The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

C3HAP. XI.] CHARGE OF PIRATING DAVY'S IDEA. 121
to the subject, and elucidated the true theory of explosion of car-
buretted hydrogen, he was entitled to all praise and reward for
his labours. But when the meeting of coal-owners proposed to
raise a subscription for the purpose of presenting Sir H. Davy
with a reward for " his invention of the safety lamp," the case
was entirely altered ; and Mr. Stephenson's friends then pro-
ceeded to assert his claims to be regarded as its first inventor.
Considerable discussion took place at the meeting referred to,
after which it was adjourned until the 11th of October, when the
coal-owners again met, John George Lambton, Esq., afterwards
Earl of Durham, occupying the chair. Mr. Brandling proposed
a further adjournment " until, by a comparison of dates, and an
inquiry into facts, it shall be ascertained whether the merit of the
invention of the safety lamp is due to Sir Humphry Davy or to
George Stephenson." * Mr. Brandling, himself an inventor of a
safety lamp, and a gentleman thoroughly conversant with the sub-
ject, declared his conviction that Stephenson was entitled to be
regarded as " the inventor of the safety lamp ; " and he was sup-
ported by Mr. Arthur Mowbray and other coal-owners present.
The proposition was, however, negatived ; on which Mr. Brandling
and others retired from the meeting, and a committee was
formed for the purpose of collecting subscriptions towards a tes-
timonial to be presented to Sir Humphry Davy. The result
was that a sum of 2,000Z. was presented to that distinguished
gentleman as " the inventor of the safety lamp ;
" but, at the
same time, a purse of 100 guineas was voted to George Stephen-
son, in consideration of what he had done in the same direction.
This result was, however, very unsatisfactory to Stephenson, as
well as to his friends.
The advocates of Sir Humphry Davy's claim, in their zeal
for him, went so far as to insinuate that Stephenson had borrowed
or pirated Davy's idea. Humble though his position was,
Stephenson felt that, when brought forward as the man entitled
to the credit of inventing the lamp—remembering, moreover,
how much of his time and labour he had given to the work, and
* A Collection of aU the Letters whieli have appeared in the Newcastle
Papers, with other Documents, relating to Safety Lamps. Lonijon; Baldwin,
Cradook, and Joy, 1817.
6