The smoke had “its inconveniences,” but it combated miasma. Inhabitants credited it with killing the malaria they believed arose from wetlands. It saved eyesight by cutting down the glare. Far from being an evil, the smoke was a blessing and the residents of Pittsburgh claimed to live longer than anyone in the world. Above all, it was a mark of prosperity. Parton noted, however, that as the smoke grew worse, residents who could afford to do so moved farther and farther away from the city proper to avoid the damage it did.
