J A STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



*'keep or use any boat or canoe, for transporting any 

 "person or persons, creatures or carriages, for hire or 

 "pay, over the said river, in any other place between 

 "these ferries, now called Roaches {\2i\t Ashton'snoyf 

 Sherridihe''s) ^^scad. Blunston's''' (late Gray^s) "Ferries 

 "on the said river, besides the Ferry thereby establish- 

 "ed." By virtue of this law, the corporation of the 

 city, have held and exercised this exclusive Franchise, 

 from the time of its being so granted, until their trans- 

 fer thereof to the present Permanent Bridge Company. 

 The Ferry was maintained, and generally used, until 

 the floating bridges were thrown over. In times of in- 

 terruption of the passage of those bridges, by ice and 

 floods, (which too frequently occurred) the boat was 

 resorted to, for temporary transpoitation, and always 

 kept in readiness for use. 



In December 1776, when the British troops had 

 overran, and neaily subjugated the State of JVew Jer- 

 sey^ General JFashington^ apprehensive of being forced 

 to retreat, with the shattered remnants of his patriotic, 

 but enfeebled army, wrote to General Putnam^ then 

 commanding in Philadelphia^ directing him to take 

 measures for the speedy passage of the Schuylkill, in 

 case of urgent necessity. Orders were at the same 

 time given to collect all the boats attainable at JVrighfSy 

 and other ferries on the Susquelmnna. No pontoons 

 existed, with which to comply with the orders of the 

 commander in chief. It fell to the 5ot of the individu- 

 al, who originated the project of the present Perma- 

 nent Bridge, and who then held a confidential office 

 under the United States, to be consulted on the subject. 

 Having advised with some Ship- Wrights, a bridge of 



