THE 



INo. 287.] 



AUGUST 1, 1816. [I of Vol. 42. 



botk 



When the Monthly Magazine was fir>r planiif d, two leading ideas occupied the mindg of those who unaerti.ok l 

 duct it. The first was, that of Uyins bclaic lUe fuliiic various objects of information and discussion, 

 ■musine and inetruclive; the second was that of lending aid to the propagation of those liberal priuciplet re* 

 spectjug seme of the mo'tjt important concerns of mankind, which have been either deserted or virnlently op- 

 posed by other Periodical Miscellanies : bu: upon the manly and rational support of which the Fame and Fate 

 of the age must nltimately depend. Prcfait to Mmtblj tlag. ftl- J. 



A> lone as those who write are ambitious of miking Converts, and of givine their Opinions i Maximum of lo- 

 fiuence and Celebrity, tne most extensively circulated Miscellany will reyay. with the greatest £flecti the 

 Cu>Jo»it/ ufiftose who read, whether it be for Amusement or for lumuctioii. ^JOrtNiON, 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



To the Editor of the Monthli/ Magazine. 



SIR, 



THE call yon are in the habit of 

 making- upon your readers for in- 

 formation of local improvements, and 

 particularly as to the adoption in diQ'e- 

 rent districts of those improvements in 

 the arts of life, M-hich science is continu- 

 ally furnishing, induces me to hope tliat 

 the following- account of the Preston 

 Gas-light Company w ill fhui a ready in- 

 sertion in your valnahleniiscellany. 



In the summer of tSl.'J. nti Act having 

 teen obtained for lip^htinj^, watching, 

 and otherwise regulating the town, a fa- 

 vourable opporttmify was thereby open- 

 ed for introducing the mediod pursued 

 «ith so much ad\antagc in the mctrojio- 

 lis, of liglrting by nieaus of carbinetted- 

 hydrogen gas. With this view a com- 

 pany was formed with shares of 101. 

 each, ant! a capital Mas speedily raised 

 v/hich was deemed sufficient to carry 

 the plan into efloct in tiic central parts 

 of the towir as an cxpcri«ncnt. The 

 whole of the work tlms prqiected has, 

 for some months, been completed, under 

 !lie able siiperintendance of i\Ir. Grafton, 

 the engineer. The length of main pipes 

 (which are of sufficient capacity to serve 

 the whole of the town, inclndi^ig several 

 extensive factories) abeady laid h 1,00() 

 yards, and in this space it is estimated 

 that more than 9iK) U-^iU, emitting fiamc 

 equal to 4,tKX) mould candles, of six in 

 the pound, will be attache<i to the mains 

 in the <nsuing w inter. The undehaking 

 has so far succeeded to the satisfaction 

 of the proprietors, that a fiu-tiicr exten- 

 sion of the works was agreed upon at a 

 public meeting held onthc IGlb ult. ami 

 a caiiital is rapidly forniing, which, when 

 novnpUted, will enable the trustees to 

 lay dow n 2,WlO yards more of main pipe, 

 equal to sujiply tlie place of 1(),0(U) 

 mould caudles, of six in the pound. 

 The pure state in wliieh the gas is intro- 



MovrHLY Mag. No 2^7. 



duced into the shops, houses, and manu- 

 factories, prevents the possibility of of- 

 fence, and is unaccompanied by the most 

 trifling stain or soil. It re^nires noiic vi 

 the attention necessarily bestowed upon 

 oil or candles, to refresh or increase iho 

 rays of light ; but, tiom the nioment of 

 ignition, contimics to burn with one uu- 

 dimiiiished regular and constant flame, 

 until checked by intercepting the supply 

 of gas, which is instantaneously eficcted 

 by means of a stop-cock, and without 

 any of the offensive and disagreeable ex-i 

 halations which oil and candle emit on 

 being extinguished. 



Tlic i)la;i wiiich has before been pro- 

 jected of lighting a considerable space 

 by means of a single burner, placed in 

 an elevated situation, has, wc believe, 

 for the first time, been carried into 

 effect by the able engineer of the Pres- 

 ton CompaTiy. In the centre of the 

 market place, which is of considerable 

 area, there happened, very ai)i)ropriate- 

 ly, to be a handsome Gotliic column, 

 thirty-six feet in height ; on the top of 

 this the engineer has placed a glass vase, 

 in which tiie burner is fixed ; and it thus 

 becomes the substitute of about twenty- 

 five common oil lamps; but with an ef- 

 fect which con'd not be ecpialled by 

 more than double that number, placed 

 in the most advantageous situations. 

 The light, indeed, which it affords is 

 more easily comparable to the splendour 

 of the solar rays, than to the miserable 

 glimmerings we usually tind in parish 

 lamps where oil is used. 



The success which has attended the 

 Preston concern (the first, we believe, 

 after those in London, that has been suc- 

 cessfully established,) gives reason to an- 

 ticipate that the time is not far distant 

 when most of our largo towns will be 

 adorned witli brilliant lights produced 

 by chemical art. 



Preston, Lancaster ; J. W. 



Jime I3th, 1«IC. 



B Tif 



