Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-12-26
A Memorial to William Murdook.

A project has been started in En-
glanA for eYsefing a public memorial
to Wiltanl 1fnlslouk. DnI Of the great
est Of modern inventors, whose tri-
umphs include the first primitive loco-
motive made in England. At an early
age he was employed in running Wait
stationary engines. and dispisyed great
skill and Industry In these labors His
first effort to use steam for the purpose
to which It il now SO extensively ap.
pied. was .recently described BY the
London Times As follows: $50
''lt Is rslated that after he had Sot
the first engine in the Wheal Union
ready for starting. the people in whose
house he lodged at Redruth. heard .
great noise in the night. and found him
a nlSs4fiiae!s niSa4ias u Ais bfdRgat
II was in l7s4. about ave Years after he
went to Cornwall, that Murdoch con-
structed at Redruth model Of high
pressure engine to run on wheels. 1t
was about foot high, the boiler being
heated by a spirit lamp. A dark night
was chosen for the trial of the mach ne
on lonely path leading to tie parish
church, about half mile from the
town, between hirh hedges. Murdock
lit the lamp, and before he expected it
off dashed the engine. Yhe village
parson happened to be coming down
the road, aud suddenly meeting the
Kissing, fiery, hcadlong thing. the rev.
erend gentleman raised appalling cries,
and long afterward talked of the oc-
currence IS having given him the
greatest emotion Of hi" life. Unfortu-
nately, after this experiment Murdoch
attempt in steam locomo ion ceased.
On hearing Of his success. Watt, who
was not always magnanimous, evinced
uneasiness, and being in Cornwall at
the time, he wrote to Boul;on, urging
that Mur.ock should be ordered to de-
sist from his undertaking; but Boulton
took another view uf the matter, and
made an honest PROPOSE TO the Young
Scotchman. lie offered him E1G0 to
prosecute his experiments. and prom
ised that IT within year Mardock con-
structcd an eng n capable of carrying
two persons and the driver, with 200
pounds Of luggage, fuel for four hours
and water Tor two hours. the machine
TO run at the rate Of four miles an hour,
partnership in the enterprise should be
struck with the proprie.ors of Soho.
Murdock. however. wasstOo much en-
CROSSED BY his ordinary duties to be-
stow the proper amount of time and
thought TO the pcrfecting Of his inven-
tion. though he appears to have foreseen
all its possibilities. aud to have been
sanguine of succeeding with it some
day or other"
The idea which Murdock developed
to this extent, and then abandoned, af-
ter having -protited by his practical
knowledge Of Watt stationary engi ne,
was subsequently expanded by Trevi-
thick, who was at one time an assistant
of Murdock's, So that in the early
English experiments, prior to the
marked success achieved by George
Stephenson, there seems to have been a
. connection which has probably never
boSn sti.fy expEainrd between the pro-
gressivc labors Of Watt, Murdock and
Trevithick. MurJock's permanent
claims to distinction, however, rest on
very broad basis, as he devised many
useful appliances, including the first at
mospheric railway, and he is now hon
ored in England rs man who first
demonstrated the possibility of using
gas on large scale with profitable
commercial results. After using gas
for years in his offices and cottage, he
constructed Mt birmingham an rappa--
ratus ior Making, steriHg. ami purity
ing gas, with viaw OF supplying fac
tories, No patent was app led ior or
granted. A-RaRWay Aqe 3