What I thought about in arriving at something close to what people now call "snake" or charcoal chain cooking is that as the initial starting coals are set in, they not only start the chain, but also preheat the next bit of charcoal......
All along the chain, this preheating continues....
If you watch someone whose adept at operating an offset cooker, large or small, they'll preheat wood splits on top of the firebox...
The reason for this is so the fuel is much closer to the heat of the ignition point so it produces a lot less smoke burning up to a "clean" fire/burn state
While charcoal isn't exactly the same, it's close enough to be workable in these setups....
Decently seasoned wood, set along the chain, or "in" the chain will preheat & burn clean also.....
If you watch
If you watch someone