Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-19
GASLTGHT.

Its First Appearance in this Country. -s
The Providence Journal asserts that
gas was first used for lighting buildings
IN Rhode Island on the 18th of Novem-
Der, 1918. It says: "David Melville,
of Newport. and Winslow Lewis, Of
Boston, announced that they had be-
come proprietors of a patent issued by
the President of the United States, of
an improved gas lamp for lighting
manufactures, mills, mines, theatres,
&C., with hydrogen gas or infammable
air produced from pit coal. The pro-
prietors asserted that the new light was
safer, more agreeable, and less expen-
sive than any other, and that there was
no danger from sparks or the use of
shutters, as was the case in the use of !
oil lamps and candles. Insurance rates
would thus be lowered, and a great |
saving would be secured to the manu-
facturer who used the new gaslight.
Persons were referred to building in
Newport, r. l., in which the new sys-
TEN was In successful operation, and
also to the cotton mandatory belong
ing to Seth Bemis, at Waterfowl,
Mass. They further stated that the
patentee had just November -, 1879
placed the new system in the Wenscutt
factory, one and quarter miles from
Mill Bridge, which mill was brilliantly
illuminated every evening. Gentlemen
interested in cotton mills were urged to
visit these places and inspect the new
invention. The proprietors offered to
furnish the necessary apparatus for any
number of burners at ten days notice.
The Arkwright mill, then principally
owned by Mr.. James De Wolf, was also
lighted by gas under this patent. The
works were erected under the superin-
tendence of Mr.. Melville. This, how
ever, must have been subsequent to the
Wenscutt works, since, had the works
at Arkwright been in operation at the
date of Mr.. Melville's advertisement.
he would have undoubtedly referred to
that mill instead of Mr.. Bemis's at
Watertown, and the building at New
port; unless, indeed, the fatal accident
which happened at Arkwright induced
Mr.. Melville to suppress the fact. In
this view we do not concur. The
story of the accident, gathered entirely
from recollection, seems to be as fol-
lows: Mr.. Abraham Churchill, en-
ployed in the capacity Of Waterman,
saw what he thought to be light NOV
ing about the mill about ten o'clock in
the evening he therefore took an old
fashioned tin lantern punched with
holes and containing tallow candle,
and with this he proceeded to examine
the mill. He found nothing wrong
about the mill, and went to the build
ing adjoining, which contained
the gasometer. Entering this
building he removed the candle
from the lantern and holding the fame
to the mouth of large stop-cock, turn
ed on the gas. Thedame was Instantly
drawn within the gasometer, which ex-
ploded, destroying the building, and so
iniuring Mr.. Churchill that he died the
following morning. He was nndoubt-
edly led to this act by seeing Mr.. Mel
vile perform a similar experiment.
Mr.. Melville had constructed tube on
the top of the gasometer, from which,
on removing plug, jet of gas would
escape. This jet he would light, thus
throwing up flame two or more feet
high to the delectation of the specta-
tors. But Mr.. Melville was always
careful to sees sufficient pressure applied
before ignition. This lack of pressure
was probable fatal to Mr.. Churchill.
Such are the facts SO far as we can
gather them. We have not discovered
(although we have diligently searched
the date of Mr.. Churchill's death, nor
any reference to the accident in the pub
lie prints. The gasometer was never
rebuilt at Arkwright, and we can readi-
~ conceive the effect of such an acct
dent on the new enterprise. Reasoning
from the facts, it seems to us unlikely
that the first gas works in Rhode
Island were erected at the Arkwright
mill. In England gas was used in par
TALLY lighting mill as early as 1898,
and a mill at Bolton, England, was fully
lighted in 1905. The London Gaslight
Company soon followed in 1910. So
that it is probable that Mr.. Melville's