LIGHT FROM COAL. 



83 



II. 



Account of the Discoverij of. the Means of illuminating bij 

 the Gas from Coal, by Dr. Claytox, previous to the 

 Year 16G1. In a Letter from Mr. John Webster. 



To Mr. Nicholson. 

 Sir, 



1 READ with great pleasure your just observations on ^^^'^^^g^^^jJng 

 Mr. Winsor's gaseous proposals for enlightening the inha- ^^^ discovered 

 bitants of this metropolis. The purport of these few lines 

 is merely to say, that the discovery of the carbonated hy- 

 drogen gas took place previous to the year 1664. 



Happening a short time ago to be reading some of Boyle's 

 manuscripts, in the British Museum, I met with a paper of 

 the following title (Ascough's Manu. 4437). 



" Experiments concerning the Spirit of Coals, in a letter ~^y ^"^^ C^^i'" 

 to the Hon. Mr. Boyle, by the late Rev. Jas. Clayton, D.D. 

 B. Mus." 



As I did not copy the whole of the paper, I have taken 

 the liberty of sending you the few short notes I made at 

 that time. 



The experiments were undertaken by Dr. Clayton,in con- j^jstory of the 

 sequence of having discovered that gas, issuing from fissures discovery. 

 near a coal-pit at Wigan, in Lancashire, ignited when a 

 burning candle was presented to it. 



Dr. Clayton on observing this effect distilled coal. He The Doctor 

 first observed that " Fleghm" came over, afterwards 3' andVecei*^^ed' 

 " black oyle," and then an " inflamable spirit." He col- thegasin a 

 lected the last product into bladders, and amused his friends bladder. 

 by pricking a hole in a full bladder and igniting the gas. 



If ) ou think it worth while to insert this in your valuable 

 Journal, it may be the means of gi-atifying some of your 

 readers by referring them to the original paper, the number 

 of which 1 have already put down. 



From your obliged humble servant, 

 /«». 5,1807. ' JOHN WEBSTER. 



G2 



