The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-28 00:00:00

THE EARLY DAYS OF GAS-LIGHTING.

The Pall Mall Gazette gives the following interesting
article on the early days of gas-lighting .

The experiments which are now being made with
the electric light on the Thames Embankment and
Holborn Viaduct, with the view of testing its effi-
ciency for street illumination, suggest a few remini-
scences of what occurred at the beginning of this
century, when gas-lighting was first brought under
public notice. The contrast between the interest with
which
ed
forwardthe probabletod the rd
a n introduction i
icu
ridicule
d
f and
opposition electric lighth
w with
Io k
which the promoters of the first gas company had to
contend is worth notice. The use of gas for the pur-
pose of producing artifioial light was first introduced
by Mr. Murdoch, of Rediuth, in Cornwall. As
early as 1792 this gentleman lighted his house with gas
made in an apparatus of his own construction. It
was not, however, until 1803 that any attempt was
made to introduce it into Lendon, when a Mr. Winsor
lectured on the subject and exhibited a specimen of
gas-light at the Lyceum. A company called the
National Light and Heat Company was soon after
projected by Mr. Winsor and his supporters; and in
January, 18 9, with the view of convincing Parlia-
ment and the public of the practical nature of their
scheme, the company lighted Pall-mall from St.
James's-street to Cockspur-street. It Le amusing to
note the anticipations
.put forth by Mr. Winsor in a
pamphlet which he printed as to the enormons profits
that were to be made by the National Light and Heat
Company. According to his calculations, "feunded
on official experiments," the profits were to be SO large
as to ensure to the shareholders an annual interest of
£.',70 for every £5 invested in the undertaking. He
estimated that the value of the residuary products
would reach nearly 230 millions per annum. The
eeovernment were also promised that the scheme
would produce in a short time no less than
ten millions in the way of taxes. These ex-
travagant estimates naturally had the effect of ex-
citing ridicule and opposition. In 1809 application
was made to Parliament for an Act to in _iorporate
a company to be called The London and Westminster
Chartered Gas Light Company; but owing to the
prejudice that was entertained, chiefly from the idea
that gas-lighting was attended with danger, the bill
was thrown out. Mr. Will:A-force, by whom it was
strongly opposed in the House of Commons, said he
considered the scheme "one of the greatest bubbles
that had ever been imposed on public credulity." The
application, however, was renewed in the follow-
ing year, and this time it was successful. But still
the lighting of a town with gas was for some time
joked upon BA a visionary scheme both by the
public and by men of science. Sir Humphrey
Davy is reported to have asked, as a sneer,
whether it was intended to use the dome of
St. Paul's as a gasometer. With the view of inducing
persons to adopt their invention, the gas cempany in
the first instance, supplied shops and houses both
with gas and fittings free of charge. After the year
1814 gas came more generally iato use for lighting
both streets and houses, but it was terribly dear. In
1815 the price was Us. per 1,000 cubic feet, and the
amount consumed was guessed at, meters being
then unknown The extravagant promises as to
the profits to be deriv-d were not destined to be
realized ; and, indeed, for several years no dividends
whatever were paid, It is a curious fact that it was
for some time believed that gas would have the effect of
heating the pipes through which it passed; and when
the passages' of the House of Commons were first
lighted with gas the architact caused the pipes to be
fixed four or five inches from the walls, for fear of
fire, On the other hand, a patent was taken out for
making gas-pipes of wood and paper. On the first
introduction of the new light the demand for pipes
was so great that for some little time there was con-
siderable difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply,
and musket-barrels screwed together were used for
the purpose. Westminster Bridge was lighted with
gas in 1813. In the following year the parish of St.
Margaret, Westminster, set the example to the
other parishes by removing the oil-lamps and
substituting gas in their place ; and by 1820
it was pretty generally used throughout the metropolis,
As an illustration of the strong prejudice there was
against the new light and of the length of time this
feeling existed, it may be mentioned that the Hay-
market Theatre was not lighted up by gas until April,
1853, the proprietor binding the lessee to adhere to
the old fashioned mode of lighting with oil, Both the
Metrop ilitan Board of Works and the Commissioners
of Sewers, under whose supervision the experiuient.;
new going on with the electric light on the embank-
ment and Holborn Viaduct are being carried out, are
takii g every precaution to ascertain the exact cost of
the new mode of illumination, and we are not likely to
have a repetison of Mr. Winsor's estimates as to the
profits to be Blade.