men of invention and industry-第32章

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have　one　of　some　size　under　hand。　　In　the　meantime；　I　wish

William　could　be　brought　to　do　as　we　do；　to　mind　the　business　in

hand；　and　let　such　as　Symington　and　Sadler　throw　away　their　time

and　money　in　hunting　shadows。〃　　In　a　subsequent　letter　Watt

expressed　his　gratification　at　finding　〃that　William　applies　to

his　business。〃　　From　that　time　forward；　Murdock　as　well　as　Watt；

dropped　all　further　speculation　on　the　subject；　and　left　it　to

others　to　work　out　the　problem　of　the　locomotive　engine。　

Murdock's　model　remained　but　a　curious　toy；　which　he　took

pleasure　in　exhibiting　to　his　intimate　friends；　and；　though　he

long　continued　to　speculate　about　road　locomotion；　and　was

persuaded　of　its　practicability；　he　abstained　from　embodying　his

ideas　of　the　necessary　engine　in　any　complete　working　form。



Murdock　nevertheless　continued　inventing；　for　the　man　who　is

given　to　invent；　and　who　possesses　the　gift　of　insight；　cannot

rest。　　He　lived　in　the　midst　of　inventors。　　Watt　and　Boulton　were

constantly　suggesting　new　things；　and　Murdock　became　possessed　by

the　same　spirit。　　In　1791　he　took　out　his　first　patent。　　It　was

for　a　method　of　preserving　ships'　bottoms　from　foulness　by　the

use　of　a　certain　kind　of　chemical　paint。　　Mr。　Murdock's　grandson

informs　us　that　it　was　recently　re…patented　and　was　the　cause　of

a　lawsuit；　and　that　Hislop's　patent　for　revivifying　gas…lime

would　have　been　an　infringement；　if　it　had　not　expired。



Murdock　is　still　better　known　by　his　invention　of　gas　for

lighting　purposes。　　Several　independent　inquirers　into　the

constituents　of　Newcastle　coal　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that

nearly　one…third　of　the　substance　was　driven　off　in　vapour　by　the

application　of　heat；　and　that　the　vapour　so　driven　off　was

inflammable。　　But　no　suggestion　had　been　made　to　apply　this

vapour　for　lighting　purposes　until　Murdock　took　the　matter　in

hand。　　Mr。　M。　S。　Pearse　has　sent　us　the　following　interesting

reminiscence：　〃Some　time　since；　when　in　the　West　of　Cornwall；　I

was　anxious　to　find　out　whether　any　one　remembered　Murdock。　　I

discovered　one　of　the　most　respectable　and　intelligent　men　in

Camborne；　Mr。　William　Symons；　who　not　only　distinctly　remembered

Murdock；　but　had　actually　been　present　on　one　of　the　first

occasions　when　gas　was　used。　　Murdock；　he　says；　was　very　fond　of

children；　and　not　unfrequently　took　them　into　his　workshop　to

show　them　what　he　was　doing。　　Hence　it　happened　that　on　one

occasion　this　gentleman；　then　a　boy　of　seven　or　eight；　was

standing　outside　Murdock's　door　with　some　other　boys；　trying　to

catch　sight　of　some　special　mystery　inside；　for　Dr。　Boaze；　the

chief　doctor　of　the　place；　and　Murdock　had　been　busy　all　the

afternoon。　　Murdock　came　out；　and　asked　my　informant　to　run　down

to　a　shop　near　by　for　a　thimble。　　On　returning　with　the　thimble；

the　boy　pretended　to　have　lost　it；　and；　whilst　searching　in　every

pocket；　he　managed　to　slip　inside　the　door　of　the　workshop；　and

then　produced　the　thimble。　　He　found　Dr。　Boaze　and　Murdock　with　a

kettle　filled　with　coal。　　The　gas　issuing　from　it　had　been　burnt

in　a　large　metal　case；　such　as　was　used　for　blasting　purposes。　

Now；　however；　they　had　applied　a　much　smaller　tube；　and　at　the

end　of　it　fastened　the　thimble；　through　the　small　perforations

made　in　which　they　burned　a　continuous　jet　for　some　time。〃＇7＇



After　numerous　experiments；　Murdock　had　his　house　in　Cross　Street

fitted　up　in　1792　for　being　lit　by　gas。　　The　coal　was　subjected

to　heat　in　an　iron　retort；　and　the　gas　was　conveyed　in　pipes　to

the　offices　and　the　different　rooms　of　the　house；　where　it　was

burned　at　proper　apertures　or　burners。＇8＇　　Portions　of　the　gas

were　also　confined　in　portable　vessels　of　tinned　iron；　from　which

it　was　burned　when　required；　thus　forming　a　moveable　gas…light。　

Murdock　had　a　gas　lantern　in　regular　use；　for　the　purpose　of

lighting　himself　home　at　night　across　the　moors；　from　the　mines

where　he　was　working；　to　his　home　at　Redruth。　　This　lantern　was

formed　by　filling　a　bladder　with　gas　and　fixing　a　jet　to　the

mouthpiece　at　the　bottom　of　a　glass　lantern；　with　the　bladder

hanging　underneath。



Having　satisfied　himself　as　to　the　superior　economy　of　coal　gas；

as　compared　with　oils　and　tallow；　for　the　purposes　of　artificial

illumination；　Murdock　mentioned　the　subject　to　Mr。　James　Watt；

jun。；　during　a　brief　visit　to　Soho　in　1794；　and　urged　the

propriety　of　taking　out　a　patent。　　Watt　was；　however；　indifferent

to　taking　out　any　further　patents；　being　still　engaged　in

contesting　with　the　Cornish　mine…owners　his　father's　rights　to

the　user　of　the　condensing　steam…engine。　　Nothing　definite　was

done　at　the　time。　　Murdock　returned　to　Cornwall　and　continued　his

experiments。　　At　the　end　of　the　same　year　he　exhibited　to　Mr。

Phillips　and　others；　at　the　Polgooth　mine；　his　apparatus　for

extracting　gases　from　coal　and　other　substances；　showed　it　in

use；　lit　the　gas　which　issued　from　the　burner；　and　showed　its

〃strong　and　beautiful　light。〃　　He　afterwards　exhibited　the　same

apparatus　to　Tregelles　and　others　at　the　Neath　Abbey　Company's

ironworks　in　Glamorganshire。



Murdock　returned　to　Soho　in　1798；　to　take　up　his　permanent

residence　in　the　neighbourhood。　　When　the　mine　owners　heard　of

his　intention　to　leave　Cornwall；　they　combined　in　offering　him　a

handsome　salary　provided　he　would　remain　in　the　county；　but　his

attachment　to　his　friends　at　Soho　would　not　allow　him　to　comply

with　their　request。　　He　again　urged　the　firm　of　Boulton　and　Watt

to　take　out　a　patent　for　the　use　of　gas　for　lighting　purposes。　

But　being　still　embroiled　in　their　tedious　and　costly　lawsuit；

they　were　naturally　averse　to　risk　connection　with　any　other

patent。　　Watt　the　younger；　with　whom　Murdock　communicated　on　the

subject；　was　aware　that　the　current　of　gas　obtained　from　the

distillation　of　coal　in　Lord　Dundonald's　tar…ovens　had　been

occasionally　set　fire　to；　and　also　that　Bishop　Watson　and　others

had　burned　gas　from　coal；　after　conducting　it　through　tubes；　or

after　it　had　issued　from　the　retort。　　Mr。　Watt　was；　however；

quite　satisfied　that　Murdock　was　the　first　person　who　had

suggested　its　economical　application　for　public　and　private　uses。



But　he　was　not　clear；　after　the　legal　difficulties　which　had　been

raised　as　to　his　father's　patent　rights；　that　it　would　be　safe　to

risk　a　further　patent　for　gas。



Mr。　Murdock's　suggestion；　accordingly；　was　not　acted　upon。　　But

he　went　on　inventing　in　other　directions。　　He　thenceforward

devoted　himself　entirely　to　mechanical　pursuits。　　Mr。　Buckle　has

said　of　him：　〃The　rising　sun　often　found　him；　after　a　night

spent　in　incessant　labour；　still　at　the　anvil　or　turning…lathe；

for　with　his　own　hands　he　would　make　such　articles　as　he　would

not　intrust　to　unskilful　ones。〃　　In　1799　he　took　out　a　patent

（No。　2340）；　embodying　some　very　important　inventions。　　First；　it

included　the　endless　screw　working　into　a　toothed…wheel；　for

boring　steam…cylinders；　which　is　still　in　use。　　Second；　the

casting　of　a　steam…jacket　in　one　cylinder；　instead　of　being　made

in　separate　segments　bolted　together　with　caulked　joints；　as　was

previously　done。　　Third；　the　new　double…D　slide…valve；　by　which

the　construction　and　working　of　the　steam…engine　was　simplified；

and　the　loss　of　steam　saved；　as　well　as　the　cylindrical　valve　for

the　same　purpose。　　And　fourth；　improved　rotary　engines。　　One　of

the　latter　was　set　to　drive　the　machines　in　his　private　workshop；

and　continued　in　nearly　constant　work　and　in　perfect　use　for

about　thirty　years。



In　1801；　Murdock　sent　his　two　sons　William　and　John　to　the　Ayr

Academy；　for　the　benefit　of　Scotch　education。　　In　the　summer…time

they　spent　their　vacation　at　Bellow　Mill；　which　their　grandfather

still　continued　to　occupy。　　They　fished　in　the　river；　and　〃caught

a　good　many　trout。〃　　The　boys　corresponded　regularly　with　their

father　at　Birmingham。　　In　1804；　they　seem　to　have　been　in　a　state

of　great　excitement　about