Description of an improved Ship Stove* 11£ 



cessive nights was applied to the lighting of their principal 

 building, and various new methods were practised,, of wash- 

 ing and purifying the gas. 



These experiments were continued with some interrup- 

 tions, until the peace of-] S02, when a public display of this 

 light was made by me in the illumination of Mr. Boulton's 

 manufactory at Soho, upon that occasion. 



Since that period, I have, under the sanction of Messrs. 

 Boulton, Watt, and Co., extended the apparatus at Soho 

 Foundry, so as to give light to all the principal shops, where 

 it is in regular use, to the exclusion of other artificial light; 

 but I have preferred giving the results from Messrs. Philips* 

 and Lee's apparatus, both on account of its greater extent, 

 and the greater uniformity of the lights, which rendered the 

 comparison with candles less difficult. 



At the time I commenced my experiments, I was cer- 

 tainly -unacquainted with the circumstance of the gas from 

 coal having been observed by others to be capable of com- 

 bustion ; but I am since informed, that the current of gas 

 escaping from Lord Dund'onald's tar ovens had been fre- 

 quently fired ; and I find that Dr. Clayton, in a paper in 

 volume xli. of the Transactions of the Royal Society, so 

 long ago as the year 1739, gave an account of some obser- 

 vations and experiments made by him, which clearly mani- 

 fest his knowledge of the inflammable property of the gas, 

 which he denominates " the spirit of coals ;" but the idea of 

 applying it as an ceconomical 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 ceconomical purposes. 



1 - ■ '■ ' ' ' , ' ■ , . - — 



XTX. Description of an improved Ship Stove. By Mr. 

 Joseph Collier, of Crown- Street, Soho, London*. 



JL his stove is represented in the engraving Plate IV. Fig. 1* 

 is the stove, with the front partly closed by the circular 



* From Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts', Manufac- 

 tures, and Commerce, for 1807. Fifteen guineas were voted to Mr. Col- 

 lier for this improvement, and a model is placed in the Society's repository. 



H 4 slide 



