The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-21 00:00:00

MR. GURNEY, THE INVENTOR OF THE

STEAM-CARRIAGE.

Mr. Gurney is of a very old and respectable
Cornish family. After receiving a liberal edu-
cation at Truro Grammar-school he was placed
with a surgeon at Wadebridge, in the same
county, where he early showed evidences of
great mechanical talent, having invented several
ingenious contrivances connected with the prac-
tice of his profession. During his school days
he more than once spent the vacation with Mr.
Andrew Vivian, of Truro, one of the earliest
iinprovers of locomotive steam machinery, and
who at that very time (more than twenty years
ago) was experimenting upon a steam carriage
to move on rail-roads, which, in connection
with Mr. Trevithick, he soon afterwards brought
to nearly the same state of perfection which the
present carriages of that class have attained.
The chief evidence of Mr. Gurney's extraor-
dinary mechanical ability during his youth was
the construction of a large finger organ, the
whole of which he manufactured and put toge-
ther with his own hands, and afterwards con-
nected it with a pianoforte, in a most ingenious
and entirely novel manner. The circumstance
of his finding that these two instruments either
agreed together in tone, or disagreed, according
to the temperature of the atmosphere at the time
of playing them, was the first cause of Mr. Gur-
ney's directing his attention, in a decided man-
ner, to the study of natural philosophy in gene-
ral, and of chymistry in particular, and which
consequently gave the first impulse to that de-
voted attention to, and love for, the latter, which
has been the leading feature of his character, and
the main cause of his present success. . . .
Shortly after his arrival in London Mr. Gurney
became acquainted with a gentleman who was

connected with the Surrey cnstitution, and who,
after having had repeated occasions of observing
the qualities of Mr. Gurney's mind, strenuously
advised his becoming a candidate for the office
of chymical lecturer to that establishment.
This advice Mr. Gurney almost immediately
followed, and he delivered a probationary lecture
at that institution, which was received with re-
markable demonstrations of applause, from the
novelty and aptness of the various illustrations
which were introduced ; and which lecture oc-
casioned the immediate engagement of Mr. Gur-
ney to deliver a course of lectures on chymical
science. These lectures were delivered during
the ensuing season, and excited a more marked
attention than any similar lectures bad done
since the establishment of the institution ; in-
deed, they so entirely surpassed the expectations
of the committee of managers that an additional
sum was voted to Mr. Gurney over and above
that which had been agreed to be paid for them.
It was by this course of lectures that Mr. Gur-
ney made himself not a few enemies in the phi-
losophical world, by pointing out the defects
which have been go manifestly proved, in the (so
called) " safety lamp " of the late Sir Humphrey
Davy. In the course of these lectures, too, he
first exhibited his oxyhydrogen blow-pipe, an
invention of great merit and utility, since it di-
vested of all danger, and at the same time
added to the powers of that, till then most ha.
zardous instrument, the blow-pipe of Dr. Clarke.
This blow-pipe is now in general use in all
chymical laboratories. The same remarkable
course of lectures first introduced to the world
several other minor instruments, connected with
the prosecutions of scientific inquiry. About
this time, too, Mr. Gurney constructed a new
and most extraordinary musical instrument,
composed chiefly of glass--led to do so by
some observations which he had made during
his experiments and preparations for the above-
named course of public instruction. This in-
strument, which was of the exact form and ap-
pearance of a grand upright piano, and played
in the same manner, produced the most singular
effects on the hearer—uniting all the softness
and sweetness of the musical glasses with the
full and grand tone of the organ. It was com-
pleted and placed in the Colosseum, with the
view of being heard there, as part of the va-
rious attractions of that establishment ; but on
the flight of Rowland Stephenson, and the em-
harassments of the concern, it was removed,
Mr, Gurney not having parted with any por-
tion of his property in it. The sound of
this instrument was so affecting that persons of
a nervous habit could not bear to hear it touched.
It was played, as we have said, in the ordinary
!Nay ofa piano, by finger key, but these acted so as
to cause the passage of silk ribbons over spheri-
cal glasses. Immediately after, and indeed
during, the construction of this extraordinary in-
strument, Mr. Gurney had given much of his
attention to steam machinery, with a view to the
construction of a locomotive power for carriages
on common roads ; and during the last four or
five years his whole time and thoughts have been
devoted exclusively to this one great pursuit—
with what ultimate success his late public ex-
periments have shown. Indeed his entire and
unceasing attention to his present pursuit, in the
face of such obstacles, difficulties, and discourage-
ments as perhaps never before presented them-
selves to any one in the prosecution of such an
undertaking, have been as remarkable as they
are creditable to his character for perseverance
and industry. During one period of the late
experiments Mr, Gurney resided within the walls
of the factory for six months, night and day—
never quitting them for a moment, nor writing a ,
letter, or even seeing a friend, but giving his
whole time and soul to his great work ; and this,
too, at a period when his efforts were the sub-
ject of at best but an empty unbelieving wonder
—and, in many cases, of ridicule and laughter
—as chimerical and useless, as far as any prac-
tical result was concerned. In fact, so far from
unsteadiness and want of perseverance being im-
putable to Mr. Gurney, these are precisely the
qualities to which he owes his present unlooked-
for and unhoped success—(unlooked-for and
unhoped except by himself)—and to which he
will assuredly owe his future fame and fortune.
—Court Journal.

As a proof of the inutility of the Game Laws,
partridges, we are told, scarce as they this year are, are at
this time selling in London as common as poultry, at 3s.
the buce.

On Monday last, the Northumberland and
Newcastle Volunteer Cavalry, consisting of six troops,
under the emnraalad of Lieutenant-Colonel BELL, M.P.,
having completed eight days permanent duty, were by
order of Government inspected by Lieutenant-Colonel
Ross, 4th Dragoon Guards (who came from York for
that purpose), on the moor, near this town. The day
proving highly favourable, there was a large assemblage
of ladies, in elegant equipages, on the ground, and the
whole had a very imposing appearance, as the Inspecting-
Officer was attended by a numerous staff in full uniform,
consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel AEMoLD, Lieutenant-
'Colonel POWER, Captain MAKRPEACE, and the rest of
the 04cers quartered 'here. Upon this occasion, the dis-
tiogvisited corps presented a most soldier-like appearance,
and pagomand various volutions in a manner so very cre-
ditable to themselves, as to elicit from Lieutenant-Colonel
epss the highest possible encomiums,—Newcastle Courant.