Davy, Humphry

Humphry (1778-1829), an eminent English chemist. He was born at Penzance, Cornwall. As a lad he was a fine hand at telling stories and setting off fireworks. At first a surgeon's assistant he became interested in chemistry, and held various positions as a lecturer. He became president of the Royal Society in 1820. Davy traveled extensively, and died, on the way home, at Geneva in 1829. Davy discovered several new elements, including potassium, barium, calcium, strontium, and magnesium. His early talent for storytelling developed into famous ability as a lecturer. It became quite the rage in London to attend Davy's lectures. Davy's great service to workingmen remains to be noticed. The greatest danger to which coal miners in their underground life are exposed is that of the explosion of fire damp, an inflammable gas that collects in the mines. It is almost as dangerous as gunpowder, and being frequently set off by the miners' lamps, caused great loss of life. Davy collected fire damp from the coal mines of Newcastle and began experimenting. He first found out that it is made of carbon and hydrogen; then he found that it must be mixed with a large quantity of air before it will explode; next that it will not explode unless very hot; and, lastly, that but little heat is produced by an explosion. Davy reasoned that, if the flame of a miner's lamp could be prevented from heating the fire damp, there would be no likelihood of an explosion. He surrounded the flame of a lamp by a cylinder of fine wire gauze. The portion of fire damp entering through the gauze exploded in tiny puffs without creating heat; the gauze prevented the lamp flame from reaching and heating the fire damp outside, and the problem was solved. Coal miners carry the Davy safety lamp today. The inventor was made Sir Humphry Davy in recognition of his service. See Damp