88 MURDOCK. 



to his coming to England, and joining, in the year 1777. Boulton 

 and Watt's establishment at Soho, at that time in its infancy. He 

 must, however, have had some celebrity in his native country, as 

 he was employed to build a bridge over the river Nith, in Dum- 

 frieshire, a very handsome structure, and still in existence. His 

 talents were soon appreciated at Soho, particularly by James Watt, 

 with whom he continued on terms of the closest friendship until 

 Mr. Watt's death in 1819. After remaining two years at Soho, 

 Murdock was appointed by Messrs. Boulton and Watt to superintend 

 the erection, and undertake the general charge, of their new steam- 

 engines in Cornwall, where he erected the first engine, in that part 

 of the country, with a separate condenser. He continued to live in 

 the district for the space of nineteen years, giving great satisfaction 

 to the mining interest ; so much so, that when it became known 

 that he was about to return to Soho, 1000Z. a-year was offered him 

 to remain in Cornwall. During his residence there Murdock con- 

 trived and executed a model locomotive, which, as early as the year 

 1784, he was in the habit of showing to his friends in working 

 order, and drawing a small waggon round a room in his house at 

 Redruth. He used to tell a story, that while making experiments 

 with this engine, he one night determined to test its powers on a 

 level road leading from his house to the church, which was situated 

 about a mile distant from the town ; this road was bounded on each 

 side by high edges, and well suited for the purpose. Murdock ac- 

 cordingly sallied out, and placing his engine on the ground, lit 

 the fire, or rather lamp, under the boiler ; after a few minutes oif 

 started the locomotive with the inventor full chase after it ; after 

 continuing the pursuit for a short distance, he heard cries as of a 

 person in great distress ; the night was too dark to perceive objects 

 afar off, but on going on, he found that the sounds proceeded from 

 the clergyman of the parish, who had set out for the town on busi- 

 ness, and being met on this lonely road by the fiery monster, had 

 taken it for the Evil One in person. This model locomotive was 

 exhibited before a meeting of the Institution of Mechanical En- 

 gineers in 1850, sixty-six years after the date of its construction. 



Mr. Murdock is, however, better knov/n to the public by his ap- 

 plication of the light of coal gas to general purposes. Although 

 this gas had been well known, and obtained both naturally and 

 artificially more than half a century before his time, no attempt had 

 as yet been made to turn the discovery to any useful account. In 

 the year 1792 Murdock first employed coal gas for the purpose of 

 lighting his house and offices at Redruth ; he made it serve also as 

 a lantern, by attaching a bladder with a tube mouthpiece under the 

 bottom of a glass shade, which contrivance used to light him across 

 the moors when returning home at night from the mining engines 

 he was erecting in different parts of the district. After various 

 experiments which proved the economy and convenience of light 



