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MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No, 128. ] 
MAY 1; 18055" 
—s 
far ot Vor; ta: 
-ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Macazine. 
SIR, 
| ‘HE Correfpondent who, in the lat 
4 Number cf the Monthly Magazine, 
has communicated his experiments on pit- 
coal, is probably not aware, in common 
with moit of your readers, that the appli- 
cation of this fubftance to the purpofe of 
Cbtaining light, is not‘an infant difcovery, 
but one which has already been matured, 
and reduced to beneficial practice. In a 
former number of your Mifceilany, T have 
an indiftin& remembrance, that there is a 
»Motification, of a patent for fupplying 
= 
large buildings. 
‘iron-foundery — and 
Jamps with the gas {rom coal; and one of 
the public places of amufement in London 
(the Lyceum) has, I believe, been feveral 
evenings lighted in this new mode. But 
the peifon to whom the credit of this im- 
portant difcovery igreally due, has hither- 
to failed to derive from it the honour to 
which he is entitled ; principally becaufe, 
though the progrefs of his experiments has 
been long known among the circle of his 
triends, he has modeftly forborn to lay his 
claim before the public. The gentleman 
to whom T allude is Mr, William Mur- 
dech, of Soho, near Birmingham, whofe 
firft experiments on this fubje& were infti. 
tuted in Cornwall] about fourteen years 
2g0. By fubfequent improvements, at 
fuch intervals of leifure as occurred to 
him, Mr. Murdoch has long ago brought 
the procefs of obtaining light from coal to 
nearly the utmoft perfection of which it is 
fufceptible; for, with the aid of very 
fimple and ingenious contrivances, he is 
enabled to procure, by the combuttion of 
the gas in an Argand’s lamp, a light not 
Inferior to that from the beit oil, and in- 
comparably cheaper. “Mr. Murdoch has 
alio executed a- laborious train of experi- 
menis onthe fitnefs of different kinds of- 
coal for the purpofe, with exact attention 
both to the condenfible and elaftic pro- 
ducts ; aid has reduced to eftablifhed _ 
daa almolt every thing neceffary for ap- 
plying the difcovery to the lighting of 
compting-houfe ‘of 
Mefirs. Boulton and Wart, near Soho, 
- been for fome tine regularly lighted 
MowtTury Maa, No. 123. 
in this mode, 
Indeed, the extenfive ° 
which feems peculiarly 
adapted, by its economy, facility, and 
fafety, to all large manufa€tories, efpes 
cially where there is much danger of fire, 
arifing from the combuttible nature of the 
materials employed in them. 
By the information which JT had ob- 
tained from: Soho, I: was enabled, in a 
courfe of chemical lectures laft winter, to 
exhibit an Argand’s lamp on Mr. Mur- 
doch’s plan 3; and was induced, by the 
‘beautyof the light which it yielded, to 
examine attentively the compofition of the 
gas from coal, with a view to a{certain in 
what it differs from pure hydrogen gas, 
carburated hydrogen gas, and the. carbo- 
nous oxide, all which, when burned in an 
Argand’s Jamp, give out comparatively 
very little light, and are entirely unfit for 
the purpofes of illumination. The detail 
‘of thefe experiments [ relerve fora Scien- 
tific Journal, to the objects of which you 
‘will doubtlefs agree with me in thinking 
them better fuited than to thofe of your 
Mifcellany. “In the mean time, I have 
deemed it only juftice to Mr. Murdoch, . 
to prefer, on his behalf, a claim, which 
an honourable reluctance to fpeak pubs 
licly of himfelf has fo long withheld trom 
general knowledge. Bras 
Iam, Sir, your’s, &c. 
| Wittiam Henry. ~ 
Manchefler, April 13, 1805. 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S there is juft now a good-looking 
boy, a native of the ifland of Ota. 
heite, refiding as a fervant in London, 
would it not, im the Miffionary Society, be 
doing a good action to try to itore his 
mind with religious and ufeful knowledge, - 
and put it in his power, when he fhall be 
grown up; to return and fcatter tlteyfeeds 
of knowledge and virtue among his comness.. 
trymen. 
When he was introduced to me by Mr. 
Turnbull* (whole Voyages in the Pacific 
a Ocean 
* The boy was fervent to Mr. Turnbult 
during eight months refidence in Otaheite.— 
SO § : Mr, 
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