To

Henry Morley, Esq., M. Ins. C.E.

LONDON:

ROWLAND HUNTER, 72, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD.

1827.

PREFACE.

CHAP. I. The First Notices of Coal Gas by Thomas Shirley,

Esq., the Hon. Robert Boyle, and Dr. Stephen Hales....

CHAP. II. A remarkable Appearance of Damp Air in a Coal

Pit belonging to Sir James Lowther, Bart.

CHAP. III. Dr. John Clayton's Accidental Discovery of the

Inflammability of Coal Gas; the Experiments of Dr.

Richard Watson, &c.

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V

1

8

14

19

44

53

59

CHAP. IV. The Application of Coal Gas as a Substitute for

Lamps and Candles, for the purpose of Lighting, by Mr.

Murdoch. The first Public Exhibitions of Mr. Winsor..

CHAP. V. Dr. Henry exhibits the Mode of using Coal Gas

in his Lectures at Manchester. Mr. Clegg and Mr. Josiah

Pemberton commence Manufacturers of Gas Apparatus.. 37

CHAP. VI. Mr. Murdoch's Application of Coal Gas to Light

Messrs. Phillips and Lee's Manufactory. Mr. Clegg's

Plan of Apparatus communicated to the Society of Arts..

CHAP. VII. The endeavours of Mr. Winsor's Company to

obtain an Act to incorporate them

CHAP. VIII. Proceedings of the Company after obtaining

their Act. Mr. Accum becomes a Director. Mr. Clegg

appointed Engineer. Explosion at Peter Street

CHAP. IX. The Chartered Company augment their Capital

Two Hundred Thousand Pounds. The Inventions of Mr.

Clegg, for which he obtained his First Patent in 1816.... 68

CHAP. X. Mr. Clegg retires from the service of the Char-

tered Gas Company; erects the Apparatus at the Mint,

and Invents his Collapsing Gas-holder. Mr. Brande's

Account of the Progress of Gas-Lighting in London in

1817. The Patents of Mr. Wilson, Mr. Phillips, and Mr.

Palmer, and other Plans for Purifying Coal Gas. Mr. Perks's

and Mr. Grafton's Patents for arranging Retorts, &c.....

CHAP. XI. Circumstance relative to the Introduction of Oil

Gas. Mr. John Taylor obtains a Patent for his Appa-

ratus, and erects one of them at Apothecaries' Hall, &c..

CHAP. XII. Extracts from the Journal of Science and the

Arts relative to Gas-Light Illumination, with Remarks .. 107

CHAP. XIII. Mr. George Lowe's Remarks on the Journal of

Science and the Arts. Mr. David Gordon's Patent for

Portable Gas Vessels, &c.

....

CHAP. XIV. The Reports of a Committee of the Royal So-

ciety and Sir William Congreve, referred to a Select Com-

mittee of the House of Commons

82

93

116

131

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