The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III, Part 83

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870
Publication date: 1828
Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ;
Number of Pages: 440

USA > Pennsylvania > The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 83

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1774 June 25. Benj. Chew having been appointed Chief Justice, resigned and his office as Recorder, and Andrew Allen was elected in his place.

Aug, 27. The committee reported that they had procured scales for weighing Hay and had erected them at the Drawbridge-price of weighing 2s per each load.

Oct 4. Samuel Rhoads elected Mayor .- Samuel Powel and George Clymer aldermen.

Nov 28. The Committee appointed to get a brass half bushel made as a standard for sizing and sealing measures, reported that the same was completed, and it was lodged for the present with N. Allen.

1775 Feb 1. It being proposed that as the Fairs held in this City under the Charter to this Corporation were now become not only useless but very inconveni- ent to the inhabitants of the said City, a committee was appointed to consider the propriety and expediency of putting down Fairs, and on

Feb 8. The committee presented a petition to the assembly on the subject.

It was proposed that this board take into considera- tion, the great necessity there is of erecting a City Hall and Court house for the use of this Corporation and the Mayors Court, a lot of ground having been long since appropriated for that purpose in the Statehouse square- a Committee was appointed to draw a plan, make an estimate; and likewise inspect the state of the funds, and to consider whether this board can apply the mo- neys formerly given by several of the Mayors of this city in lieu of the accustomed entertainments on going out of their offices, to the purpose of a City hall and Court house, or whether they are restricted by the terms of those donations to apply that money with the accumulated interest thereon, solely to the purpose of building an Exchange.

April 3. The committee reported that as the dona- tions of several of the former Mayors were to be applied to the building an Exchange or such other public Edi- fice in this city as the Mayor and Commonalty should see fit to order and direct; the board have an undoubted right to apply the same towards building a City hall.

October 3 .. The weighmaster at the Hay scales exhi- bited his account of Hay weighed, from which it ap- peared there were weighed from 29 aug. 1774-to 29 aug. 1775 .- 1714 loads-which produced for weighing £171. 8,0.

1776 Feb 17. To prevent delays in relieving priso- prisoners confined for their fines it is agreed that the Mayor calling two Aldermen to his assistance may consi- der petitions from prisoners to this board for remission of their fines; and that they be authorized to grant or reject such as they in their discretion shall think pro- per.

DESCRIPTION OF MARKET STREET, IN 1729.

Which the writer observes "is a plain description of one single Street in this City: the whole Town being too great a task for his leisure." Extracted from the American Weekly Mercury, June 19, 1729-being a part of one number of "The Busy Body," a series of es- says published in that paper under that name.

At Delaware's broad stream, the view begin, Where jutting Wharfs, Food-freighted boats take in. Then, with the advancing sun, direct your eye; Wide opes the Street, with firm Brick Buildings high; Step, gently rising, over the Pebbly way, And see the Shops their tempting Ware's display; (Chief on the Right, screened from rude Winds & blest, In Frost with sunshine.) Here, if ails molest, Plain surfac'd Flags, and smooth laid Bricks invite, Your tender Feet to Travel with Delight, And Yew-Bow, distance, from the Key built Strand Our Court-house fronts Cosarea's Pine tree Land, Thro' the arched Dome, and on each side, the Street Divided runs, remote again to meet; Here Eastward stand the Traps to Obloquy, And Petty Crimes, stocks, Post and Pillory; And (twice a week) beyond, right stalls are set Loaded with Fruits and Fowls and Jersey's meat, Westward, conjoin, the Shambles grace the Court. Brick Piles their long extended Roof support. Oft, West from these, the Country Wains are seen To crowd each Hand, and leave a Breadth between: Yet wider still (such is the city's care) To Right and Left, strong Bars a passage spare. South of the mart a meeting-house is rear'd, Where by the Friend (so called) is Christ rever'd; With Stone and Brick the lasting walls are made, High raised the Roof, and wide the Rafter's spread. Within a voice of this, the Presbyters Of like materials have erected theirs; Thence, half a Furlong West, declining pace, And see the Rock-built Prison's dreadful Face. .'Twixt and beyond all those, near twice as far As from a sling a stone might pass in air, The forging shops of sooty smiths are set, And Wheelwright's Frames-with vacant Lots to let; A neighborhood of smoke, and piercing Dins, From trades, from Prison-Grates, and Public Inns. But even among this Noise and Dirt, are plac'd Some Buildings Fair, with peaceful Tenants grac'cl. Distant, more West, with unbuilt Grounds between, The Furnace House and Woods close up the scene. On th' other side (left in my verse disjoin'd, But all one Picture in the Pocts mind, ) A comely Row of Tenements unite, And set their various goods and works to Light; Salesmen and Trades of decent sort are mixt, (A lively place) some Tavern signs betwixt: Along their Doors, the clean hard Paving tends, Till at a plashy crossing Street it ends, And thence, a short arm's Throw, renewed tends, Mechanics, here, in Iron, Brass, Wood and Horn, Their narrow shutters, with their wares adorn.

'Mongst these, a few tall Structures proudly rise ; Th' adjacent Hutts look lessened at their size. Beyond, the Street is thinly wall'd, but fair, With Gardens paled, and orchards here and there On either side, where beauteous Prospects lie ; -And some enclos'd with Hedges please the Eye.

A new line of Stages from Philadelphia to Baltimore has been established, to run through West Chester, Unionville, Cochranville, Oxford, Conewingo Bridge, &c, three times a week. The local and general accom- modation will be great.

An immense loss hasbeen sustained by those engaged in the lumber trade on the Allegheny, bythe late freshet,

300

METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER.

[MAY

METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER, FOR APRIL, 1829. Taken at the State Capitol at Harrisburg, by WILLIAM MUSGRAVE, Librarian.

Thermometer.

Barometer.

Days of the Month.

Wind,

Days of the Month.

Atmosphere.

Max. 20, 68º

Max. 26, 29.76 24, 25, 26,

E. 3, 4, 6, 11, 13, 15, 22,

Dif. of ex. 26 2-3 Dif. of ex. 00.97 9,

S. E. 2, 29,

Mean ex. 54 2-3 Mean ex. 29.273 5, 23,

S. 8, 12, 19, 25,

4 pt. cl'y pt. rain. 4 he'y r. w.th&lig.

Mean temperature from three 2,3,4,6,7,10,11,22,29, 10

daily observations.

12, 13, 14,15,16,17,18, 9 N. W.

[21, 27,1

The lowest state of the - Thermometer, 34º on the 26th; the highest in the month 78°, on the 20th-range 41º. The difference of temperature, between the mornings and noons varied from 8° to 20°, and upwards. On the 26th, the greatest height of the mercury in the Barometer was 29.76. Lowest, on 2d, 28.79-range 00. 97. The wind has been 23 days out of 30, West of the Meridian. There was white frost on the 13th, 14th, and 18th, and on the 26th and 27th, frost with ice. There were thunder gusts on the 1st, 9th, 20th, and 23d; that on the 20th, was attended with violent wind and very heavy rain mixed with hail.

Recapitulation .-- There have been in the month, 9 days clear, 7 part clear, part cloudy, 2 cloudy no rain, 4 part cloudy, part rair., 4 heavy rain, with thunder and lightning, 4 light rain or showers. This month was 13º- warmer than last March, and 7º warmer than April, 1828.

Peach trees in blossom on 24th, one month later than last year.

FROM OBSERVATION.

In Pennsylvania, vegetation generally commences at a mean temperature, between 55° and 65°, if the wind should be East of the Meridian; but if West, between 55° and 75°-in either case, an uninterrupted continu- ance of not less than 14 days, will be requisite to pro duce a visible effect. If the wind should be southerly, the time will be shorter. Let it be remembered that the above temperature often takes place in the month of March, by which both Gardeners and Farmers are decei- ved in raising early vegetables; for, by long observation, it is known, that a settled state of the atmosphere, or weather does not take place in Pennsylvania before the middle of April, and it is found that such secds and plants as have been put in the ground at an earlier pe- riod than this, and have assumed a prosperous appear- ance, are by cold piercing winds and late frosts, nipped in the bud, and checked in their growth for a week or two, and sometimes longer. Experience, therefore, teaches us, that gardens made after the middle of April, are most productive. When the wind shifts to the N. or N. W. the difference of temperature, between 55° and 75°, often takes place in the same day.

This note may, perhaps, be of use in Horticultural and Agricultural pursuits. The maximum and mini- mum are thus found: The morning, noon and night ob- servations are divided by 3, and the quotient entered in a seperate column, called mean temperature; this is done daily, out of this column of mean temperature, the highest in the month is called the maximum: the lowest, the minimum-the mean of these two extremes, ap- proaches nearer to the mean temperature of the month, than any other mcthud I have noticed.

On Friday, 1st May inst. in walking through a field where wheat was growing, I observed the surface ofthe ground full of chinks or cracks, from 5 to 9 inches deep and scarcely a foot apart, the appearance like that after a severe drought, I afterwards examined other fields, all looked alike. Quere the cause of this phe- nomenon?

Indisposition prevented me from making out my monthly report sooner, and from offering my opinion

upon the appearance of the ground. Ifhealth permits, you shall have my view of the subject. Yours, very respectfully,

WILLIAM MUSGRAVE.

ALLEGIANY COLLEGE MILITARY SCHOOL.

Address to the public by the Trustces of Alleghany Col- lege.

The Trustees of Alleghany College deeply impressed with the excellence of the system of education adopted by Captain Alden Patridge formerly of the United States Military Academy at West Point, at his Literary Scientific and Military Academy at Middletown in Con- necticut, have made arrangements with a gentleman from that Academy, who comes highly recommended by Captain Patridge and others, to establish a similar In- stitution in Alleghany College.

The course of instruction will be full and thorough, embracing the following branches of literature and sci- ence :

Penmanship,

Greek

Arithmetic

Hebrew

Geography French

English Grammar

Spanish

Composition

Natural and political law

Rhetoric

Moral philosophy

Logic

Political economy

Metaphysics

Natural philosophy

History

Civil engineering

Mathematics, theoretical and practical

Topography Chemistry.

Latin Mineralogy.

These comprise all the branches usually included in a full course of collegiate studies, and those cadets who shall have gone through this course of instruction and sustained the requisite examination will be entitled to a diploma from the college.

The Institution will be under the immediate control of the Superintendant, subject to the supervision of the Trustees of the College, a Committee of five of whom will form a Board of Visiters of the said Academy.

As the military organization is the peculiar trait in this system, those Institutions in which the proposed plan has been adopted, are generally distinguished as military institutions, and thus it happens that those, who are not particularly acquainted with the system have imbibed an erroneous impression in regard to their character-supposing their principal object to be the training of youth in the art of war; but such is far from being the fact; for, although we may believe that to know how to defend the liberties of their country in the field as well as in the cabinet is essential to the citizens of our government-still the more immediate and prin- cipal benefit of this system is found in the order, discip- line, energy, and promptitude, which is thus introduced into our seminaries of learning together with the manly and noble exercise which every student is subject to tending to form " a good mind in a sound body."

For the information of the public and the better to

7 p. clear pt. clo. 2 cloudy no rain.

8, 19,20,28, [30, 4

S. W. 1, 9, 20, 23,

W: 5,10, 24,30,

4light r. or show's

ds. N. 7, 14, 16,17,18,21,26,27,28, 9 days clear.

Min. 6, 41 1-3 Min. 2d, 28.79 1,.

1829.]

ANTHRACITE COAL.

301

explain to them in detail the nature of this seminary, the rules adopted by the Superintendent with the ap- probation of the Board of Trustees, are hereto annex- ed .*

It may be proper to add that the Library belonging to Alleghany College, the fruit of munificent benefactions from Winthrop, Bentley, Thomas and many other indi- viduals in various parts of the United States, consisting of eight thousand volumes, is inferior in point of value to a very few collegiate libraries in the union. A chem- ical apparatus, presented by a number of gentlemen in the city of New-York, is ample for all useful purposes.

The seminary will go into operation on the contem- plated plan on the second Tuesday of June .- Mead- ville, 27 April, 1829.

HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY AND USE OF. ANTHRACITE COAL.

It may at some future period be satisfactory to know the origin and progress of the anthracite coal trade which has already assumed so much importance in this state-we have therefore collected from three commu- "nications on the subject published in the memoirs of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, such facts in relation to its discovery, and use, as well as to the efforts at dif- ferent times to introduce it as an article of commerce and of comfort, as will we think prove interesting .- One hundred years hence, when this coal shall have become an article of the first necessity and almost uni- versally in use, it will appear incredible that its com- bustibility should ever have been doubted.

The first extract is from a memoir by Dr.T.C.James.

As the brief account of the discovery of the Anthra- cite Coal on the summit of the Mauch-Chunk Mountain. seemed to engage the attention of some of the members of the Historical Society on one of the evenings of the meeting of their council, and as it has been thought worthy of preservation, the writer of the following little narrative feels no objection to commit it, notwithstand- · ing its imperfection, to paper, although the circum- stances detailed occurred at such a distance of time as must plead an excuse for imperfect recollection.

It was some time in the autumn of 1804 that the writer and a friendt started on an excursion to visit some small tracts of land that were joint property on the river Lehigh in Northampton county. We went by the way of Allentown, and, after having crossed the Blue. Moun- tain, found ourselves in the evening unexpectedly be- wildered in a secluded part of the Mahoning Valley, at a distance, as we feared, from any habitation; as the road became more narrow, and showed fewer marks of hav- ing been used, winding among scrubby timber and un- derwood. Being pretty well convinced that we had missed our way, but, as is usual with those who are wrong, unwilling to retrace our steps, we nevertheless checked our horses about sun-setting, to consider what might be the most eligible course. At this precise pe- riod, we happily saw emerging from the wood, no airy sprite, but, what was much more to our purpose, a good substantial German-looking woman, leading a cow laden with a bag of meal, by a rope halter. Considering this as a probable indication of our being in the neighbor- hood of a mill, we ventured to address our inquiries to the dame, who in a language curiously compounded of what might be called high and low dutch, with a spice of English, made us ultimately comprehend that we were not much above a mile distant from Philip Ginter's

* Want of space precludes their appearance this week.

tAnthony Morris, Esq.

mill, and as there was but one road before us, we could not readily miss our way, . We accordingly proceeded, and soon reached the desired spot, where we met with a hospitable reception, but received the uncomfortable intelligence that we were considerably out of our intend- ed course, and should be obliged to traverse a mountain- ous district, seldom trodden by the traveller's foot, to reach our destined port on the Lehigh, then known by the name of the Landing, but since dignified with the more classical appellation of Lausanne. We were kind- ly furnished by our host with lodgings in the mill, which was kept going all night; and as the structure was not of the most firm and compact character, we might almost literally be said to have been rocked to sleep. Howev- er, after having been refreshed with a night's rest, such as it was, and taking breakfast with our hospitable land- lord, we started on the journey of the day, preceded by Philip, with his axe on his shoulder, an implement ne- cessary to remove the obstructing saplings that miglit impede the passage of our horses, if not of ourselves; and these we were under the necessity of dismounting and leading through the bushes and briars of the grown up pathway, if pathway had ever really existed.

In the course of our pilgrimage we reached the sum- mit of the Mauch-Chunk Mountain, the present site of the mine or rather quarry of Anthracite Coal; at that time there were only to be seen three or four small pits, which had much the appearance of the commencement of rude wells, into one of which our guide descended with great ease, and threw up some pieces of coal for our examination; after which, whilst we lingered on the spot, contemplating the wildness of the scene, honest Philip amused us with the following narrative of the ori- ginal discovery of this most valuable of minerals, now promising, from its general diffusion, so much of wealth and comfort to a great portion of Pennsylvania.

He said, when he first took up his residence in that district of country, he built for himself a rough cabin in the forest, and supported his family by the proceeds of his rifle, being literally a hunter of the back-woods .- The game he shot, including bear and deer, he carried to the nearest store, and exchanged for the other neces- saries of life. But, at the particular time to which he then alluded, he was without a supply of food for his family, and after being out all day with his gun in quest of it, he was returning towards evening over the Mauch- Chunk mountain, entirely unsuccessful and dispirited, having shot nothing; a drizzling rain beginning to fall, and the dusky night approaching, he bent his course homeward, considering himself as one of the most forsa- ken of human beings. As he trod slowly over the ground, his foot stumbled against something which, by the stroke, was driven before him; observing it to be black, to distinguish which there was just light enough remaining, he took it up, and as he had often listened to the traditions of the country of the existence of coal in the vicinity, it occurred to him that this perhaps might be a portion of that "'stone-coal" of which he had heard. He accordingly carefully took it with him to his cabin, and the next day carried it to Col. Jacob Weiss, residing at what was then known by the name of Fort Allen. The Colonel, who was alive to the subject, brought the specimen with him to Philadelphia, and submitted it to the inspection of John Nicholson and Michael Hillegas, Esqs. and Charles Cist, an intelligent printer, who ascertained its nature and qualities, and au- thorized the Colonel to satisfy Ginter for his discovery, upon his pointing out the precise spot where he found the coal. This was done by acceding to Ginter's propo- sal of getting through the forms of the patent-office the title for a small tract of land which he supposed had never been taken up, comprising a mill-seat, on which he afterwards built the mill which afforded us the lodg- ing of the preceding night, and which he afterwards was unhappily deprived of by the claim of a prior sur- vey.

Hillegas, Cist, Weiss, and some others, immediately

302

ANTHRACITE COAL.

MAY

after, (about the beginning of the year 1792, ) formed themselves into what was called the "Lehigh Coal Mine Company," but without a charter of incorporation, and took up about 8 or 10,000 acres of, till then, unlocated land, including the Mauch-Chunk mountain, but proba- bly never worked the mine.

It remained in this neglected state, being only used by the blacksmiths and people in the immediate vicini- ty, until somewhere about the year 1806, when Wm. Turnbull, Esq. had an ark constructed at Lausanne, which brought down two or three hundred bushels .- This was sold to the manager of the Water-works for the use of the Centre-Square steam-engine. It was there tried as an experiment, but ultimately rejected as unmanageable, and its character for the time being blas- ted, the further attempts at introducing it to public no- tice, in this way, seemed suspended.

During the last war, J. Cist, (the son of the printer,) Charles Miner, and J. A. Chapman, tempted by the high price of bituminous coal; made an attempt to work the mine, and probably would have succeeded, had not the peace reduced the price of the article too low for. competition.

The operations and success of the present Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company must be well known to the society; the writer will therefore close this commu- nication by stating, that he commenced burning the An- thracite Coal in the winter of 1804, and has continued its use ever since, believing, from his own experience of its utility, that it would ultimately become the general fuel of this, as well as some other cities.

Extract from a communication by Erskine Hazard.

The coal on the Lehigh was accidentally discovered in the year 1791 by a hunter, who observed it adhering to the roots of a tree which had been blown down.

In 1792 a company was formed, called the Lehigh Coal Mine Company, who took up a large body of land contiguous to that on which the coal had been found .- They opened the mine where it is at present worked, made a very rough road from the river to the mine, and attempted to bring the coal in arks to the city, in which they but partially succeeded in consequence of the diffi- culties of the navigation. A small quantity of coal, low- ever, reached the city; but the want of knowledge of the proper fixtures for its use, together with the difficulties of the navigation, caused the company to abandon their undertaking. Some of the coal, it is said, was tried un- der the boiler of the engine at the Centre Square, but only served to put the fire out, and the remainder was broken up and spread on the walks in place of gravel!

The legislature were early aware of the importance of the navigation of the Lehigh, and in 1771, passed a law for its improvement. Subsequent laws for the same object were enacted in 1791, 1794, 1798, 1810, 1814, and 1816. A company was formed under one of them, which expended upwards of thirty thousand dollars in clearing out channels; one of which they attempted to make through the ledges of slate whichi extend across the river, about seven miles above Allentown; but they found the slate too hard to pick, and too shelly to blow; and at length considered it an insuperable obstacle to the completion of the work, and relinquished it.

The Coal Mine Company in the meanwhile, anxious to have their property brought into notice, gave leases of their mines to different individuals in succession, for periods of twenty-one, fourteen, and ten years, adding to the last the privilege of taking timber from their lands for the purpose of floating the coal to market. Messrs. Cist, Miner and Robinson, who had the last lease, start- ed several arks, only three of which reached the city, and they abandoned their business at the close of the war, 1815.

In 1812, Messrs. White and Hazard, who were then manufacturing wire at the Falls of Schuyl- kill, induced a number of individuals to associate

and apply to the legislature for a law for the improve- ment of the river Schuylkill. The coal which was said to be on the head waters of that river, was held up as an inducement to the legislature to make the grant, when the senator from Schuylkill county asserted that there was no coal there-that there was a kind of 'black stone' that was 'called' coal, but that it would not burn!

Their application to the legislature as individuals hav- ing failed, they called a meeting of those interested in that navigation, at the tavern, corner of Fifth and Raee streets, where Mr. White opened the business of the meeting by proposing the application to the legislature for a charter for a company to improve the Schuylkill for a slack-water navigation by dams and locks. This was the commencement of the present Schuylkill Navi- gation Company, which was incorporated in 1815.

During the war, Virginia Coal became very scarce, ' and Messrs. White and Hazard having been told by Mr. Joshua Malin, that he had succeeded in making use of Lehigh coal in his rolling mill, procured a cart-load of it, which cost them one dollar per bushel. This quantity was entirely wasted without getting up the requisite heat. Another eartload was however obtained, and a whole night spent in endeavouring to make a fire in the furnace, when the hands shut the furnace door and left the mill in despair. Fortunately one of them left his jacket in the mill, and returning for it in about half an hour, noticed that the door was red hot, and upon open- ing it, was surprised at finding the whole furnace at a glowing white heat. The other hands were summoned, and four separate parcels of iron were heated and roll- ed by the same fire, before it required renewing. The furnace was then replenished, and as letting it alone had succeeded so well, it was concluded to try it again, and the exper ment was repeated with the same result.

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The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III, Part 83

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870 Publication date: 1828 Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ; Number of Pages: 440

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870
Publication date: 1828
Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ;
Number of Pages: 440