William Murdoch

William Murdoch (sometimes spelled Murdock) (August 21, 1754 - November 15, 1839) was a Scottish engineer and inventor. He was employed by the firm of Boulton and Watt and worked for them in Cornwall as a steam engine erector for ten years, spending most of the rest of his life in Birmingham. He was the inventor of gas lighting in the early 1790s and coined the term gasometer. In addition to gas he made a number of innovations to the steam engine, including the sun and planet gear and D slide valve, invented the steam gun and pneumatic tube message system, worked on the first British paddle steamer to cross the English Channel, built a prototype steam locomotive in 1784 and made a number of discoveries in the field of chemistry. He remained an employee of Boulton and Watt until the 1830's and his reputation as an independent inventor has tended to be obscured by the reputations of those two men and the firm they founded.

The Caledonia Paddle Steamer

Boulton and Watt had been involved in a minor way with attempts to apply steam power to boats, providing in 1807 for Robert Fulton the engine for The Clermont, the first steamboat to run on the Hudson river. Murdoch was primarily responsible for designing and building this engine and for agreeing technical details and designs with Fulton, who also worked on the design of the engine. Boulton and Watt also provided engines for a number of other marive vessels. However it wasn't until the purchase of The Caledonia by James Watt, Jr in 1817 that they, became seriously involved in the marine engineering business. The task of refitting The Caledonia, building & installing new engines and boilers and making her seaworthy and efficient in fuel consumption was a difficult process & Murdoch, although frequently suffering from fever and Rheumatism, directed this. By August the vessel was able to be tested on its intended route, from Surrey Commercial Docks, London to Gravesend and at first made 8 miles per hour (mph). During its sea trials Murdoch carried out experiments on The Caledonia to measure the effect on fuel consumption & speed on changes in the depth of the paddles & whether one or both engines was used. This resulted in an increase of speed to 12mph.

Related Topics:
Robert Fulton - Hudson river - 1817 - Fever - Rheumatism - Surrey Commercial Docks - Gravesend - Mph

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While carrying out trials The Caledonia was challenged to a race by their competititors for the London to Gravesend route, the Sons of Commerce. Actually there were 2 races to Gravesend, both of which were won by the Boulton and Watt vessel, by a greater margin on the second attempt. The result was that the proprietors of the Sons of Commerce placed an order with Boulton and Watt for a new steamboat engine. There were also a number of other orders for steamboat engines, both for commercial customers and the Royal Navy and Murdoch was in effect the head of this branch of the business, being referred to and deferred to on all aspects of their marine business. It is estimated that from 1813 until 1825 over 3,000 horsepower of marine engines were made by Boulton and Watt, around 40 to 60 vessels.

Related Topics:
Royal Navy - Horsepower

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Shortly after the trials were completed The Caledonia became the first steamboat to carry out a cross-channel crossing when Watt Jr took it to Rotterdam and up the Rhine to Koblenz.

Related Topics:
Channel - Rotterdam - Rhine - Koblenz

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