How Colombo was gas lit in the 1870s

by Padma EDIRISINGHE

As the writer was not living at that time this content is all second hand information got from the early Sinhala newspapers, a veritable window on contemporary events. Anyway the editors themselves admit to getting the information from English newspapers such as the Observer.

It was on the night of August 5, 1872 that Colombo was illuminated with Gas, a precursor to electricity that debuted only in the dawn of the 20th Century during the administration of Governor West Ridgeway. Lak Rivi Kirana begins a new series headlined, "What people say" to celebrate the new glow in the city. On August 10 this feature conveys the different ideas evolved by the people as to how this wonder Gas originated. Most common surmise is that it spawns from the pipes that "store fire". No, the editor opines, "Gas is just a smoke or trail of air that emanates from the substance known as coal".

It then goes on to give an extravagant account of how the city looked that night. Focus of the celebrations had been the crowning of Prince of Wales and the bust of queen Victoria fully illumined as a token of appreciation. The Clock Tower too had got its due share of attention.

No more darkness lurk in the streets of Colombo. No more would bandits and highway robbers become kings of the night. But all was not smooth sailing.

This massive venture of lighting up Colombo had a large share of travails. It was almost an epic, a struggling toiling journey with which the early papers dutifully kept close contact.

Right from the initial stages it was reporting on the Gas trail which however came along with the Water trail.

From a busy port by a Kolon tree Colombo or Kolonthota was slowly advancing to a very popular habitat of humans of all shades and tribes. By 1864 the number of denizens had grown to 90,000 living in 8,000 houses.

Further were a myriad shops and commercial establishments, industrial sites and networks of roads tapering towards making the city one of the mega centres of Asia. No longer could the sprawling city depend on lamps lit with oil or with water drawn from wells that were sited in the rural areas around. Water was brought in the morning by carts. Living was thus just rudimentary.

Even the basic needs were unattended. Soon action was mooted to remedy matters. Reports Lak Rivi Kirana of February 5, 1864. The Observer informs that Governamentuwa (the Government) will pay 8,000 pounds to the company that volunteers to illumine Colombo with gas and supply a regular water service. The Water project was stalled for a time while the Gas project went ahead.

Another newspaper Lak Mini Pahana showers accolades on Gas in its April 4, 1866 issue stating that it is much less expensive and much less dangerous than oil lit lamps. Gnanarthapradeepa focusing on the rice crisis insists that no additional taxes should be levied to supply gas.

By 1868 the said Company gets going with the work. It is a foreign company and all necessary documents are shipped to England.

A huge advertisement, appears in the Sinhala newspapers advertising shares of the company. Lankans were allocated 2,500 shares.

All these were just novel and created sensations no doubt. Shares had been sold very soon and laying of pipelines begun. And the aforesaid newspapers promise the citizens of Lanka a magnificently lit city. As though they too are linked to the enterprise.

Much praised were the cute and picturesque gas lamps that are to adorn the high posts.

Whole visage of the city would be now changed. Despite the fuss over taxes, they were levied and another injustice was that gas power was not provided to Modera and Nagalagam Street mostly inhabited by the social riff raff at the time.

To produce the large equipment required for all this a rudimentary factory was established at Thankolawatte in Pettah providing jobs too to many a youth.

The city was attracting people from outer areas with job avenues opening up and more and more amenities being provided for comfortable living.

Everything was now set for the grand day for the official inauguration of Gas lit Colombo fixed for September 2, 1871 with the Colombo Clock Tower too providing a glorious sight lit on all four sides against which the pictorial representations of members of England's Royal family stood out in relief... Governor himself came the previous night to oversee things.

Then struck the Kuveni's Curse. On September 23,1871 the large water tank at the Gas manufacture station burst! But Lanka, then as now was tenacious. Work resumed again.

Plans for the construction of a new tank were begun, The chief engineer Simpson himself sailed to England to attend to the matter. By August everything was ready for the inauguration. Following is a passage from Lak Rivi Kirana reporting of the ceremony. "Everything added up to a glorious sight to the eye.

The place was crowded. But there were certain incidents. Many of the lanterns got cracked which was ascribed to over-absorption of gas.

Such things are inevitable in this tender age of power use. Officers who successfully attended to the work were treated to a banquet. Speeches were made..... I forgot to tell you that the clock (Probably on the Clock Tower) provided a breathtaking sight. All its digits shone like gold. It was just beautiful".