The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-01
CENTENARY OF
GAS LIGHTING

| Today marks the centenary of thu
first use of gas for Illuminating pur.
poses, as a commercial commodity
on this side of the Atlantic. Fol
years before that first of December
1916, when Baltimore achieved thu
honor of being the first American cit,
4 to be lighted by gas, the people OF
all large American cities had beer
places. Gas had been successfully
for the lighting of streets and houses
in London and other English cities
but Americans were very fearful OF
the new illuminating agency, and
predicted that its general use would
poison the air or blow up the inhabi-
tants! Shortly before the Baltimore
company. began operations, a Phila-
delphia theatre had installed gas
plant, but it was in Baltimore thai
| rendered familiar with gas by exhibit
tons in museums and amusement
the manufacture and sale Of gas was
placed on commercial basis in
America.
1t was gas display in Peale's Mu-
scum which attracted the attention OF
Baltimoreans to gas as an illumi-
! nant, and inspired the organization
of the continents first gas company
An advertisement in the Baltimore
American of that period thus lauded
the remarkable lighting display:
"Gas Lightsi
without oil, tallow. wick, or
smoke!
"It is not necessary to invite atten-
ton to the gas lights by which my
saloon Of paintings is now illurninat-
ed! Those who have seen the ring
beset with gems of light are suffi-
GENTLY disposed to spread their re-
putation. The purpose Of this notice
is merely to say that the Museum will
be Illuminated every evening until the
public curiosity shall be gratified."
America was far behind England in
the adoption of gas for lighting pur-
poses. AS early as 1888 DR.. Clayton,
a Yorkshire rector. distilled some
coal in a retort, and accidentally dis
covered the fnflammability of the
spirit" which issued forth. He coll
lected this spirit in bladders, and
amused his friends by puncturing
them, and burning the invisible fluid
as it escaped through the aperture. No
further progress was made until 1855,
when Lord Dundonald, a Scottish no
DIeU1dH, LOOK out d patent Tor a pro-
cess Of making Illuminating gas. He
constructed apparatus for burning
the gas, but merely as a curiosity,
while some Of his workmen employed
the waste gas for giving them light.
William Murdoch, a native Of Ayr
shire, was the real father of the gas
industry. He began his experiments
in 1902, and in 1898 he succeeded in
illuminating a building in Birming-
ham. In 1905 he fitted up the FACTORY
Of Phillips & Lee at Manchester with
gas lights, and there fully proved the
economical value of the scheme,
A man named Winser was the first
to try to promote a gas company in
London, but his prospectus was SO
extravagant as to arouse ridicule. Sir
Walter Scott wrote of him as ga
mailman who is proposing to light
London with-what do you think p
with smoke!' Winser persevered in
spite of all discoura gements, and in
1907 Pail Mall b1azed out in a. burst
of gas lamps, to the amazement of the
people of London, who floeked from
all over the city to see the weird
spectacle. In 1910 a company was
formed to extend gas lighting all over
Londen-the shareholders, Of course,
being pitied as idiets-and in 1919
the Gas Light and Coke Company of
England was chartered,