Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-11
A Memorial to William Murdoch.

~ project has been started in En-
gland for erecting 3 public memorial
70 William Murdoch, one of the great
sst Of modern inventors, whose tr-
umphs include the first primitive loco
motive made in England. AT an early
age he was employed in running Watt
stationary engines, and display'A great
skill and industry in these lahors. His
first effort to use steam for the purpose
to which it is now 50 extensively ap-
piled, was recently described by the
London Times as follows:
lit is related that after he had got
the first engine in the Wheal Union
ready for starting, the people in whose
house he lodged at Redruth, heard a
great noise in the night, and found him
In nightmare hammcring at hi, bed post
nnd roaring: Now she goes, lads. y
1t was in 1884, about five years after he
went TO CORNWALL. that M,lrdock con-
structed at Retlruth 81 model OF high
pressure engine to run on wheels II
was about 8 foot high, the boiler being
heated by-a spirit lamp. A dark night
was chosen for the trail Of the machine
on 81 lonely path leading to tie parish
church, about half 81 mile from the
town, between hi rh hedges. Murdock
lit tho lamp, and before lie expected it
off dashed TIE eng inc. The village
parson happened 10 DC coming down
the road, and suddenly meeting the
Kissing, fiery, headlong thing, the rev.
.erend gentleman raised appalling cries,
and long afterward talked OF the oc-
:curreuce as having given him the
greatest emotion OF his life. Unfortu-
Ilately, after this experiment M urdock' s
attempt In steam. loeonctlon ceased.
yOn hearing of his success, Watt, who
was not always magnanimous, evlncedl
uneasiness, and being in CORNWALL at
the time. he wrote to Boul!ou, urging
= that Murdoch should be ordered to de-
sist from his undertaking; but EoUltcn
took another view OF the matter. and
j. made an honest proposal to the young
g9 Scotchnaan. He offered him El00 &C
J, - prosecute his experiments. and prom
Used that if within q year Murdoch con
structed an engine capsule OF carrying
two persons and the driver, with 20t
pounds Of luggage fuel for four hours
Y and water for two hours, the machine
1 10 run at the rate Of four miles an hour
sapartnership in the enterprise should b
8 struck with the proprictors OF SOHO
Murdoch, however, was too much en-
crossed by his ordinary duties to be
e Stow the. proper amount ot time ant
thought to the perfecting Of his inven
ton. though he appears: to have toreseel
all its possibilities, and to 4 have beer
Ssang,,inc Of succeed ;ns with it som
day OF other. 5 l .'sss *5s5s
u: The idea which Murdoch edevelppe,
4 81 to this extent, and then abandoned, al
i ter having profited by his practices
knowledge OF Watt i stationary ngins
4 a was subsequently, expanded by TTevi
s4ss thick, tho ~ Us at one ime an assistan
{ 35of Murdock's, so that in the earl
English experiments, prior to I'll
& marked success achieved sby Georg
Stephenson, there seehis To have been ll
4 1onneetio1 which has Iorola biz. i.eVe
been fully ex piiaineiti between the Pre-
SD ssss pressiiye labors Of Watt, Murdoch an
Iresithick Murdoch perlnaner
5s claims 10 dist met ton, however res 70
s'ss d Yba.v broad basis, as he devised man
fnl Inc ling he first q
mos lte raj /, and he is now l1el
..ssd i'll hi, nss ass; sa man who Tin
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