“Ifindmydrillreadilymakes2400turnsperminute，evenwiththelargedrillyousentlast；ifIbearlightly，athree-quarterferrilwouldrunabout3000，andbyanenginethatmightbedoubled。“
Thematerialstobedrilledintomedallionsalsorequiredmuchconsideration。“Iammuchobligedtoyou，“saidWatt，“fortheballs，etc。，whichansweraswellascanbeexpected。TheymakegreatprogressincuttingthecrustRidgwaysoralabaster，andalsocutmarble，butthehardersortssoonbluntthem。Atanyrate，marbledoesnotdoforthemedallions，asitsgrainpreventsitsbeingcutsmooth，anditssemi-transparencehurtstheeffect。IthinkBristollime，orshelllime，pressedinyourmanner，wouldhaveagoodeffect。Whenyouareatleisure，I
shallthankyouforafewpieces，andifsomeofthemaremadepinkorfleshcolour，theywilllookwell。Iusedtheballquiteperpendicular，anditcutwell，asmostofthecuttingissideways。Itriedafinewhirlingpoint，butitmadelittleprogress；anotherwithachiseledgedidalmostaswellastheballs，butdidnotworksopleasantly。Ifindatriangularscrapingpointthebest，andIthinkfromsometrialsitshouldbequiteasharppoint。Thewheelrunseasierthanitdid，buthasstilltoomuchfriction。Iwishedtohavehadanhour’sconsultationwithyou，buthavebeenpreventedbysundrymattersamongothersbythatplagueystove，whichisnowinyourhands。“
WattwasmostgratefultoMurdockforhisunvaryingassistance。
InJanuary，1813，whenWattwasinhisseventy-seventhyear，hewrotetoMurdock，askinghimtoacceptapresentofalathe“I
havenotheardfromyou，“hesays，“inreplytomyletteraboutthelathe；and，presumingyouarenototherwiseprovided，Ihaveboughtit，andrequestyouracceptanceofit。Atpresent，analterationforthebetterismakingintheovalchuck，andafewadditionalchucks，rest，etc。，aremakingtothelathe。Whenthesearefinished，IshallhaveitatBillinger’suntilyoureturn，orasyouotherwisedirect。Iamgoingonwithmydrawingsforacompletemachine，andshallbegladtoseeyouheretojudgeofthem。“
Thedrawingsweremade，butthemachinewasneverfinished。
“Invention，“saidWatt，“goesonveryslowlywithmenow。“Fouryearslater，hewasstillatwork；butdeathputastoptohis“diminishing-machine。“Itisaremarkabletestimonytotheskillandperseveranceofamanwhohadalreadyaccomplishedsomuch，thatitisalmosthisonlyunfinishedwork。Wattdiedin1819，intheeighty-thirdyearofhisage，tothegreatgriefofMurdock，hisoldestandmostattachedfriendandcorrespondent。
Meanwhile，thefirmofBoultonandWattcontinued。Thesonsofthetwopartnerscarriediton，withMurdockastheirMentor。Hewasstillfullofworkandinventivepower。In1802，heappliedthecompressedairoftheBlastEngineemployedtoblowthecupolasoftheSohoFoundry，forthepurposeofdrivingthelatheinthepatternshop。Itworkedasmallengine，withal2-inchcylinderand18-inchstroke，connectedwiththelathe，thespeedbeingregulatedasrequiredbyvaryingtheadmissionoftheblast。Thisenginecontinuedinuseforaboutthirty-fiveyears。
In1803Murdockexperimentedonthepowerofhigh-pressuresteaminpropellingshot，andcontrivedasteam-enginewithwhichhemademanytrialsatSoho，therebyanticipatingtheapparatuscontrivedbyMr。Perkinsmanyyearslater。
In1810Murdocktookoutapatentforboringsteam-pipesforwater，andcuttingcolumnsoutofsolidblocksofstone，bymeansofacylindricalcrownsaw。ThefirstmachinewasusedatSoho，andafterwardsatMr。Rennie’sWorksinLondon，andprovedquitesuccessful。Amonghisotherinventionswerealiftworkedbycompressedair，whichraisedandloweredthecastingsfromtheboring-milltothelevelofthefoundryandthecanalbank。HeusedthesamekindofpowertoringthebellsinhishouseatSycamoreHill，andthecontrivancewasafterwardsadoptedbySirWalterScottinhishouseatAbbotsford。
Murdockwasalsotheinventorofthewell-knowncast-ironcement，soextensivelyusedinengineandmachinework。Themannerinwhichhewasledtothisinventionaffordsastrikingillustrationofhisquicknessofobservation。Findingthatsomeiron-boringsandsal-ammoniachadgotaccidentlymixedtogetherinhistool-chest，andrustedhissaw-bladenearlythrough，hetooknoteofthecircumstance，mixedthearticlesinvariousproportions，andatlengtharrivedatthefamouscement，whicheventuallybecameanarticleofextensivemanufactureattheSohoWorks。
Murdock’singenuitywasconstantlyatwork，evenuponmatterswhichlayentirelyoutsidehisspecialvocation。ThelateSirWilliamFairbairninformedusthathecontrivedavarietyofcuriousmachinesforconsolidatingpeatmoss，finelygroundandpulverised，underimmensepressure，andwhich，whenconsolidated，couldbemouldedintobeautifulmedals，armlets，andnecklaces。
Thematerialtookthemostbrilliantpolishandhadtheappearanceofthefinestjet。
Observingthatfish-skinsmightbeusedasaneconomicalsubstituteforisinglass，hewentuptoLondonononeoccasioninordertoexplaintobrewersthebestmethodofpreparingandusingthem。Heoccupiedhandsomeapartments，and，littleregardingthesplendourofthedrawing-room，hehungthefish-skinsupagainstthewalls。Hislandladycaughthimonedaywhenhewasabouttobangupawetcod’sskin！Hewasturnedoutatonce，withallhisfish。Whileintownonthiserrand，itoccurredtohimthatagreatdealofpowerwaswastedintreadingthestreetsofLondon！Heconceivedtheideaofusingthestreetsandroadwaysasagrandtread-mill，underwhichthewastepowermightbestoredupbymechanicalmethodsandturnedtoaccount。Hehadalsoanideaofstoringupthepowerofthetides，andofrunningwater，inthesameway。ThelateCharlesBabbage，F。R。S。，entertainedasimilarideaaboutusingspringsofIschiaorofthegeysersofIcelandasapowernecessaryforcondensinggases，orperhapsforthestorageofelectricity。[12]
Thelatter，whenperfected，willprobablybethegreatestinventionofthenexthalfcentury。
AnotherofMurdock’s’ingeniousschemes，washisproposedmethodoftransmittinglettersandpackagesthroughatubeexhaustedbyanair-pump。ThisprojectledtotheAtmosphericRailway，thesuccessofwhich，sofarasitwent，wasduetothepracticalabilityofMurdock’spupil，SamuelClegg。Althoughtheatmosphericrailwaywaseventuallyabandoned，itisremarkablethattheoriginalideawasafterwardsrevivedandpractisedwithsuccessbytheLondonPneumaticDispatchCompany。
In1815，whileMurdockwasengagedinerectinganapparatusofhisowninventionforheatingthewaterforthebathsatLeamington，aponderouscast-ironplatefelluponhislegabovehisankle，andseverelyinjuredhim。HeremainedalongwhileatLeamington，andwhenitwasthoughtsafetoremovehim，theBirminghamCanalCompanykindlyplacedtheirexcursionboatathisdisposal，andhewasconveyedsafelyhomeward。Sosoonashewasable，hewasatworkagainattheSohofactory。
AlthoughtheelderWatthadtoacertainextentignoredtheusesofsteamasappliedtonavigation，beingtoomuchoccupiedwithdevelopingthepowersofthepumpingandrotaryengine，theyoungpartners，withthestoutaidofMurdock，tookupthequestion。
TheysuppliedFultonin1807withhisfirstengine，bymeansofwhichtheClermontmadeherfirstvoyagealongtheHudsonriver。
TheyalsosuppliedFultonandLivingstonwiththenexttwoenginesfortheCarofNeptuneandtheParagon。Fromthattimeforward，BoultonandWattdevotedthemselvestothemanufactureofenginesforsteamboats。Uptotheyear1814，marineengineshadbeenallappliedsinglyinthevessel；butinthisyearBoultonandWattfirstappliedtwocondensingengines，connectedbycrankssetatrightanglesontheshaft，topropelasteamerontheClyde。Sincethen，nearlyallsteamersarefittedwithtwoengines。Inmakingthisimportantimprovement，thefirmweremateriallyaidedbythemechanicalgeniusofWilliamMurdock，andalsoofMr。Brown，thenanassistant，butafterwardsamemberofthefirm。
Inordertocarryonasetofexperimentswithrespecttothemostimprovedformofmarineengine，BoultonandWattpurchasedtheCaledonia，aScotchboatbuiltontheClydebyJamesWoodandCo。，ofPortGlasgow。Theenginesandboilersweretakenout。
Thevesselwasfittedwithtwosideleverengines，andmanysuccessiveexperimentsweremadewithherdowntoAugust，1817，atanexpenseofabout10，000L。Thisledtoasettledplanofconstruction，bywhichmarineenginesweregreatlyimproved。
JamesWatt，junior，accompaniedtheCaledoniatoHollandanduptheRhine。ThevesselwaseventuallysoldtotheDanishGovernment，andusedforcarryingthemailsbetweenKielandCopenhagen。Itis，however，unnecessaryheretoventureuponthefurtherhistoryofsteamnavigation。
Inthemidstoftheserepeatedinventionsandexperiments，Murdockwasbecominganoldman。YetheneverceasedtotakeaninterestintheworksatSoho。Atlengthhisfacultiesexperiencedagradualdecay，andhediedpeacefullyathishouseatSycamoreHill，onthel5thofNovember，1839，inhiseighty-fifthyear。HewasburiedneartheremainsofthegreatBoultonandWatt；andabustbyChantreyservedtoperpetuatetheremembranceofhismanlyandintelligentcountenance。
Footnotesfor
[1]Fletcher’sPoliticalWorks，London，1737，p。149，[2]OneoftheMurdocksbuiltthecathedralatGlasgow，aswellasothersinScotland。ThefamousschoolofmasonryatAntwerpsentoutanumberofexcellentarchitectsduringthe11th，12th，and13thcenturies。Oneofthese，oncomingintoScotland，assumedthenameofMurdo。HewasaFrenchman，borninParis，aswelearnfromtheinscriptionleftonMelroseAbbey，andhediedwhilebuildingthatnoblework:itisasfollows:——
“JohnMurdosumtymecaitwasIAndborninPerysecertainly，An’
hadinkepyngallmasonwarkSanctAndrays，theHyeKirko’Glasgo，MelroseandPaisley，JedybroandGalowy。PraytoGodandMarybaith，andsweetSaintJohn，keepthisHolyKirkfraescaith。“
[3]ThediscoveryoftheBlackBandIronstonebyDavidMushetin1801，andtheinventionoftheHotBlastbyJamesBeaumontNeilsonin1828，willbefoundrelatedinIndustrialBiography，pp。141-161。
[4]NotetoLockhart’sLifeofScott。
[5]ThiswasstatedtothepresentwritersomeyearsagobyWilliamMurdock’sson；althoughthereisnootherrecordoftheevent。
[6]SeeLivesofEngineersBoultonandWatt，iv。pp。182-4。
Smalledition，pp。130-2。
[7]Mr。Pearse’sletterisdated23rdApril，1867，buthasnotbeforebeenpublished。Headdsthat“othersrememberedMurdock，onewhowasanapprenticewithhim，andlivedwithhimforsometime——aMr。Vivian，ofthefoundryatLuckingmill。“
[8]Murdock’shousestillstandsinCrossStreet，Redruth；thosestilllivewhosawthegas-pipesconveyinggasfromtheretortinthelittleyardtoneartheceilingoftheroom，justoverthetable；aholeforthepipewasmadeinthewindowframe。Theoldwindowisnowreplacedbyanewframe。“——LifeofRichardTrevithick，i。64。
[9]PhilosophicalTransactions，1808，pp。l24-l32。
[10]Winsor’sfamilyevidentlybelievedinhisgreatpowers；forIaminformedbyFrancisGalton，Esq。，F。R。S。，thatthereisafantasticalmonumentontheright-handsideofthecentralavenueoftheKensalGreenCemetery，abouthalfwaybetweenthelodgeandthechurch，whichbearsthefollowinginscription:——“TombofFrederickAlbertWinsor，sonofthelateFrederickAlbertWinsor，originatorofpublicGas-lighting，buriedintheCemeteryofPerelaChaise，Paris。“Ateveningtimeitshallbelight——Zachariahxiv。7。“Iamcomealightintotheworld，thatwhoeverbelievethinMeshallnotabideindarkness——Johnxii。46。“
[11]Mr。Parkes，inhiswellknownChemicalEssaysed。1841，p。
157，afterreferringtothesuccessfullightingupbyMurdockofthemanufactoryofMessrs。PhillipsandLeeatManchesterin1805，“withcoalgasissuingfromnearlyathousandburners，“
proceeds，“Thisgrandapplicationofthenewprinciplesatisfiedthepublicmind，notonlyofthepracticability，butalsooftheeconomyoftheapplication；andasamarkofthehighopiniontheyentertainedofhisgeniusandperseverance，andinordertoputthequestionofpriorityofthediscoverybeyondalldoubt，theCounciloftheRoyalSocietyin1808awardedtoMr。MurdocktheGoldMedalfoundedbythelateCountRumford。“
[12]“Thus，“saysMr。CharlesBabbage，“inafutureage，powermaybecomethestaplecommodityoftheIcelanders，andoftheinhabitantsofothervolcanicdistricts；andpossiblytheveryprocessbywhichtheywillprocurethisarticleofexchangefortheluxuriesofhappierclimatesmay，insomemeasure，tamethetremendouselementwhichoccasionallydevastatestheirprovinces。“——EconomyofManufactures。