He lived in the midst of inventors. Watt and Boulton were
constantly suggesting new things, and Murdock became possessed by
the same spirit. In 1791 he took out his first patent. It was
for a method of preserving ships' bottoms from foulness by the
use of a certain kind of chemical paint. Mr. Murdock's grandson
informs us that it was recently re-patented and was the cause of
a lawsuit, and that Hislop's patent for revivifying gas-lime
would have been an infringement, if it had not expired.
Murdock is still better known by his invention of gas for
lighting purposes. Several independent inquirers into the
constituents of Newcastle coal had arrived at the conclusion that
nearly one-third of the substance was driven off in vapour by the
application of heat, and that the vapour so driven off was
inflammable. But no suggestion had been made to apply this
vapour for lighting purposes until Murdock took the matter in
hand. Mr. M. S. Pearse has sent us the following interesting
reminiscence: "Some time since, when in the West of Cornwall, I
was anxious to find out whether any one remembered Murdock. I
discovered one of the most respectable and intelligent men in
Camborne, Mr. William Symons, who not only distinctly remembered
Murdock, but had actually been present on one of the first
occasions when gas was used. Murdock, he says, was very fond of
children, and not unfrequently took them into his workshop to
show them what he was doing.
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