The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-12-30 00:00:00, page 1

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W^Ws3 41^ Mowmil
OR THE
GEN ER A L ^^^^O^ADVERTISER.
For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
IN a Bristol Paper of July 12th, 1777, I lately met
with a paragraph which, containing a matter of
great importance to Society, I think well worthy of re
publication ; in hopes that it may excite a recollection
of what others may know or have read on the Subject.
The Securing of houses from fire is a mod desirable
discovery, but the method used to effect it, is not
particularly described in any of the prints which have
fallen into my hands. In the volume of the Genth man's
Magazine for 1777, two experiments are mentioned,
but different from that which is herewith Sent, tho'
none of them give any fatisfadion to the inquisitive
reader.
In the year 1761, I attended an exhibition of this
kind in London, at which were present, most of the
royal family and many thousand Spectators. A wood
en Building filled with combustibles in the second sto
ry, was set fire to, on the inside, and Suffered to burn,
until the blaze burst out of the windows with great
violence ; when a per Son afeending a ladder, with a
small kegg in his hands, threw it into the window; a
small explosion followed, and the flames instantly aba
ted ; in a few seconds he threw in another, which was
also attended with an explosion, when nothing but
smoke remained, and the house was immediately filled
with the byflanders. The second kegg was so forcible
as to burftoff one o'the clap boards, which induced
tne to believe, there was a large portion of gunpowder
used. This affair was much talked of for a while, and
then dyed away. The paragraph in t^e Briflol paper
is as follows:
" Thursday last at Chevening in Kent, the feat of
" the earl of Stanhope, a great concourse of people,
" and all the nobility and gentry within 15 miles,
" were^affembled, in order to be present at some flrik
" ing experiment, which were made that day to
" prove the certain a 4 furprizing efficacy of the cheap
'' and most Simple method lately difeovered by lord
" Mahon, of feeding houses againfl fire, without
" making use of either brick, flone, tyles, iron, or
" any such kind of inconsumable materials. A build
" ing entirely conftrufted of wood, and of lath and
" plaifter, with a very fmal quantity of sand laid un
" der the floors, which were of pine, was attempted to
“ be fit on fire, by means of an enormous quantity of
" dry burning fuel several score of very large kiln
" faggots, flraw, pitch, and other combustibles, which
" the lower room (26 feet long) of this building was
“ filled with, from the floor to the ceiling, almostirt-,
" every part but to the great aftohifhment of ad the
“ persons present, who were witnesses of this interesting
" experiment, and who saw the flames come out of all
" the doors and windows on every fi?e of the lower
" room, this whole m-fs of fire burnt out without do
" ing the least damage
" The room in w! ich the fire had been was much
" blackened, some of the outer part of the plaifter
“ work of the ceiling in it was considerably burnt, and
" the floor boards of this room were partly charked,
" exactly under those places where the great heaps of
“ fag. ots were set on fire, but no where else : and the
" building though of wood, remained in every otter
4 refpea absolutely unhurt. Those who were in the
" small passage close to the room filled with fire, or
“ who were on the next flory, directly over this enor
" mous conflagration, did not, tie whole time, per
" ceive the least degree of heat, or any effea whate
" ver from the intense fire below. A wooden flair-cafe
" Secured according to this new method, was also at
" tempted to be burnt, by laying several large faggots
" underneath the stair and upon the ft^ps, but the
“ stair case as well as all the other parts of the house
« appeared in effect to be incombustible."
In this account we obtain no other insight into the
mode of preparing the hou'e, than the flight mention
of “ a very small quantity of sand laid under the
" floors," which, excluding the air from the under
part of the floor, might possibly deaden the flames
on the furface of the horrizontal boards; but
that a blaze should take no effect, when applied
beneath a combustible matter, as in the case of the
Hairs, is a matter of furprize. As doubtless there
muff be several gentlemen, in this city, who have
been in England since the year 1777, it is to be wish
ed, that some of them may have made themselves mas
ters of so interesting a fubjeft, and that they will fa
vour the public with a more explicit account of the
matter; when I doubt not, it would be deemed a fit
object of attention for the legislature,, and that, on be.
half of their constituents, they would direct the expe
riment to be made.' R.
Wants Employment,
A PERSON whs writes a good hand, underfands
accoimnand can be well recommended. Enquire
of the Printers,
SATURDAY,
[ Published every Tuesday and Saturday.]
WANTED Immediately, in PUBLIC SERVICE,
A Number of Good
Waggon DRIVERS.
Any such may meet with Encouragement, by applying
to Mr. JACOB HILTZHEIMER, in Philadelphia,
or to SAMUEL MILES, D Q_M
For Penn ylvania.
YVHER EAS the honourable the Congress
of the United States, ha*e directed Major Gene
ral Greene, late Quarter Master G*nerd, to lay a state
of the Debts of ins department before the Treasury
Board; and have, by their a& of the z6:h of August
last, Resolved, That all and finyular the Creditors
of th# United States, for Supplies fmnithed the Army,
or the Transportation thereof, shall be intitled to re
ceive the just va'ue of the turns due to them refpe&ively,
&c. and dire&&d that the Accounts shall be liquidated
agreeable to the Value of Continental Bills of Credit
compared wiih Specie at the time the Debts became due.
In order to comply with the laid Req^ifitions and
Rcfolves, and to bring all Accountsunder my direction
to a just and equitable Settlement: I do earnestly request
all Perlons who have any Accounts or Demands against
the Department in my Diftria, unfntled, to bring them
in immediately, that they may b^ liquidated, and Cer
tificates given in Specie, agreeable to the spirit and in
tention of fad Relolve.
Those who have received Certificates, and choose to
have them liquidated in Specie, will please to apply as
soon as possible.
Attendance will be given at my Office, in Chefnut.
ftrset, to rhe First of January ncx te , before which time
it is expected ever. Account will he presented and set
tled. JOHN MITCHBLL, late D Q M, G.
Philadelphia, December 9, 1780.
Just Imported and to be Sold, pa the 1© rest T rms, By
By Wooddrop and Joseph Sims,
At their S TORE in Water-street, midway between
Spruce and Pine-streets,
Scarlet Broadcloths, green, buff and white
C^ffimers, Wiltons, silk and moha-r Burtons and
Twist, a quantity of French sewing Threads, Calliceer,
Brittan rias, Gauzes, a box of assorted Cutlery, ex
cellent Bohea Tea in chests and half chests, &<. &c.
A few dozen of elegant CHINA BOWLS, &c. &..
Just PUBLISHED, and to be S 0 L D,
In h ge or small Quantities, Bv
Benjamin January, Bookbinder,
In front-lbeet, nearly opposite the Coffee-houfe,
The Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and North-Carolina
ALMANAC K,
AND EPHEMERI S,
For the Yar of Our LOR D, 1781.
United States Lottery-Office,-
Philadelphia, November 29, 1780.
THE Managers hereby give Notice to all persons,
who hive purchased Tickets in the third class,
in this city, that they are now ready to renu'e
the fame in the fcuith class. All tickets not renewed
in fix weeks from this date, will be the property of the
United States.
N. B. Those adventurers in the third class of the Let
ter), who choose to renew their Tickets in the fourth
class, are req lifted not todufer their application for the
renueal, as the hurry of the business will be such towards
the close of the tme limited, (if the adventurers should
delay their application) that many persons may be ex
cluded.
ALL persons indebted, or who have any
eff-Eb elonging to the estate of the late Mzjor
PETER SCULL, defeated, are desired to fettle with
the fubferibers; and those who have any demands a
gainst the said estate are required to bring in the fzme
properly attested, thu the- may be fettled and adjusted,
by SUSANNAH SCULL, 7
JAMES BIDDLE, f Executors.
ALEXANDER GRAYDON, >
Reading, December 5, 1780.
r*ri H E Auditors of Public Accounts for
A this state have removed their office to
the south-west corner ot Front and Chef
nut-ftreets.
THE
Number 694.
An ACT to permit the exportation of Flour of Wheat
from this state by sea, under certain limitations and
reftridions.
Section 1. TXT HEREAS prohibitions on the
exportation of provisions must e
ver be injurious to this country, except in years of fear
city; and as this cause of the late embargoes is, in
some measure, removed by the greater plenty where
witli it hath pleated Providence to bless the land ; and
as the ability of this state to furnifh its quota of sup
plies for carrying on a just and necessary war, depends
materially on the freedom of trade. A NDWHERE
AS by an a& of assembly passed on the twenty-eight!#
day of February last, intitled, " an aft for laying an
embargo on the exportation of provifioas from this
state by sea for a limited time," the exportation from
this state by sea of all provisions for the food of man,
was from and after the publication thereof until the
firft of September following, forbidden under the pen-,
alties and forfeitures in the said aft provided and con-4
tained : AND WHEREAS the said a& having ex
pired by its own limitation, was by another aft of as
sembly, passed on the twenty second day of September
last, revived and continued for and during the term ofi
fix months, and from thence to the end of the next:
fitting of the general assembly:
Sfct. 2. Be it therefore enabled, and it is hereby
enabled by the representatives of the freemen of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly
met, and by the authority of the fame, That it Shall
and may be lawful during the continuance of the said
embargo, the said recited ads notwithstanding to lade
and export by sea, out of this state, flour of wheat,
the fame being firft infpeded and found to be good
and merchantable, and packed according to law, in
the manner and upon the conditions, and under the
regulations herein after provided and set forth, and not
otherwise, that is to Say: In every Ship or other vessel,
truly and bona tide armed, fitted and provided with fix
or more carriage guns, and Suitable ammunition for
the fame, each of the bid guns to be of such caliber,
as to be capable of discharging an iron ball weighing
at least three pounds av^irdupoize, and the said vessel
to be manned with twenty seamen and other persons of
the age of eighteen or nore each, for and during the
intended voyage, who hall be actually hired and em
ployed for the defence and service of such vessel, any
quantity of such flour not exceeding four hundred hun
dreds weight, of one Irnndred and twelve pounds to
the hundred. Ineveryfhip or other vessel, truly and
bona fide, fitted and provided with ten or more carri
age gun,, and suitable ammunition for the fame, each
of the said carriage guns to be of such caliber, as to
be capable of receiving and discharging an iron ball
weighing at least four pounds avoirdupoize, the said ves
sel to be manned with thirty seamen and other persons of
the age of eighteen years or more, actually hired and em
ployed for the defence and service of such vessel, for and
during the intended voyage, any quantity of such flour
not exceeding one thousand hundreds weight as afore-'
said. In every Ship and other vessel, truly and bona
fide, armed, fitted and provided with fourteen or more
carriage guns, and suitable ammunition for the fame,
each of the said guns to be of such caliber as to be
capable of receiving and discharging an iron ball
weighing at least four pounds avoirdupoize, the said
vessel to be manned with not less than forty seamen
and other persons of the age of eighteen years or more,
actually hired and employed in the defence and ser
vice of such vessel, for and during the intended voyage,
any quantity of flour that such vessel can reasonably?
lade and carry.
Sect. 3. And be it further enabled by the authority
aforefaid, That no flour designed for exportation in
pursuance of this aft, Shall be laden on board of any ship
or vessel, before the master of such Ship or vessel shall
deliver to the naval officer of the port of Philadelphia,
a memorial in writing, therein expressing and Setting
forth such design, the name and kind of vessel, her Size
or tunnage, the name and names of the owner or
owners, and the place of their several abodes, the
number and size of the carriage guns with which such.
vessel is or is intended to be armed and fitted, and the
number of seamen and others as aforefaid that he will
hire and employ during the intended voyage, together
with the quantity of flour he is desirous to lade, and.
requeuing the said naval officer to grant his permit
for the lading thereof, in which said memorial whate
ver refpeßs number, shall be expressed in words at
length and not in figures ; whereupon the said naval
officer, having firft taken a bond to the commonwealth
from the said master and two Sufficient refldent Sure
ties, each obligee bound Severally as well as jointly,
for at least double the value of such flour designed to
be Shipped as aforefaid, conditioned for the true and
faithful compliance of said master and the owners of
such vessel, ,with the several requisites, regulations and
limitations of this act, the said naval officer faall grafit
DECEMBE R go, 1780.