Many prejudices existed against the employment of the new light.

It was popularly supposed that the gas was carried along the pipes on fire, and that the pipes must necessarily be intensely hot.

When it was proposed to light the House of Commons with gas, the architect insisted on the pipes being placed several inches from the walls, for fear of fire; and, after the pipes had been fixed, the members might be seen applying their gloved hands to them to ascertain their temperature, and afterwards expressing the greatest surprise on finding that they were as cool as the adjoining walls.
The Gas Company was on the point of dissolution when Mr.Samuel Clegg came to their aid.

Clegg had been a pupil of Murdock's, at Soho.

He knew all the arrangements which Murdock had invented.