The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-09-06
History Of Coal Gas.

Az Iiuc Wuou COhl quo oocAo 10 AaFt
had its day, and is on the eve of being
superseded by still more efficient sub
stitute for sunlight, it is not conducive
to unfalterinR confidence in the histo-
rixn to hear that there is still some
doubt as to the inventor to whom we are
indebted for the familiar illuminant. A
correspondent, whose letters we recently
published, and from whom we prirt
another thls morning, is confident that
Robert Murdoch or Murdoch, as his
name is indifferently spelt, was the in
ventor of the present system, while an
other writer is equally confident that the
distinction of first using carburetted hy-
drogen must be ascribed to Frederick
Winsor, a German long resident in this
country. The controversy is pretty
one as it stands, and is not likely to be
rendered any less acrimonious by our
suggesting that, as frequently happens
in such cases, the truth may lie between
the two disputants. Murdoch was a
Scoichman residing at Redruth, in Corn
wall, where his proposals to light Lon
don with smoke" aroused the merriment
of his countryman, Sir Walter Scott.
He is, however, certain of the support of
the Caledonians; Winsor, on the other
hand, is safe to be backed up by the
Teutons, who, if they fail to
find bread for their geniuses, are
never backward in claiming them
when their names become known
to the world. In reality, all our corre-
spondents are wrong If they insist on any
particular person being either the dis.
coverer or the inventor OF gas lighting.
Carburetted hydrogen was, of course.
known to chemists for ages, and long be.
fore either Murdoch or Winsor formu-
lated his plans; the germs of the idea
which they subsequently developed had
entered the busy brains Of those who are
always anticipating the best thoughts of
their successors.
However, by general consent, Great
Britain is to be credited with the merit
of first applying these ideas, and Robert
Murdoch with the principal share in the
work, which has since grown to such
vast proportions. But az early as 1867
Thomas Shirley had told the Royal So.
ciety of a burning spring near Wigan,
and traced its origin to the underlying
coal; and in 1913 the same learned body
printed q letter addressed by the Rev.
John Clayton to the Hon. Robert Coyle,
showing that prior to the year 1851 this
country clergyman had distilled coal IN
. retort, and stored up the gas in bad
ders. Stephen Hales went even further,
and in 1887 Lord Dundonald lit up Cul.
ross Abbey with the gas made by his
patented process for obtaining coal tar.
But these were merely rough essays, and
it is questionable whether they were ever
regarded rs anything better than chemi-
cal curiosities. Robert Murdoch, has,
therefore, every right to be claimed
as the first practical exponent OF
the possibility Of using carburetted
hydrogen on large scale
and on commercial principles. For in
1892, while a resident of Redruth, he
began the experiments which by 1897
had SO far matured that he exhibited
their result to parties of friends, and in
179S he fitted mp an apparatus for gas
making in Boulton & Watts workshop,
whore be was then employed, and even
partly lighted the establishment with the
gaseous products Of coal.
It is needless, therefore, to inquire
whether he or Winsor first promulgated
his discoveries. since it is clear that il
the latter Only began bis lectures at the
Lyceum theater in 1907 the former had
anticipated him by at least ten years.
Nor is it in accordance with facts to say
that Murdoch manufactured the gas at
his private residence on Sycamore hill.
Handsworth; for at that date the diff
GUILTY OF getting pipes TO convey gas was
40 serious that tho notion attributed to
Murdoch would have hardly entered his
mind. In reality. as We have seen, the
gas was made in Boulton l. Watts fac
tory, and we arc never likely to know
how much credit is due to these famous
mechsnicians for assisting their enter.
prising employee with the result of their
experience Indeed, for some time be-
fore Murdoch read . formal account of
his experiments before the Royal society
and received the Rumford medal for his
success, gas lighting was 80 far general
that several OF the workshops adjoining
Boulton 4 Watts factory were lighted
by gas made in their retorts. In 1901
NJ. LIE Bon introduced gas distilled from
wood into his house in Paris, and though
his labors never proceeded much
further, they wero interesting in
90 far that they attracted the attention
Of Winsor, whose lecture iamiliarised
the public with the subject. and served
powerfully 70 overcome the prejudice
which existed against the innovation.