INTRODUCTION OF LIGHTING BY COAL-GAS. 13 



gave an account of some observations and experiments made by him, which clearly 

 manifests his knowledge of the inflammable property of the gas, which he denominates 

 ' the spirit of coals ;' but the idea of applying it as an economical substitute for oils and 

 tallow does not appear to have occurred to this gentleman ; and I believe I may, without 

 presuming too much, claim both the first idea of applying, and the first actual application 

 of this gas to economical purposes." 



In Mr. Clegg's Journal, which I have before me, it is stated that the cotton- 

 mill of Mr. Henry Lodge at Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, was lighted with 

 gas a fortnight before that of Messrs. Phillips and Lee ; Mr. Clegg had made 

 his men work over-time in order that his apparatus might be the first com- 

 pleted, there being a friendly spirit of emulation between Mr. Murdoch and 

 his pupil in advancing the progress of gas-lighting. 



Soon after the mills of Messrs. Phillips and Lee and Mr. Lodge were lighted, 

 it became apparent, that, unless some plan were adopted to purify the gas, it 

 could not be burnt in close rooms, the offensive effluvia proceeding from it in 

 an'impure state causing headache, and even in some cases affecting the lungs. 

 To remedy this serious evil, Mr. Clegg, in the next manufactory he lighted, 

 (that of Mr. Harris, of Coventry) introduced lime into the tank of the gaso- 

 meter, preventing it from settling at the bottom by an agitator, put in motion 

 from time to time. The gas from the condenser was passed partially through 

 the lime and water, and was thus purified. This plan was found to answer 

 tolerably well for a short time, but the difficulty of removing the spent lime 

 from the tank formed a practical obstacle to its further adoption. 



Among the various places lighted with gas about this time (1807, 1808), 

 the Catholic college of Stonyhurst, Lancashire, deserves particular mention. 

 This establishment was the first of the kind that adopted the use of gas-lights, 

 and Mr. Clegg received great encouragement in making experiments and im- 

 proving his apparatus from the liberality and kindness of the Professors of the 

 college. He was well aware that gas could not with safety be applied to 

 lighting private rooms unless it were perfectly freed from sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen, and that the method adopted at Coventry would not answer the purpose, 

 on account of the difficulty attending the removal of the lime. Lime-water 

 was therefore introduced into a separate vessel, in which the lime could be 

 easily renewed ; the gas was passed through this vessel previous to its entering 

 the gasometer, and was by this means rendered perfectly pure. The vessel 

 is shown in the annexed wood-cut (Fig. 5.). 



