All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

52 All About Inventions Towards the close of the eighteenth century another investigator—who, no doubt, had learned about Dr. Clayton’s interesting experiments—took up the issue. This was the famous Cornish engineer, William Murdoch, whose steam motor-car had thrown the superstitious citizens of Redruth into wild hys- terics a few years previously. He embarked upon a series of experiments, and in 1792 gave his neigh- bours another violent shock by lighting his home at Redruth with “ spirit ” gas obtained from coal. The practical application of Clayton’s discovery created a tremendous sensation, but it was not re- garded with equanimity. The timorous Cornishmen conjured up various fates which would befall them if the “ spirit ” rebelled. They would be burned out of house and home, and at night they retired to bed with quakes and fears. Even if they did not suffer incineration while asleep, they felt convinced that they would be suffocated by the “ smoake.” But Murdoch was not the man to be impressed with fears, threats, or alarms. He saw that once apprehensions had been overcome, and when it was proved possible to tame the spirit, that gas-lighting must become a universal friend. Even his own home proved this point up to the hilt, because the light was surpassingly brilliant when compared with the faint flicker of the tallow dip then in vogue. Satisfied with his achievement at his home, Murdoch inaugurated a gas-lighting exhibition in Soho, whence he had re- moved upon entering the employment of Boulton and Watt, the famous engineers. This demonstration was given during the early days of the nineteenth century, and it aroused considerable attention and appreciation.