SCHUYLKILL PERMANENT BRIDGE, 



boats was at first thought of; but finally one of ship car- 

 penter's floating stages, used for graving ships, was con- 

 cluded upon. This plan, on being suggested by him 

 to General Putnam, was instantly adopted and promptly 

 executed. The critical and masterly stroke, made on 

 the British auxiliaries at Trenton, superseded its mili- 

 tar}^ use at that period. It gave, how^ever, the first idea 

 of the floating bridges, over the Schuylkill, composed of 

 buoyant logs, for the support of a platform of planks; 

 two whereof now remain, at Gray's and Sherridine^s 

 ferries. There does not appear to be any express au- 

 thority by law for the establishment of these bridges. 

 The act of 1723 recognizes the two ferries of Roach 

 and Bliinston, An act passed since the revolution, re- 

 gulates and directs the low^ering the I'opes of ferries, and 

 opening the bridges (which had each Slip pieces ^or this 

 purpose) within a certain time, on notice, under a penalty. 

 This implied permission, appears to be the only warrant 

 for their continuance. The first of the log bridges was 

 erected by the Executive of the state. This was either 

 much injured or destroyed. 



A bridge was constructed by the Biitish army in 

 1777, when in possession of the City, on pontoons or 

 large boats. But this not sufficiently answering their 

 purposes, another was thrown over, composed of planks 

 supported by floating logs after the pattern, and perhaps 

 with part of the materials of the one which had sue- 

 ceeded the bridge of Stages, and is probably the one 

 novv^ at Gray^s ferry. One of the pontoons, used by 

 the British, prolonged the hostility w^hich occasioned its 

 fabrication. Two of the piles of the coffer dam, sunk 

 for the erection of th€ western pier of the present per- 



