The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-12

starlight, in speaking OF Murdoch. VINO
was born in lT54. brings to mind that
within the last few months absolute
! daylight is being produced by gas. sew
enty-four years after Murdock's death.
There is a peculiar fascination about
the places acattered here aud there over
the ancient earth. where great things
had their tiny beginnings. If Il could
only be known just whore the Garden
of Eden was situated, or on what par
ticuiar spot atop of Ararat settled down
Noah's ark after the food, the country
around there would look like a wheel
with radiAtinR footsteps and roads Tor
the spokes. But ZONE Of the places
where things began have been marked
and preserved. The little old English
cottage in Redruth. Cornwall. occupied
by william Murdoch IN the year l7Sg.
was the cradle Of gas lighting. Tray
elers who have spent a season in Corn
wall say that no other corner of Eng
land surpasses il IN interest, and If
any Of our readers happen to visit
Redruth md aee there the cottage of
william Murdoch, a picture OF which
appears in our columns today. II VIII
h. certainly not the least Interesting
object in that interesting county.
Murdoch, the Pioneer.
Murdoch was born on August 81,
LISA. and died November Is, 1899.
1t Is recorded that he was a modest
man and that because he did not pat
ent his invention properly, unscrupul-
Gus ~adventurers appropriated the pro-
duct of his brain and the honor which
was his. just as Burns. the Scottish
national poet and an Ayrshire man,
was none too much honorcd; and so
II Is that history further records that
Murdoch WAS robbed of his glory, The
- 4. hes AgN
back 10 him within the last i've years,
because every publication devoted to
gas aud its industry, has paid him tri-
butte. In his twenty~third year, after
! hearing Of Watts invention of the
steam engine, at Soho works, Birm-
inrham, Murdoch Joined with Wat
and was soon entrusted with tho man
agmcnt Of Watts works, After his
experience with Watt. Murdoch re-
turned to his native place In 10Y. ana
/ started a foundry. which he ligfteG
with gas. and thus IL was that Scot
land had it's first gas installation. In
1902. to celebrate the peace of Amiens
Murdoch made his first public exhi-
bItion of lighting at the Soho works In
birmingham. In 1910 the Chartered
Gas tnow the Gas. Light and
Coke company obtained an act anc
permission to light the house of com
mons. In 1914 Westminster Abbey
was lighted; in 1916 Liverpool was
lighted, and In 1917, Glasgow; in 1873
Dublin, and Birmingham was Lighted
in 1926.
It was Murdoch who invented thu
first locomotive engine II also th'
high pressure engine.
First Gas Company.
IT might he said that 1t was Oh
| Juno Q, 1910, that the bill was pass
ed for the incorporation of the Gas
Light and Coke company, of Lon
don. the first public gas compan,
which had received royal assent. a
that time Murdoch was an cnginee
in the employment of the firm o
Bolton Il Watt. Soho, Birmingham.
was while he was In their service tina
he brought TO a successful conciusio'
many experiments on the distiliatio1
Of coal, which he had begun In hi
youth.
Like most inventions. gas hghtin
was not at first taken seriously. !
) seemed to the American and Europea'
g world of 1900 to he on a par wit
q the Iaputan philosophers scheme fo
r making sunshine out of cucumber:
g In 1909 Sir Walter Scott. writing to
= friend, said There is a madma
D proposing TO light London wit