GEOLOGY. 51 



gold medal from ths Royal Society, for his successful erection of a gas 

 apparatus for the manufactory of Mr. Lee, at Manchester. The public 

 attention in London was shortly after called to it by a German named 

 Windsor, who gave lectures on the subject at the Lyceum theatre in the 

 Strand. Windsor, a man of enterprise, was but a very indifferent 

 chemist, and although he succeeded in raising a company to prosecute 

 his object, yet his views, and the expectations which he raised, were so 

 extravagant that his scheme fell to the ground. It must be conceded to 

 him, however, that he was the first who directed public attention to the 

 introduction of gas in London, and that the first street lighted with it 

 was Pall Mall, and its continuing exclusively so, for several years was by 

 his sole influence. In 1809, the National Light and Heat Company 

 applied for an Act of Parliament to establish a joint stock company, but 

 they were strongly opposed by Mr. Murdoch, on the grounds of priority of 

 invention, and the application was refused ; they renewed their claim with 

 better success the following year, and the Act was granted; this was the 

 first of the chartered companies. A new charter, giving increased power 

 and for raising more capital, was granted to this company in 1812, at 

 which time the public became sensible of the advantage of gas as a brilliant 

 and economical light, and applications for it came pouring in. Many 

 of the parishes of the Metropolis discarded their ugly, uncouth looking 

 lamps, which, as to giving light, did but " make darkness visible," and 

 so successful was the original companies in 1823 (for by this time there 

 were several) that, before a Parliamentary Committee, it was proved, the 

 consumption of coal was 20,678 chaldrons annually, producing an 

 average of 680,000 feet of gas every night, which was distributed through 

 London by means of 122 miles of pipe; supplying upwards of 30,000 

 burners, and giving a light equal to 30,0001bs. of candles. Such has 

 been the increase of gas lighting since, that this particular company have 

 nearly quadrupled their supply, while the whole of the gas companies in 

 London are estimated to consume more than 200,000 chaldrons of coal 

 per annum, and to distribute through nearly 600 miles of pipe 7,000,000 

 of cubic feet of gas every 24 hours, on an average of the whole year, 

 giving a light equal to what would be obtained from 300,000 Ibs. of 

 candles! Although in London the progress of gas until 1813 was very 

 slow, yet in the manufacturing districts it was making rapid strides, by 

 Mr. Clegg at Halifax, and Mr. Pemberton at Birmingham, at both of 

 which peaces the success of the experiment was equal to the talent with 

 which it was carried on. 



