men of invention and industry-第33章

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

of　great　excitement　about　the　expected　landing　of　the　French　in

Scotland。　　The　volunteers　of　Ayr　amounted　to　300　men；　the　cavalry

to　150；　and　the　riflemen　to　50。　　〃The　riflemen；〃　says　John；　〃go

to　the　seashore　every　Saturday　to　shoot　at　a　target。　　They　stand

at　70　paces　distant；　and　out　of　100　shots　they　often　put　in　60

bullets！〃　　William　says；　〃Great　preparations　are　still　making　for

the　　reception　of　the　French。　　Several　thousand　of　pikes　are

carried　through　the　town　every　week；　and　all　the　volunteers　and

riflemen　have　received　orders　to　march　at　a　moment's　warning。〃　

The　alarm；　however；　passed　away。　　At　the　end　of　1804；　the　two

boys　received　prizes；　William　got　one　in　arithmetic　and　another

in　the　Rector's　composition　class；　and　John　also　obtained　two；

one　in　the　mathematical　class；　and　the　other　in　French。



To　return　to　the　application　of　gas　for　lighting　purposes。　　In

1801；　a　plan　was　proposed　by　a　M。　Le　Blond　for　lighting　a　part　of

the　streets　of　Paris　with　gas。　　Murdock　actively　resumed　his

experiments；　and　on　the　occasion　of　the　Peace　of　Amiens　in　March；

1802；　he　made　the　first　public　exhibition　of　his　invention。　　The

whole　of　the　works　at　Soho　were　brilliantly　illuminated　with　gas。



The　sight　was　received　with　immense　enthusiasm。　　There　could　now

be　no　doubt　as　to　the　enormous　advantages　of　this　method　of

producing　artificial　light；　compared　with　that　from　oil　or

tallow。　　In　the　following　year　the　manufacture　of　gas…making

apparatus　was　added　to　the　other　branches　of　Boulton　and　Watts'

business；　with　which　Murdock　was　now　associated；and　as　much　as

from　4000L。　to　5000L。　of　capital　were　invested　in　the　new　works。　

The　new　method　of　lighting　speedily　became　popular　amongst

manufacturers；　from　its　superior　safety；　cheapness；　and

illuminating　power。　　The　mills　of　Phillips　and　Lee　of　Manchester

were　fitted　up　in　1805；　and　those　of　Burley　and　Kennedy；　also　of

Manchester；　and　of　Messrs。　Gott；　of　Leeds；　in　subsequent　years。



Though　Murdock　had　made　the　uses　of　gas…lighting　perfectly　clear；

it　was　some　time　before　it　was　proposed　to　light　the　streets　by

the　new　method。　　The　idea　was　ridiculed　by　Sir　Humphry　Davy；　who

asked　one　of　the　projectors　if　he　intended　to　take　the　dome　of

St。　Paul's　for　a　gasometer！　　Sir　Waiter　Scott　made　many　clever

jokes　about　those　who　proposed　to　〃send　light　through　the　streets

in　pipes；〃　and　even　Wollaston；　a　well　known　man　of　science；

declared　that　they　〃might　as　well　attempt　to　light　London　with　a

slice　from　the　moon。〃　　It　has　been　so　with　all　new　projects

with　the　steamboat；　the　locomotive；　and　the　　electric　telegraph。　

As　John　Wilkinson　said　of　the　first　vessel　of　iron　which　he

introduced；　〃it　will　be　only　a　nine　days'　wonder；　and　afterwards

a　Columbus's　egg。〃



On　the　25th　of　February；　1808；　Murdock　read　a　paper　before　the

Royal　Society　〃On　the　Application　of　Gas　from　Coal　to　economical

purposes。〃　　He　gave　a　history　of　the　origin　and　progress　of　his

experiments；　down　to　the　time　when　he　had　satisfactorily　lit　up

the　premises　of　Phillips　and　Lee　at　Manchester。　　The　paper　was

modest　and　unassuming；　like　everything　he　did。



It　concluded：　〃I　believe　I　may；　without　presuming　too　much；

claim　both　the　first　idea　of　applying；　and　the　first　application

of　this　gas　to　economical　purposes。〃＇9＇　　The　Royal　Society

awarded　Murdock　their　large　Rumford　Gold　Medal　for　his

communication。



In　the　following　year　a　German　named　Wintzer；　or　Winsor；　appeared

as　the　promotor　of　a　scheme　for　obtaining　a　royal　charter　with

extensive　privileges；　and　applied　for　powers　to　form　a

joint…stock　company　to　light　part　of　London　and　Westminster　with

gas。　　Winsor　claimed　for　his　method　of　gas　manufacture　that　it

was　more　efficacious　and　profitable　than　any　then　known　or

practised。　　The　profits；　indeed；　were　to　be　prodigious。　　Winsor

made　an　elaborate　calculation　in　his　pamphlet　entitled　'The　New

Patriotic　Imperial　and　National　Light　and　Heat　Company；'　from

which　it　appeared　that　the　net　annual　profits　〃agreeable　to　the

official　experiments〃　would　amount　to　over　two　hundred　and

twenty…nine　millions　of　pounds！and　that；　giving　over

nine…tenths　of　that　sum　towards　the　redemption　of　the　National

Debt；　there　would　still　remain　a　total　profit　of　570L。　to　be　paid

to　the　subscribers　for　every　5L。　of　deposit！　　Winsor　took　out　a

patent　for　the　invention；　and　the　company；　of　which　he　was　a

member；　proceeded　to　Parliament　for　an　Act。　　Boulton　and　Watt

petitioned　against　the　Bill；　and　James　Watt；　junior；　gave

evidence　on　the　subject。　　Henry　Brougham；　who　was　the　counsel　for

the　petitioners；　made　great　fun　of　Winsor's　absurd

speculations；＇10＇　and　the　Bill　was　thrown　out。



In　the　following　year　the　London　and　Westminster　Chartered　Gas

Light　and　Coke　Company　succeeded　in　obtaining　their　Act。　　They

were　not　very　successful　at　first。　　Many　prejudices　existed

against　the　employment　of　the　new　light。　　It　was　popularly

supposed　that　the　gas　was　carried　along　the　pipes　on　fire；　and

that　the　pipes　must　necessarily　be　intensely　hot。　　When　it　was

proposed　to　light　the　House　of　Commons　with　gas；　the　architect

insisted　on　the　pipes　being　placed　several　inches　from　the　walls；


for　fear　of　fire；　and；　after　the　pipes　had　been　fixed；　the

members　might　be　seen　applying　their　gloved　hands　to　them　to

ascertain　their　temperature；　and　afterwards　expressing　the

greatest　surprise　on　finding　that　they　were　as　cool　as　the

adjoining　walls。



The　Gas　Company　was　on　the　point　of　dissolution　when　Mr。　Samuel

Clegg　came　to　their　aid。　　Clegg　had　been　a　pupil　of　Murdock's；　at

Soho。　　He　knew　all　the　arrangements　which　Murdock　had　invented。　

He　had　assisted　in　fitting　up　the　gas　machinery　at　the　mills　of

Phillips　&　Lee；　Manchester；　as　well　as　at　Lodge's　Mill；　Sowerby

Bridge；　near　Halifax。　　He　was　afterwards　employed　to　fix　the

apparatus　at　the　Catholic　College　of　Stoneyhurst；　in　Lancashire；

at　the　manufactory　of　Mr。　Harris　at　Coventry；　and　at　other

places。　　In　1813　the　London　and　Westminster　Gas　Company　secured

the　services　of　Mr。　Clegg；　and　from　that　time　forwards　their

career　was　one　of　prosperity。　　In　1814　Westminster　Bridge　was

first　lighted　with　gas；　and　shortly　after　the　streets　of　St。　

Margaret's；　Westminster。　　Crowds　of　people　followed　the

lamplighter　on　his　rounds　to　watch　the　sudden　effect　of　his　flame

applied　to　the　invisible　stream　of　gas　which　issued　from　the

burner。　　The　lamplighters　became　so　disgusted　with　the　new　light

that　they　struck　work；　and　Clegg　himself　had　for　a　time　to　act　as

lamplighter。



The　advantages　of　the　new　light；　however；　soon　became　generally

recognised；　and　gas　companies　were　established　in　most　of　the

large　towns。　　Glasgow　was　lit　up　by　gas　in　1817；　and　Liverpool

and　Dublin　in　the　following　year。　　Had　Murdock　in　the　first

instance　taken　out　a　patent　for　his　invention；　it　could　not　fail

to　have　proved　exceedingly　remunerative　to　him；　but　he　derived　no

advantage　from　the　extended　use　of　the　new　system　of　lighting

except　the　honour　of　having　invented　it。＇11＇　He　left　the　benefits

of　his　invention　to　the　public；　and　returned　to　his　labours　at

Soho；　which　more　than　ever　completely　engrossed　him。



Murdock　now　became　completely　identified　with　the　firm　of　Boulton

&　Watt。　　He　assigned　to　them　his　patent　for　the　slide…valve；　the

rotary　engine；　and　other　inventions　〃for　a　good　and　valuable

consideration。〃　　Indeed　his　able　management　was　almost

indispensable　to　the　continued　success　of　the　Soho　foundry。　　Mr。

Nasmyth；　when　visiting　the　works　about　thirty　years　after　Murdock

had　taken　their　complete　management　in　hand；　recalled　to　mind　the

valuable　services　of　that　truly　admirable　yet　modest　mechanic。　

He　observed　the　admirable　system；　which　he　had　invented；　of

transmitting　power　from　one　central　engine　to　other　small　vacuum

engines　attached　to　the　several　machines　which　they　were　employed