TALBOT4128

Dear Sir

My Mother has forwarded your letter¹ to me but I have not the means of obtaining a sight of Cecils² Invention of a Gas Engine – Adore’s Patent³ was confined to the modification which was peculiar in asmuch [sic] as the means of [illegible deletion] igniting the Gas – the whole is very crude & I believe was never tried The Patent for Browns⁴ Gas Engine has expired he made several Engines and some of large dimensions but it is generally understood that the cost of obtaining the Gas rendered them much too expensive in use they worked very well – they are all out of use.

From my knowledge of the various propositions for making Engines to be worked by Gas I am of opinion that any practical mode of constructing an Engine which would work advantageously must contain material novelty which might become the subject of a Patent At the same time I have but little hope that Gas as a means of producing a vacuum with a view to obtain power does not will with our present knowledge of be found beneficial – In any case the practical difficulties were generally considered to have been overcome and the last of his Engines were very simple in construction equally so with the Steam Engine and for several years Brown turned his attention to means of working gas with a view to reduce its cost and he made it from water & from peat but as far as I am informed the cost and trouble of obtaining the Gas was too much for him – With respect to the Invention of Mr Ador it appeared to me that the cost of obtaining the Gas will be much too Cost great even supposing the practical arrangement of the Engine were more complete –

Your obd^t Serv^t
William Carpmael

5 Albion place
Ramsgate
Augt 24^th 40

H. F. Talbot Esq

P.S. We cannot at present inform you when your opposition to M^r Stirling⁵ will be heard the [illegible deletion] neither the Sol^r or Atty. Genl. being in Town –

Y^r Ob^t
Poole & Carpmael

H. F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham

p.p.