. 13-7 
appeared to be endless, peemed singular to us: they are mostly 
planted with poplars, and all provided with paved side-walks. In 
point of showiness of stores and bustle, the streets of Philadelphia 
are far behind New York. 
. The two bridges over the Schuylkill are of wood; Market 
street bridge, consists of three covered arches of very strong 
wood-work, which rest upon two stone piers, and two stone 
abutments. These piers and abutments are built upon a rock ; 
the pier on the west side must have cost a great deal of labour, 
because the rock on which it stands, is dug out forty-one feet, 
below low-water mark. It is said, that this pier required 
seventy-five thousand tons of stone. The length of this bridge 
including the piers, is one thousand three hundred feet, whereof 
the wood-work takes up five hundred and fifty feet; the extent 
of the middle arch amounts to one hundred and ninety feet, and 
the two others, each one hundred and fifty feet. A company, 
in the year 1798, began this bridge, and finished it in six years. 
At the east end of the bridge is. an obelisk, which contains the 
following inscription: that besides the cost of the ground on 
which this bridge and its appendages stand, and which amount 
to forty thousand dollars, there were two hundred and thirty- 
five thousand dollars expended in building it; about a mile 
above this bridge there is another over the Schuylkill, which 
was finished in 1813, and cost one hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars; it is also of wood, and consists of a single arch, 
whose segment amounts to three hundred and forty feet, four 
inches; a toll is paid for crossing both bridges. 
Somewhat north of the last bridge, and on the left bank of 
the Schuylkill are the water-works, by means of which the 
whole city of Philadelphia is supplied with water, even to the 
tops of the houses if wanting. The water of the Schuylkill is 
raised by aid of a dam; the water runs into a basin behind the 
dam as in a mill-pond ; hence it drives by its fall three wheels, 
each of them sixteen feet in diameter, which are in an appropri¬ 
ate building. These wheels work three horizontal pumps, which 
force the water through iron pipes into the reservoir, ninety-two 
feet above the surface of the river. Within twenty-four hours, 
four million gallons of water can be pumped into the reservoirs. 
From these basins the water is conveyed by iron pipes into 
every part of the city. At certain distances there are hydrants, 
where hoses can be screwed on in case of fire. Generally, one 
wheel and one pump are worked, the others are kept in reserve, 
and are only used in case an extra quantity of water is needed, 
or in case of fire. This work has now been in operation for two 
years ; it was designed by Mr. Graff, an hydraulic engineer; the 
whole establishment cost four hundred and thirty-two thousand 
Vol. I. 18 
