Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-01-23

hands to work them.
I, is an extensive plain, Eve miles above the
confluence Of two navigable rivers, the Della
ware and the Schuylki!l; the former, though
100 miles from the sea, being there mile IN
width, & deep enough for vessels Of 1900 tons;
the latter, half as wide as the Thames at Lon-
don, being also navigable as high as the scite
Of the town.
Some families Of Swedes and Fins had OBJ
tanned by seitlenreat, the light OF posse
They willingly sold, or exchanged their Claim;
aud by the end of the year 1852, the GROUND
plot 81 the future city was regularly laid out
Nine streets, two miles in length, run east ana
west, from river to river, and twen'y-three, OF
a mile, intersect them at right angles, from
north TO SOUTH None OF these are less than
6ftv fee, wide, and they distribute the plan IN.
to squares, the interior Of which was designed
for wards and gardens. Two main streets, OF
a hundred feet wide, cross each othe In the
centre: s. form an open Place or Public square
Of which four more were laid our in the differ
en-, quarters Of the city; and range oil houses
for the principal Inhabitants was intended 10
omen uoon the water, in the manner oil the cell
ebra,ed Bomb Quai al Rotterdam; for which
purpose the ware houses, &c. along the river,
were in ended to have been kept from rising a.
bove the bank. But cupidhy (perhaps conve>
nience) has crowded The platform, between the
streets with narrow alleys; the public squares
except only that in the centre, have been oiher
wise appropriated, and the bank OF the river
has been built up with I row OF houses tina:
now intercep,s from the City the intended view
of the Port.
Fourscore houses aud cottages we've erected
within the year, one Of which is now occupied
as a Tavern, the sign Of the Bo,'swain anc
Call. AZ the corner Of Front and Dock-streels;
and another that was The civ residence OF
William Penn, is yet standing in ack horse
alley, directly back Of l.etilia Court, which
was so named from one oil he daughters OF the
Proprietary. Opposite to the latter, in the
middle Of Market-s,reet, there stood Tor many
years a monumen, of primitive simplicity, a
wooden Jail, that was seldom inhabied by any
body but the Jail2r.
The first child born in the new city, by name
John Key, lived 10 his S5th year, one h ward
Drinker, who was born In cave, under Inc
bank Of Delaware, SURVIVED 'ull tie decaI auon
Of independence, when the capital OF thc Onit-
ed States was estimated 10 contain 5000 hou>
ses, and 10000 people; and there's widow la
DIV yet living, whose mother arrived from Eng
land when there were but three houses IN Pail
adrlphia.
,ial edi6,-, Of 200 Zee, front, including The
wings, was erected wiihin hat Century alter
the woods were Gle ared away from its scl,e; The
first Episcopal chure h Was soon aiterward or
namrnted with ST. cole that may vie in point
of legancc, with any spire in EUROPE; & while
Pennsyl, ania was sill dependent colony,
sc arcev Lisllngui.hed or the other side of the
Atlantic among twelve ad jacrnt pro- incts OF
the British empire IN Ameri, a, new prison
was ereeted, sAffic entiy capdcious for The tu-
ture inroduct ton of the phl!authroEic reform
that has since converted our Jail, into manutac-
tories, end our criminals into manufacturers
During the revolu ionary war, the capital OF
the strLp gline colonies remained stationary, or
rather rerroCradrd, under the occupation OF the
royal Arrow; by whom the houses were tlrst
numbered, nd a floating bridge was thrown a.
cross tne Schuylkill
The we,rern Improvements then scarcely ex-
tended half mile from the Delaware, and IT
was country walk for the citizens t. go to
the Hospi,al, the Sv edes Church, or the ship
Yards al Kensington.
Since the revolution, 30 happily terminated
by the Independence Of the United StaIes, Pill
adelphia has increased with astonishing rapid
ity. Notwithstanding repeated raragrs OF a nor
tai fever, Introduced from the pestiIential at
mosphere Of the western Archipelago, where
II has been excited TO unusual vrulence by the
civil wars Of 81. Domingo. In The year 1898,
i, swept ava, 5000 people
4 superb rdfC. Of the C"rinlhian order, with
a majestic porto of six columns of white mar
bic, was then bui ding for me reception Of the
Bank Of the United S ate,, 'iSor ou> hspring
Of the Federal ons,i Ltion. that had be, n trans
ed in 1888, and "rsanlzed in The following year
bv the patriotic w shngton, on being olun-
tarly ratified bs two thirds # the Thi cen In
dependent s ates that then formed The Amer-
can Un,on-rhvs exhibiting to the expecting
word, first Xampir OF i grea, Nation REFORM
ing a defective system Of government, without
un,he athing ihe sword.
The City has since been beauthed with an
ee giant structure, executed in white marble,
from the design Of al Iori'k Temple, for the
off es Of The BIuk Of Pcnnsl !, MIA; and the
inter- ec:ion Of the two principal s,ree's, is now
occupied by marble Rotunda, Tor the reeep-
tion and dis ribu'lon Of the SchuylklI water,
raised by machinery to 4 level OF thirty Or forty
fee, above The highest ground in he city.
The streets Of PhIladelphia are paved with