EARLY GAS-LIGHTING

Owing to the fact that the smoky, flickering oil-lamp persisted throughout the centuries and until the magic touch of Argand in the latter part of the eighteenth century transformed it into a commendable light-source, the reader is prepared to suppose that gas-lighting is of recent origin.  Apparently William Murdock in England was the first to install pipes for the conveyance of gas for lighting purposes.  In an article in the “Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London” dated February 25, 1808, in which he gives an account of the first industrial gas-lighting, he states: 

It is now nearly sixteen years, since, in a course of experiments I was making at Redruth in Cornwall, upon the quantities and qualities of the gases produced by distillation from different mineral and vegetable substances, I was induced by some observation I had previously made upon the burning of coal, to try the combustible property of the gases produced from it....

Inasmuch as he is credited with having lighted his home by means of piped gas, this experimental installation may be considered to have been made in 1792.  In his first trial he burned the gas at the open ends of the pipes; but finding this wasteful, he closed the ends and in each bored three small holes from which the gas-flames diverged.  It is said that he once used his wife’s thimble in an emergency to close the end of the pipe; and, the thimble being much worn and consequently containing a number of small holes, tiny gas-jets emerged from the holes.  This incident is said to have led to the use of small holes in his burners.  He also lighted a street lamp and had bladders filled with gas “to carry at night, with which, and his little steam carriage running on the road, he used to astonish the people.”  Apparently unknown to Murdock, previous observations had been made as to the inflammability of gas from coal.  Long before this Dr. Clayton described some observations on coal-gas, which he called “the spirit of coals.”  He filled bladders with this gas and kept them for some time.  Upon his pricking one of them with a pin and applying a candle, the gas burned at the hole.  Thus Clayton had a portable gas-light.  He was led to experiment with distillation of coal from some experiences with gas from a natural coal bed, and he thus describes his initial laboratory experiment: 

I got some coal, and distilled it in a retort in an open fire.  At first there came over only phlegm, afterwards a black oil, and then likewise, a spirit arose which I could no ways condense; but it forced my lute and broke my glasses.  Once when it had forced my lute, coming close thereto, in order to try to repair it, I observed that the spirit which issued out caught fire at the flame of the candle, and continued burning with violence as it issued out in a stream, which I blew out, and lighted again alternately