118 On the application of the Gas from Coal. 



inconvenience and danger, resulting from the sparks and 

 freq.ent snuffing or candles, is a circumstance of material 

 importance, as tending to diminish the hazard. of fire, to 

 whicn cotton mills are known to be much exposed. 



The above particulars, it is conceived, contain such in- 

 formation, as may tend to illustrate the general advantages 

 attending the use of the gas light; but nevertheless the 

 Royal Society may perhaps not deem it uninteresting to be • 

 apprized of the circumstances which originally gave rise in 

 my mind to its application, as an ceconomical substitute for 

 oils and tallow. 



It is now nearly sixteen years, since, in a course of ex- 

 periments I was making at Redruth in Cornwall, upon the 

 quantities and qualities of the gases produced by distillation 

 from different mineral and vegetable substances, I was in- 

 duced by some observations I had previously made upon the 

 burning of coal, to try the combustible property of the gases 

 produced from it, as well as from peat, wood, and other 

 inflammable substances. And being struck with the great 

 quantities of -gas which they afforded, as well as with the' 

 brilliancy of the light, and the facility of its production, I 

 instituted several experiments with a view of ascertaining the 

 cost at which it might be obtained, compared with that of 

 equal quantities of light yielded by oils and tallow. , 



My apparatus consisted of an iron retort, with tinned 

 copper and iron tubes through which the gas was conducted 

 to a considerable distance ; and there, as well as at inter- 

 mediate points, was burned through apertures of varied 

 forms and dimensions. The experiments were made upon 

 coal of different qualities, which I procured from distant 

 parts of the kingdom, for the. purpose of ascertaining which 

 would give the most ceconomical results. The gas was also 

 washed with water, and other means were employed to pu- 

 jify it. 



In the year 1798, I removed from Cornwall to Messrs, 

 Eoulton, Watt, and Co.'s works for the manufactory of 

 steam engines at the Soho Foundry, and there I constructed 

 an apparatus upon a larger scale, which during many suc- 

 cessive 



