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The Story of Coal-Gas 55 Curious to ielate, the most pronounced animosity to the project emanated from the so-called pioneers of progress, whose support, one would have thought, would have been given ungrudgingly. This was the leading body of scientists as represented by the Royal Society. To these worthy workers and deep thinkers, the idea of storing gas within large reservoirs was unparalleled audacity, and they ridiculed the proposal unmercifully. Even Sir Humphry Davy sarcastically inquired whether Clegg intended to use the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral as a gas-holder ; but the daring engineer retorted that it would not be big enough, and he had his revenge, because before he died he saw gas-holders of sufficient size to be able to receive the dome very comfortably. Clegg appeared to enjoy the spirited tussle. An objection was the opportunity to demonstrate that the apparently impossible could be achieved. When the lamp-lighters went on strike he took a ladder and lit the objectionable lamps himself, thereby bringing home to the rebellious toilers the conclusive fact that they were not as powerful or as indispensable as they, in the wisdom of their conceit, imagined. But 1810 brought the turmoil to a conclusion. Parliament granted the charter, and accordingly that year witnessed the birth of the first company in the world which ever secured the requisite powers, or essayed the task, of supplying the general public with gas. The company is still in existence, and ranks as the largest and most powerful of its character, although its title has been changed since the stormy opening decade of the nineteenth century, being now known as the Gas Light and Coke Company of London.