CHAP. XV. Sir William Congreve's Second Report. A Se- lect Committee of the House of Commons appointed, and CHAP. XVI. Remarks on the Result of Sir William Con- greve's Reports. Mr. M. Ricardo on the Advantages of Oil-Gas Establishments. The Formation of the London and Westminster Oil-Gas Company, &c... CHAP. XVII. Abstract of the Evidence of Mr. Brande, Mr. Ricardo, &c., on the London and Westminster Oil-Gas CHAP. XVIII. The Proceedings in Opposition to the Oil-Gas Bill. Evidence of Mr. Sweet, &c. Mr. Crosley's Tell- CHAP. XIX. A Summary of the Evidence of Mr. George Lowe on the Oil-Gas Bill, &c. Birmingham and Stafford- shire Gas Company. Mr. Luscombe's Patent. Mr. J. T. (A) Mr. Murdoch's own Account of the Origin and Pro- gress of his Experiments for the Application of Gas to the purposes of Lighting, instead of Lamps and Candles (B) Mr. Winsor's "Plain Questions and Answers, refuting every possible Objection against the Beneficial Introduc- (C) Extracts from Mr. Winsor's Pamphlet, entitled, "Mr. W. Nicholson's Attack, in his Philosophical Journal, on Mr. Winsor and the National Light and Heat Company, with Mr. Winsor's Defence" ...... (D) Abstract of the Minutes of Evidence given to a Com- mittee of the House of Commons on the First Application of the Chartered Gas- Light and Coke Company, for an Act of Parliament to incorporate them, in 1809 (E) Mr. Clegg's own Account of his Inventions: extracted from a small Pamphlet, published by him in 1820 ...... 328 PREFACE. THE following historical sketch is an outline of a larger and more comprehensive plan, for which the materials had for some time been collected, and indeed a considerable portion of it was actually written; but circumstances prevented its completion. Its object was to arrange in a regular and consecutive order all the discoveries and inventions, with their various improvements, as well as the attempts at improvement, which have been made in the processes, apparatus, and machinery, through the whole course of Gas-lighting: besides, it was intended to illustrate the detail by appropriate engravings, so as to exhibit a connected and simultaneous view of the rise and progress of this important art. As a source of convenient reference to those who may be engaged in gas operations, the utility of such a work will be obvious; and it also seemed likely to afford gratification to others, whom mere curiosity might interest in the subject, if the purposes in view could be fully accomplished. But the relation of a few incidents will perhaps best explain the author's reasons for writing upon a subject which at an early period excited his curiosity, and has long engaged his attention. From his younger years being passed in Birmingham or its vicinity, in company with several of his friends who were attached to intellectual and scientific pursuits, he had the inexpressible gratification of witnessing, in 1802, Mr. Murdoch's extraordinary and splendid exhibition of Gas-lights at Soho. This remarkable illumination was the first public display of the kind in this country, and at the time produced a very strong impression upon the inhabitants of that populous town. Possibly it might have occasioned expressions of surprise, had not the circumstance produced many experimenters in a place so distinguished for the variety of its inventions and the perfection of its mechanical contrivances; but no person was more successful in the pursuit than Mr. Josiah Pemberton, who afterwards engaged in the manufacture of gas apparatus. At the beginning of the year 1805, the writer of the following pages became a resident of the Metropolis; and this was the period when Mr. Winsor was most earnest in urging his claims upon the public attention, and loudly trumpeting forth his own praise, for having the merit of this truly important and useful "discovery and inven tion." It happened, too, that one among his friends in London was a subscriber to Mr. Winsor's Patent Gas-light and Coke scheme, and consequently the operations in Pall Mall, as well as the subsequent attempts, frequently became the topic of conversation, till the plan was finally realized by the knowledge, exertions, and skill, of others. Moreover, from his own opportunities of observation, the accounts hitherto published of the rise and progress of Gas-lighting, seemed to be not only defective in the detail of important facts, but some of the statements appeared to be given from incorrect information; and hence originated the attempt to supply the deficiency. To enable the reader to judge of the acracy of the subsequent narration of facts, the authorities from which they are derived are generally cited; and when they are not so, it was presumed to be unnecessary, from the sources being well known. The statement respecting the early attempts at Soho is given on the authority of a gentleman who has long been a resident there, and intimately acquainted with the principal transactions and the persons named. Should any circumstances really essential appear to be unnoticed, eandour must attribute the omission to other causes, rather than to the want of attention and diligence in seeking them; for almost every respectable scientific publication has been consulted, to which access could be obtained, exclusively of several important private sources of information. There is, however, one omission to which it may be proper to advert, because Mr. Peckstone. has expatiated on the subject in his work on Gaslighting this relates to Mr. Malam's claim to an improvement in Mr. Clegg's Gas-meter. After the most diligent and, as he trusts, impartial inquiry into all the circumstances, the writer was constrained to entertain such doubts as induced him to omit the relation of it. From the information obtained, it appeared that Mr. Malam was for a considerable time the draughtsman in the office of Mr. Clegg, while he was engineer to the Chartered Company, and therefore became acquainted with his plans and contrivances. A model of the alleged improvement in dispute between them was exhibited by Mr. Malam only about a fortnight after Mr. Clegg had left the works from the first, the latter contested the claim, and facts seemed to countenance his statements. Perhaps it ought also to be noticed that, among other things, Mr. Peckstone attributed to Mr. Malam the invention of Elliptic Retorts, although they had been employed many years before; that both held situations at the Chartered Company's works while Mr. Clegg was engineer; and as they were brothers-in-law, some allowance may be made for the zeal displayed by the former |