burnt matter gets up the chimney
and the efficiency of the Destructor is interfered with.
In over 20 provincial towns Dust Cremators have been
adopted, and in the cases where Fryer's Destructors have
been used the result has been successful.
The Clapham Committee were determined however,
that no possibility of nuisance should arise, and with
this object, they adopted the plan already at work in
Ealing. According to this plan, the furnace in which
the dust is burnt is in communication with a larger
chamber furnished with cross-walls, which latter prevent