Sometimes these floating baths were moved on or near the bar above the island, and Coglan's baths were either there or at the island, as the services of boatmen to convey the bathers were necessary.

An act of Assembly, passed 14th of February, 1838, authorized Councils to make a canal and other improvements on Windmill Island. (Ordinances, 1843, p. 819.)

See Memorial of Edwin A. Stevens in relation to Windmill Island, 1852; as also several pamphlets of George N. Tatham, who purchased it and obtained a patent from the Legislature 1856. One end of the island is now used as a bathing-place and pleasure-garden, small steamboats running to it. The southern end is a coal dépôt for the Lehigh Navigation Company. It is better known now by the name of Smith's Island than its original one of Windmill Island. An attempt was started in 1878 to have the island removed from the Delaware as an impediment to navigation for large vessels.

Windmill Island belongs to the State of Pennsylvania, and is a part of the city of Philadelphia, being attached to the Fifth Ward. Petty's Island, opposite Kensington, belongs to the State of New Jersey. The ownership of the islands in the river Delaware between Pennsylvania and New Jersey was settled by agreement or treaty between the two States soon after the Revolution. It was stipulated that they should be taken alternately by each State as they lay upon the river. By this arrangement Windmill Island went to Pennsylvania, the first island below to New Jersey, and so on, down to the Capes.

P. 474.-The Pea Patch Island dispute was settled by a trial before John Sergeant in January, 1848; a printed account was published in J. W. Wallace's report of the Pea Patch case. By the evidence given in the case the island was in 1783-84 only the size of a man's hat. The late Commodore Stewart said it had its origin in the fact that a brig in 1791, from "Down East," loaded with peas and beans, was cut through by the ice, and the water got in and swelled the peas and beans, and she was wrecked there. The John in the winter of '98 was cut through and sunk, and that gave the name to "Ship John Shoal."

THE RIVER SCHUYLKILL.

P. 475.-After the ferries which were established by law became insufficient for the travel to and from the city, the next arrangement was floating bridges; these, of course, were placed on the leading routes, such as at Gray's Ferry, where was the chain bridge and bridge of boats; at Market street; and at Callowhill

street.

"Penrose Ferry" and the "Rope Ferry" were names for the same place. The location of the ferry was where Penrose Ferry Bridge now stands. There was a rope, which was elevated on poles and crossed the Schuylkill. A flat scow, on which wagons and carriages could be driven, crossed the river. The scow was pulled across by the ferrymen taking hold of the rope, and pulling the scow across by that guide. When a vessel came there, the rope was lowered to the bottom of the river and the vessel sailed over it.

The Permanent Bridge.—At Market street what was known as the "Middle Ferry was among the earliest started. Putnam built a floating bridge in 1776, which after the battle of Brandywine, in 1777, was taken up and stored away. The British built a bridge during their occupation of the city, which was afterward removed to Gray's Ferry, and did service there. Putnam's bridge was replaced, but was carried away by a flood March 15, 1804. A "permanent" bridge company was formed in 1798, which laid the corner-stone in 1800, and built a bridge which was finished in 1804. This gave way in 1850 to a new bridge, which was itself destroyed by fire from explosion of gas, November 20, 1875. It was rebuilt as it now stands, an open truss bridge, by 'the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in less than thirty days, and for less than the contract price of $75,000, in December, 1875. It was intended to be a temporary structure, and not guaranteed for more than five years. What we should have is a truly permanent" bridge of stone. The old bridge consisted of three arches, resting on two piers of stone, still standing, besides the two abutments. The middle arch had 194 feet span, and each of the others 150 feet.

66

Hereafter, when the corner-stone of the eastern abutment of this bridge is discovered-which may be when that structure is remodelled and the abutment torn away-whoever lives to inspect that memorial will be very much puzzled with the inscription upon it. It is as follows: "T. F. C. S. O. T. S. P. B. W. L. Oct. xviii. MDCCC." This inscription was cut on the stone by John Lewis, the mason. He explained it to mean as follows: "This first corner-stone of the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge was laid October 18th, 1800." A contemporary, who recorded the fact in his diary, observed: "On receiving this explanation I asked Lewis how he could suppose

that after ages would be able to discover the true interpretation of his inscription. Assuming a very grave countenance, he answered, emphatically, 'Why, sir, by the time they will dig up that stone the people will be much more larned than you and I be.""

Breastworks at Gray's Ferry during the War of 1812.-On the 31st of August, 1814, the arrangements for the construction of the forts was made by the appointment of General Jonathan Williams as chief military engineer, and Colonel Foncin as assistant; for the topographical department, Dr. R. M. Patterson, William Strickland, and John Biddle; for the direction of labor, Messrs. Souder, Wesener, Eckstein, Belon, Eckfeldt, and Cloud; for occasional agencies, Messrs. Kingston, Evers, etc. Subsequently, the number of superintendents for the direction of labor was increased to twenty-six persons, the majority of whom were not members of the Committee of Defence. Among the latter was Nicholas Esling. (See p. 173.)

The Schuylkill an Avenue of Commerce.-The Schuylkill front was of little commercial value until the establishment of the Schuylkill Navigation Company. Being upon the river on which all the Schuylkill coal was transported, the western front of the city then became of great importance. Under the stimulus of speculation the price of ground adjoining the stream increased rapidly in value. Among the first stores and warehouses erected for the Schuylkill trade were those of J. R. & J. M. Bolton, which were upon the river near the Upper Ferry. They put up two extensive warehouses, and did a large business not only in coal, but in provisions, which were brought down by the Union Canal. They sold plaster, fish, and salt for the use of farmers residing in the interior, and their establishment was very prominent in the business of the Schuylkill. The city built, about 1832 or 1833, large warehouses on the Schuylkill front between Market and Chestnut street, which remained for many years. Below that, as far as South street, there were large coalwharves. Under the stimulus of this trade there was built at the south-east corner of Chestnut street and Twenty-fourth a large hotel, which was in an excellent situation to do a good business. The Reading Railroad, opened January 10th, 1842, soon made a change in the coal-trade. It was diverted to the Delaware by the establishment of a dépôt at Port Richmond. The coal-trade of the Schuylkill lingered for some years under the auspices of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, but it gradually declined along the Schuylkill River, until, by the absorption of the canal company by the Reading Railroad, it may be said to have been totally destroyed.

A Storm and Flood, October 3, 1869, carried away Penrose Ferry Bridge and two bridges at Manayunk.

COUNTRY-SEATS.

Bush Hill and The Woodlands, p. 479.-This property was granted to Andrew Hamilton by warrants in 1726 and 1729 by the Proprietaries for legal services done them-by Hannah Penn and John, Richard, and Thomas Penn. Afterward he bought a portion of Springettsbury, and a patent for the whole tract of 153 acres was issued to him in 1734. It included the land north of Vine street to Coates street, and from Twelfth to Nineteenth street. He acquired also a noble property in Lancaster county. The town of Lancaster was laid out on his property in 1728. He also owned The Woodlands. He died in 1741, a year after his splendid mansion was built, and left the Bush Hill property to his son James, and The Woodlands to his other son, Andrew. His other child, Margaret, married William Allen, Provincial chiefjustice, a man of great wealth; one of their daughters married John Penn, son of Richard Penn, the last Proprietary governor. (See Vol. I. 594.)

James Hamilton, son of Andrew the first, succeeded to the Bush Hill property, and was lieutenant-governor 1747-54, and again 1759-63, and president of the Council in 1771. He was a liberal patron of the arts and sciences, and was president of the American Philosophical Society before its union with the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge under the auspices of Dr. Franklin. He died in New York in 1783.

William Hamilton, son of Andrew the first, died in 1746.

Andrew the second inherited about 300 acres in West Philadelphia, which Andrew the first had obtained from Stephen Jackson in 1735. He improved his title through a deed executed by the trustees of the Loan Office. He erected a mansion and added to the number of acres, and called it "The Woodlands." He married a daughter of William Till in 1741. He laid out the portion of West Philadelphia called Hamilton Village, of which the boundaries are extinguished in the city of Philadelphia. He devised his property of 356 acres August 27, 1747, to his son William.

William Hamilton never married. He was one of the earliest patrons of art and collectors of pictures in this country. He cultivated the art of ornamental gardening. The present mansion in the Woodlands Cemetery was erected about the time of the Revolution, and is a finer one than the first mansion. William, at first in favor of the Revolutionary cause, was afterward suspected as a Tory, and went to New York in 1783. Being a good liver, he became embarrassed and sold the Hamilton Village lots. He owned the Lancaster property also, on which Lancaster was built.

His brother, Andrew the third, married Abigail, daughter of

David Franks. Their daughter, Ann, married James Lyle; she was a beautiful woman. Their daughter married Hartman Kuhn.

William Hamilton's nephew, William, succeeded to the estate of The Woodlands. There were two other nephews, James and Andrew, who lived in a fine house at the north-east corner of Seventh and Jayne streets. William died a bachelor, and Andrew the fourth married Eliza Johnson, and died abroad. The names of Hamilton and Allen are extinct, and are only represented by married daughters, connected with some of the best families in Philadelphia and New York.

Mount Pleasant.-This mansion, near the Reading Railroad Bridge on the Schuylkill, now called Washington Retreat, built by Captain John Macpherson before the Revolutionary war, was called Mount Pleasant. He was the father of Captain John Macpherson of the Revolutionary army, who was killed at the siege of Quebec, and of General William Macpherson, commander, after the Revolution, of the volunteer organization called Macpherson's Blues. Captain John Macpherson the elder was a privateersman, and made much money by prizes. John Adams, in his diary while he was a member of the First Congress in 1774-75, mentions a dinner at Macpherson's mansion which he attended, and speaks enthusiastically of the beauty of the house and the richness of the entertainment. In 1777 this house was bought by Benedict Arnold, who was then in command at Philadelphia, and who had made much money by illicit trade with the British at New York. The property was confiscated by the State of Pennsylvania after his treason was discovered, subject to the lifeestate of his wife, formerly Peggy Shippen. It afterward became the property of General Jonathan Williams. (See Varlo's map of Philadelphia city and its environs, 1797-98, and John Hill's map, of 1807-08, for the names of the country-seats on the Schuylkill between Mount Pleasant and Laurel Hill.)

Belmont, p. 480.-Belmont, on the west side of the Schuylkill, and now in the Park, was made famous by Richard Peters and the celebrated company which visited there. William Peters, who gave the name to this estate, brother of Rev. Richard Peters, bought in 1742, from the widow of Daniel Jones (afterward Mrs. William Couch), and of the other heirs of Daniel Jones, a tract of 220 acres in Blockley township, including the adjacent island in the river, now called Peters's Island. In 1786, William Peters and his wife transferred this property to their son, Richard Peters. It became eminent as the resort of the most noted men of the time, who assembled to enjoy the wit of their host and admire his excellent farming and the many novel improvements he introduced. The judge was a noted man for his witty repartees, and during the Revolution his aid and judgment were invaluable. In the garden were two trees planted by Washington and La