USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 46
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
The Delaware Fire Company removed from Cherry street above Third between 1840 and 1845. It was afterward located in the western end of the tobacco warehouse on Spruce street below Dock. Finally, the engine was purchased Ły the Phila- delphia and Reading Railroad Company, upon the introduction of steam fire-engines into our city, for the protection of its prop- erty in Pottstown, and was used for that purpose until the intro- duction of steam there. It was some years since sent to Cata- wissa for the same purpose.
36 *
426
Annals of Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Hall was burned by a mob May 17, 1838. No lives were lost on that occasion.
The great fire which commenced on Delaware avenue near Vine street, and which extended south toward Race street and west toward Second street, took place on Tuesday, the 9th of July, 1850. Three hundred and sixty-seven houses were de- stroyed. It was also the day of the death of President Taylor.
Bruner's cotton-factory, corner of Nixon and Hamilton streets, was burned November 12th, 1851. On that occasion three per- sons were killed by jumping from the upper windows, and many were injured.
The great fire at Sixth and Market streets took place April 30th, 1856; at Jayne's buildings, in Chestnut street, March 4, 1872, loss $300,000; Dock street, May 19, 1872, loss $750,000.
INTRODUCTION OF STEAM FIRE-ENGINES.
The history of the introduction of steam fire-engines into Phil- adelphia is an interesting one. The steam fire-engine, after en- countering great opposition, by its own merits made itself popular in our conservative city. Here everything new is received with caution and ventured upon deliberately and carefully. When the utility of it becomes manifest, prejudice at once breaks down, and the innovation becomes immediately as much an object of favor as it formerly had been one of opposition. But this conservatism is united with common sense, and a right decision is generally reached. It was so with the steam fire-engine. First received with derision, illustrated squibs having been published in the papers, and such names as " The Great Squirt" and " The Old Dominion Coffee-Pot " having been given to it, it was next threat- ened with violence; but steadily made its way in public estima- tion, and especially with the firemen, who saw its advantages and the increased efficiency which it would give to their department, and thus render its services more valuable to the public. With- out their appreciation of this fact and their cordial co-operation the work of improvement would have been long delayed. True, some attempts were made by the disaffected of the fire department -that portion of it which may be entitled the "rowdy " element -who saw their occupation was gone. But the public hailed in the steam fire-engine their deliverance from the noise and confu- sion caused by the turbulent portion of the firemen, and the dan- ger from their frequent brawls, as well as more assured protection to their property. " We had tired of firemen's fights, as they had lost their novelty ; we had become tired of a race to the fire-local- ity, and the new houses had become common all over the city. There was a calm resting over this social element, which to the thinking indicated a coming excitement. Since 1850 we are now speaking. The first new invention which agitated the department was the police and fire-alarm telegraph. The idea of giving an
427
Fires and Fire-Engines.
alarm of fire by lightning set the fire companies by the eyes and ears. Wire from poles along the streets, with signal-boxes and a system of signals to indicate the locality of the fire, was introduced Then began the new check. Electricity to give the alarm re- quired steam to extinguish the fire. This was a consequence, if not a corollary. Experience of fifty years demonstrated the in- efficiency of the old hand-engines ; they were too heavy, too slow, and too exhaustive of energy at a large fire. A prejudice fifty years old is a strong, well-built prejudice, and stands any quantity of hard knocks. Just such a prejudice was built up to guard the fire department from the assaults of novelties or new ideas. That prejudice had to be broken down by stubborn facts and decided advantages gained."
The Philadelphia fire department was placed under charge of a chief engineer by ordinance of January 30th, 1855. The first engineer was Benjamin A. Shoemaker, who was succeeded by Samuel Patrick Fearon, and subsequently by David M. Lyle, Terrence McCusker, and George W. Downey.
Cincinnati was the first city to use steam fire-engines, but Phil- adelphia was the first to produce a machine that proved a model for other cities. In February, 1855, Mr. E. Latta of Cincinnati arrived with a steam fire-engine, the " Miles Greenwood," and proposed to Councils and the fire department to exhibit it in ac- tion. The Philadelphia Hose Company lent Mr. Latta sufficient hose and the services of some of its members to make the trial satisfactory. The trial was made at Dock street wharf in presence of many persons. Though the engine performed satisfactorily, its action was received with groans by many firemen present, and the Philadelphia Hose was hooted at as they left the ground. By sensible people and the benevolent members of the fire depart- ment the exhibition was well received and favorably thought of, but the firemen mainly continued opposed to it. It could not throw the water as far as some of the hand-engines in use.
Thus matters remained until the 24th of May of the same year, when Mr. Shawk of Cincinnati brought on the "Young Amer- ica." By order of Councils a private trial was had in the yard of the County Prisen, where it worked well. A public trial was held in Arch street above Tenth on the 1st of June, and another at the foot of Dock street on June 4th, both with much success. The report said : "The engine has the capacity of discharging the full amount of 500 gallons of water per minute, or 30,000 per hour, through a 14-inch nozzle, to a distance of 175 feet, and maintaining a constant stream of that capacity ; which is equal to at least seven of our first-class engines when operated by hand." The Committee on Trusts and Fire recommended its adoption, but the finances were embarrassed and Councils declined to pur- chase it. It was therefore bought for $9500 by some merchants, underwriters, etc., and presented to the city. It was a cumbrous
428
Annals of Philadelphia.
affair, weighing 20,000 pounds, and required three or four horses to pull it to fires. As no company could afford to keep it and use it, Councils placed it in the hands of the chief engineer of the fire department, and appropriated $5000 for the maintenance of the machine, though not without great opposition. A house was erected at Front and Noble streets, an engineer and assistant were chosen to direct her, and everything purchased necessary except horses. The Young America remained in the hands of the city for three years at a cost of $20,000, but was of little service, having really attended only three fires in that time. Not- withstanding many large fires occurred, it remained in " masterly inactivity," as the machinery was seldom in order, and it had to be dragged to the scene of action by firemen, which was such an arduous task it was rarely performed. At the burning of Me- gargee's board-yard at Poplar street wharf, October 7th, 1856, it did good service under the care of the Philadelphia Hose Com- pany and United States Engine Company.
On the 30th of January, 1857, a special meeting of the Phila- delphia Hose Company was called to receive or refuse a steam fire-engine, the "Fire-Fly," a New York machine, belonging to Arthur, Burnham & Gilroy, a manufacturing establishment of this city, who had offered it to the company for use free of ex- pense. The company accepted it, and asked Councils that they might be allowed to run the Fire-Fly to fires without regard to the district system. On the 2d of February, 1857, the Fire-Fly was tried at the tobacco warehouse, Dock street. It was after- ward returned to the firm its owners, who finally abandoned it or returned it to New York, as the Philadelphia " boys " were disgusted with it.
On February 9th, at a meeting of the hose company, a com- mittee of five were appointed to solicit funds from the insurance companies for the maintenance of the machine. Messrs. Myers, Allen, Grice, Phillips, and A. J. Miller were appointed, but they did not act.
But Mr. C. Tiers Myers was satisfied that Philadelphia me- chanics could build an improved machine that would be lighter and more efficient than any yet constructed. He therefore- though his proposition was at first received with jeers-per- suaded the company at a stated meeting April 13th, 1857, to pass the following resolution : " Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to invite the mechanics of Philadelphia to submit plans and estimates of a steam fire-engine." Messrs. C. Tiers Myers, John E. Neall, and Thomas S. Crombarger were chosen as the committee, to whom were added Hon. John K. Kane, judge of U. S. District Court, Samuel V. Merrick, Rich- ard Vaux, and William D. Sherrerd. Messrs. Myers, Neall, and Crombarger then advertised in the public papers, inviting plans and proposals for building a steam fire-engine, and received
429
Fires and Fire-Engines.
in reply an offer from Joseph L. Parry, their fellow-townsman and fireman, to build an engine for $3500 of best materials and workmanship, with twenty feet of suction and fifty feet of forcing hose, two hose-pipes and five nozzles, and two tongues-to throw water through a nozzle 1g inch in beam 194 feet horizontally, two streams through 3-inch nozzle 175 feet; and the engine to weigh 5500 pounds without water, 800 pounds more with it.
The company adopted Mr. Parry's design, and the engine was built by Reaney, Neafie & Co. of Kensington, and proved a com- plete triumph of the world-renowned skill of Philadelphia me- chanics, and a monument of the public spirit and enterprise of the old Philadelphia Hose, No. 1, the pioneer fire organization in steam apparatus, as it had fifty-four years before been the pioneer hose company, and which manfully bore the brunt of op- position to its introduction into the fire department of the city.
Mr. Myers, as chairman of the committee, diligently set to work to raise $5000, the sum needed-$3500 for the engine, and $1500 to enlarge the house for its accommodation. He succeed- ed, most of the insurance companies subscribing liberally, besides many merchants. The late Joseph Harrison, Jr., was the first who subscribed, putting his name down for $100.
A few days after the Philadelphia Hose Company adopted measures to secure the Fire-Fly, the Diligent Engine Company. in a spirit of laudable rivalry, about February 1st, 1857, applied to the City Councils for the use of the steamer Young America. and to apply a certain amount to put her in service and keep her in running order. Nothing was done, and in January, 1858, Councils were again applied to to restore the engine to the trus- tees for the original owners; which, after persistent and contin- uous efforts of V. Harold Myers, was done, and the trustees handed it over to the Diligent. She continually wanted re- pairs, and was tinkered at by Shawk & McCausland. Finally, she was cut down and rebuilt by McCausland, and made much lighter, and was kept in service.
The Philadelphia, after a successful trial at Reaney, Neafie & Co.'s, Jan. 20, 1858, received their engine, housed it, and stabled their horses, ready for the first alarm. It was christened the " Philadelphia." Their first public trial, Jan. 21, 1858, was in Arch above Tenth street, when they threw an inch-and-a-quarter stream over the steeple of Wadsworth's church, 160 feet high. They then marched down Chestnut to Seventh with the engine, which attracted much attention, people lining the sidewalks to view the pioneer Philadelphia engine. At a fire back of Filbert above Eighth, February 28th, she proved her value, for they forced through over 300 feet of hose and put upon the fire a powerful and well-managed stream, which did more good than the puny efforts of all the ordinary hand-engines on the ground.
430
Annals of Philadelphia.
A public competition was had at Noble street wharf with Young America in June. The Young America threw a distance of 130 feet, and the Philadelphia 231 feet. Another trial against three Boston steamers was held in that city in September, the Philadel- phia bringing home $500 as the highest prize. On returning home through New York they served at a fire, but the old hos- tility against steam-engines was rampant, and they were insulted, but the New York fire companies amply atoned for it.
In 1859 the Philadelphia introduced the new " Bliss " coup- lings for uniting sections of hose and attachments. In Dec., 1859, they played three streams on a fire at one time.
In 1860, several members improved the pump, so that it worked much more efficiently. Their names are Kershaw, Neal, Parry, Wallace, Grice, Kurtz the engineer, and others. With this improvement, in March, 1861, the Philadelphia beat the Cohocksink, built in New York. The Philadelphia threw a stream through a 12-inch nozzle 275 feet horizontal, with 90 pounds of steam, though they could have raised 180 pounds. The Cohocksink made 240 feet as the highest. At another trial near Fairmount Waterworks the Philadelphia threw streams through 12, 14, and 1g nozzles 286, 288, and 285 feet; two streams at once, 225 feet 6 inches; four streams at once, 167 feet 6 inches ; six streams at once, 165 feet each. She also threw a 15-inch stream 295 feet 6 inches. This exploded the theory that atmospheric pressure would prevent water from being thrown more than 250 feet.
So early as 1860, only three years after the Philadelphia was ordered, there were in the city 21 steam fire-engines, at an average cost of $3250, which with the hose, the hose-carriages, the houses, the horses, harness, and other equipments, involved an interest amounting to $210,550.
The next to adopt steam was the Hope Hose, which was early in the field, in June, 1858, with an engine built by Reaney & Co. At the contest between the Philadelphia and Young America the Hope, though the smallest of the three, threw a stream 212 feet.
The Hibernia, the Weccacoe, and the Delaware Engine com- panies soon also had ordered steam-engines. In that same year (1859) twenty steam fire-engines were built for companies in the city, and it so continued, until at the present time the old hand- engine is rapidly passing from the memory of the inhabitants.
Captain Ericsson designed the first steam-engine in London in 1828. It had a working cylinder of 12 inches, two double-act- ing force-pumps, and threw water over the tops of chimneys of the breweries. A second one did good service February 13, 1830. He came to America in 1839, and shortly after received the gold medal of the Mechanics' Institute of New York for an improved design.
431
The Friends.
THE FRIENDS.
The desire of making proselytes and spreading the word of God induced the followers of George Fox to come to America. They settled in New England and New York, where they still met with persecution. Some landed on the Delaware in 1665, where the town of Salem sprang up, and in 1677 others followed and settled Gloucester and Beverly (afterward named Burlington). George Fox came over in 1672, from England vid Jamaica, thence to Maryland, and to Middletown, New Jersey, where there was already a meeting. He returned through New Castle to Mary- land, and sailed for England.
The Quakers prospered, and regular meetings were held weekly, monthly, and quarterly at Burlington and Rancocas. At Shack- amaxon the first was held in 1681, and in 1682 in the city, as being more convenient. In 1685 the meeting-house at Centre Square was built, and at the same time the meeting-house on the river-bank, in Front above Sassafras street-of frame and for evening meetings, Centre Square being too far out for evening meetings-was going on. This was replaced by another in 1703. The Haverford Monthly Meeting was formed in 1684, composed of the Schuylkill, the Merion, and the Haverford. The burying- ground of the Schuylkill Meeting, and perhaps of Centre Meeting also, lay on the west side of the Schuylkill, north of High street. In after years this ground, with other belonging to the estates of Willing and Powell, finally came into the possession of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The first schism in their meetings arose from the defection of George Keith, who set up new interpretations of doctrine, and with his adherents established a meeting under the title of " Christian Quakers," and built a log house on Second street below Mulberry. Pamphlets were published by both parties, for one of which Keith and Thomas Budd were indicted, tried, and fined £5 each. At the Yearly Meeting of the Friends one of Keith's adherents read a challenge from him to hear his appeal, climbing up into the window of the meeting-house and reading it while Thomas Janney was at prayer. Keith himself used such violent language as "hypocrites, snakes, vipers, bloodthirsty hounds, impudent rascals, and such like, bidding them cut him in collops, fry him, and eat him, and saying that his back had long itched to be whipped." Keith carried his intemperate zeal so far as to erect a gallery in the Friends' meeting, intending to be present on First Day, but which was torn down by Robert Turner, one of his own trustees.
He finally went to London with Budd, and was there disowned by the Friends, and afterward became an Episcopal clergyman. His followers changed into Quaker Baptists, and finally into
432
Annals of Philadelphia.
Seventh-Day Baptists and other denominations. Some returned to Friends, others went to the Episcopal Church. In after years a dispute arose between Christ Church and the Baptists for the possession of the lot on Second street below Mulberry, but the Baptists retained possession.
În 1683 a Friends' Meeting was established at Tacony or Frankford, and one at Byberry ; also at Germantown. In 1695 the Merion meeting-house was built, near the General Wayne in Montgomery county, about five miles from the city, and still stands, the oldest meeting-house for Friends in the State.
The Welsh settled in 1698 on a tract of 10,000 acres at Gwyn- edd or North Wales, and erected a meeting-house in 1700 under the lead of John Hughes, John Humphrey, Cadwalader Evans, and others. Plymouth Meeting was held as early as 1699.
The meeting-house in Philadelphia, at the corner of Second and High street, was built in 1695, on land contributed to George Fox by Penn for the purpose, though it was not selected at the spot where Penn wanted it. It was taken down and re- built in 1755, and torn down in 1810, after a new one was erect- ed at Fourth and Arch streets, 1804, on ground given by Penn for a burying-ground Oct. 18, 1701.
In 1703 the Friends purchased four acres near the Germantown road, now between Ninth and Tenth and Indiana and Cambria streets, at a cost of £8, which was afterward called Fairhill. To this a few years afterward was added a gift by George Fox of twenty acres adjoining. Also a lot on the south side of High street, between Third and Fourth streets, and another on the west side of Front street, between Sassafras and Vine streets and the Bank lot in front of it to the Delaware. Upon the Fairhill prop- erty a small meeting-house was built, which has since been made part of a stone house adjoining.
About the same time a number of Friends who had been wor- shipping for several years near Whitemarsh built a meeting- house, known as the Plymouth Meeting, now in Montgomery county.
Horsham Meeting was settled September, 1716, and the house was erected about 1721.
The Byberry Meeting erected a new and larger stone house in 1714 in place of the old log house. The glass was inserted in leaden sashes which were hung on hinges.
Maiden Creek Meeting, above Reading, and Oley Meeting were established about this time, and in 1737 were joined with Gwyn- edd under the title of Oley Monthly Meeting; the name was changed in 1742 to Exeter Meeting, as in the division of town- ships it came within Exeter.
In 1701 the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting established a Sev- enth-Day meeting for ministers and elders, which after fifty years was changed to Second Day. At first a sort of school of practice
433
The Friends.
it became a school of criticism on the discourses delivered on the previous day. The meeting for sufferings, afterward for disci- pline, was established to collect the accounts of the sufferings and trials endured for the maintenance of the faith.
In 1702-3 George Keith, now a minister of the Church of England, returned to this country, and attempted again to dis- seminate his doctrines, but the Friends would not suffer his pres- ence and expelled him from their meeting-houses. Pamphlets again became plenty.
The constant attempts made to take away the political power from the Quakers, the dominant party in the offices, were more vigorously made about this time by the Church party, who succeed- ed in having a law passed by Parliament that an affirmation was not binding enough to entitle them to give evidence in criminal cases, serve on juries, or hold any place of honor or profit under the government. But in 1721 the right of affirmation was re- stored to them by an act of Assembly, which was ratified by the Privy Council in 1725.
In 1720 another form of persecution was started in the objec- tion to Quakers wearing their hats in court, but Sir William Keith finally granted the right for ever.
The question of slavery, which had been opposed by some ever since Pastorius's protest in 1688, supported by others and winked at by the remainder, periodically disturbed the Friends. In 1711 the Chester Quarterly Meeting declared their dissatisfaction, and advised Friends to be careful. In 1712 and 1714 Philadelphia Yearly advised London Yearly that they were opposed to it, and asked them to advise against it; and 1715 Philadelphia advised that Friends importing negroes should be dealt with. In 1716, Chester Quarterly "cautioned," but "not censured," Friends against buying negroes from importers not members, and, later, to not buy any more hereafter imported by any one. And again, in 1730, '35, '36, and '37, they advised against purchasing negroes " hereafter to be imported." It was a hard matter to give up that which they thought was of profit to them, notwithstanding a very strong treatise against slavery was published by Ralph Sandiford in 1729. This was the first known treatise against it, and the overseers of the press of the Society of Friends had not courage sufficient to sanction its publication. This was followed in 1737 by Benjamin Lay's All Slavekeepers Apostates, a volume of nearly 300 pages, which ought to have stirred up the Friends against the practice, from his strong way of putting it. (For ac- count of Benjamin Lay see Vol. II. p. 23, and Vol. I. p. 135.) In the following year Burlington Yearly denied their approba- tion of his book. Every few years a new blast would be issued against buying newly-imported slaves, but the practice of hold- ing them was continued, particularly such slaves as were born in the country.
VOL. III .- 2 C
37
434
Annals of Philadelphia.
The Friends, p. 499 .- See Col. Recs., i. 378, for minutes of a petition presented by George Keith against Thomas Lloyd, etc., June 20, 1693. A writer in the Christian Observer (a Presby- terian newspaper published in this city in 1853) says: "The early marriages of Friends took place in private dwellings prior to the erection of the first meeting-house, and are now to be found on record. I have examined the first volume, commen- cing with the year 1672 and ending with 1758. The volume is in excellent preservation, and contains some of the finest speci- mens of good writing I have ever seen."
The First Record of Marriages, p. 503 .- The records of the early marriages of the Friends alluded to are in the possession of the Monthily Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia, at their meet- ing-house on Arch street, and there preserved in their ample fire- proof vault. A custodian is regularly appointed by the meeting -one of the overseers-whose duty it is to read the certificate at the time of the wedding, and see that it is properly signed, the witnesses to the "solemnization and subscription " also signing their names. The certificate, with the signatures of the husband and wife, and also the names of the witnesses (sometimes in great numbers), are afterward duly recorded by him in the books de- signed for that purpose. Caleb H. Canby performed this duty very acceptably for many years-up to the time of his death ir 1852. The Arch Street Meeting, being the " old original," kepi possession of the old records, so that Mr. Canby had control of them for the time being, and could have properly shown them to any one wishing to examine them. The present custodian is George I. Scattergood of No. 413 Spruce street-a worthy Friend of a later generation-who no doubt would cheerfully give access to them for any legitimate purpose.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.