The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester / from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir

by Marquis of Edward Somerset Worcester

No. XLV.

How to light a fire and a candle, at what hour of the night one awaketh, without rising or putting one's hand out of bed. And the same thing to be a serviceable pistol at pleasure; yet, by a stranger, not knowing the secret, seemeth but a dexterous tinder-box.

NOTE.

The pistol tinder-box may readily be made to perform the whole of what is here described. A bell rope attached to the trigger will suffice to elicit fire, which, communicating with a quick-match or fusee, will quickly ignite and produce the required light. If the fire is previously prepared with wood or some other combustible material, and a small quantity of inflammable spirits sprinkled over it, the slightest spark will throw the whole into a blaze. For the latter qualification mentioned by the noble author, a pistol barrel may easily be secreted under the tinder.

The inflammable air-lamp contrived by Volta possesses similar properties: a stream of hydrogen gas being inflamed by the spark from an electrophorus.—Vide Brande's Manual of Chemistry, vol. i. p. 240.