PHILADELPHIA, the second city in size and importance in the United States of North America, and the commercial metropolis of Pennsylvania. It is situated on the west bank of the Delaware, five miles from its junction with the Schuylkill, and extending from the one river to the other. From the city to the estuary of the Delaware, the distance is a hundred and twenty-six miles, including the bendings of the river; but the stream is so broad and deep at Philadelphia as to afford sufficient water for vessels of any size except those of the first class. Originally it formed a parallelogram, extending west about two miles from the Delaware, beyond the Schuylkill, and north and south a little more than a mile. As commerce increased, Philadelphia of course was enlarged, the buildings naturally extending along the Delaware, and now forms an oblong square reaching from the lower part of Southwark to the upper part of Kensington, nearly four miles, and, as we have said, from the one river to the other. It is noted for the regularity with which it is laid out. The main streets, twenty-five in number, and running from north to south, are intersected at right angles by others stretching east and west. There is an immense number of squares, it is supposed above three hundred and fifty. Some of the streets are a hundred feet and upwards in breadth; they are all well paved, and kept remarkably clean, being mostly furnished with common sewers. The houses altogether exhibit an appearance of neatness, uniformity, and commodiousness, and most of them are ornamented with white marble steps and window-sills. The most conspicuous buildings are some of the churches, the state-house, the United States and Pennsylvania banks, the institution for the deaf and dumb, and the Pennsylvania hospital. There are above a hundred places of public worship, but, with the exception of the first Presbyterian church, and two or three Episcopalian chapels, which are noble edifices, they are neither remarkable for their architecture nor their size. The front of Pennsylvania hospital is two hundred and seventy-three feet in breadth; and in connection with it there is a building sufficiently large to contain above fifty patients. There are a number of other institutions for the sick and the destitute, the buildings of which, together with the former, occupy an entire square, in the centre of which is a leaden statue of the founder of the city. The building for the reception of the deaf and dumb was erected in 1824, and is constructed of granite. It is of considerable size, and, having received handsome dona-
tions from various quarters, the managers of the institution are enabled to receive pupils from other states besides that in which it is situated. The object of this school is to give a common education to the deaf and dumb, and to train them to industrious habits, the course of instruction varying from four to six years.
The bank of the United States was established in the year 1816, with a capital of thirty-five millions of dollars. The banking-house is a splendid structure, built on the plan of the Parthenon at Athens, and is considered as the most finished specimen of pure Grecian architecture in America. It is constructed of white marble, having in front eight fluted Doric columns, four feet and a half in diameter. On each of the fronts is a portico projecting ten feet and a half. The whole length of the edifice, including the portico, is a hundred and sixty-one feet; its breadth being eighty-seven feet. The banking-room, which occupies the centre of the building, is eighty-one feet in length by forty-eight feet in breadth. The whole immense structure is arched, and rendered bomb-proof from the cellar to the roof, which is covered with copper. The bank of Pennsylvania is likewise a fine specimen of classical architecture, and built of the same material as the former. The state-house is a large brick building, comprising a centre and two wings, and presenting altogether a venerable appearance, never having been altered since its first erection. In the eyes of the Americans it will remain a feature of great interest as long as it lasts; for it was here the continental congress held its meetings, and from it the declaration of independence was first promulgated. There are several theatres, which are esteemed highly respectable buildings. The masonic hall, built in the Gothic style, is a large edifice, but more remarkable for its size than for its architectural beauty. The arcade is an imposing stone structure, containing the best museum in America; and the academy of arts is likewise a respectable edifice, enriched internally with a large number of paintings and some very fine statues. The university of Pennsylvania is distinguished by the celebrity of the medical school attached to it. The new halls, which were erected in the year 1830, are spacious, and built in a handsome style of architecture. The number of medical students who attend it vary from 400 to 500 annually. The hall of the Jefferson medical college is also a spacious building. There are three prisons in Philadelphia, one of which is built in the style of the castles of the middle ages, and is considered as a great ornament to the city. It is called the New Penitentiary, and occupies ten acres of ground, being designed to carry the principle of solitary confinement completely into effect.
The United States mint was established in Philadelphia in the year 1791, and by several successive acts of congress has been continued in the same place ever since. The old buildings, however, have been supplanted by a spacious new edifice, which was commenced in 1829. This splendid structure is faced with marble, and presents a front of a hundred and twenty-two feet, divided into a portico sixty-two feet long, and two wings each of thirty feet in length. The building is of the Ionic order, taken from the celebrated Grecian temple on the river Illisus, near Athens. The total value of the gold, silver, and copper coinage struck at this mint during the year ending January 1837 was 7,764,900 dollars. The report for that year states that great and important improvements had been introduced into every department of the mint. Changes have been made in the arrangements for assaying, which place this part of the establishment upon a footing with the most perfect in Europe. The marine asylum stands on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill, a short distance south of the city line. It is three hundred and eighty-six feet in length, consisting of a portico of ninety feet, supported by eight Ionic columns, and two wings, each a hundred and forty-
eight feet in extent. But of all the public works of Philadelphia there are none of which its inhabitants are so justly proud as those at Fair Mount, by which the city is supplied with water of the best quality, and in the greatest abundance. Nothing of the kind has been executed on the American side of the Atlantic that will bear any comparison with the arduous and expensive operation of introducing the Schuylkill water. At two different times plans were adopted for the purpose of supplying Philadelphia with water; but both having proved inefficient, the present magnificent undertaking was commenced in 1819, and completed at an expense of about one million and a half of dollars. Fair Mount is in the rear of the city, upon the bank of the Schuylkill, the neighbourhood of which presents some remarkably beautiful and romantic scenery. The reservoirs are situated on the top of a hill rising from the river, a part of it perpendicular rock, to the height of a hundred feet. They are calculated to contain thirty millions of gallons of water, which is sufficient to supply the city for ten days. It was formerly forced into the reservoirs by means of steam, which is no longer used; it is now raised by machinery propelled by the river. There are five large water-wheels turned, one of which, made of iron, weighs twenty-four tons. If all are put in motion at once, they will raise seven millions of gallons in twenty-four hours, which is more than double the quantity required even in summer. To turn them, the Schuylkill has been dammed in its whole breadth, by which the water is thrown back into a reservoir lock, whence it is admitted as required to operate upon the wheels, and is discharged into the river below the dam. The iron pipes through which the water is conveyed to the city and districts are about sixty miles in extent. The water thus circulated so abundantly through the city is of immense service in cases of fire, as it is only necessary to screw the hose to hydrants, which are placed at convenient distances, to secure a constant stream of sufficient force to reach any ordinary height. There are sixteen hose companies, and about thirty engine companies; in short, the arrangements made in Philadelphia for the speedy extinction of conflagrations are of the first order.
The city library is indebted for its origin to Benjamin Franklin. It was commenced as early as 1731, and incorporated eleven years afterwards. In 1790 the present neat and ornamental edifice was erected opposite to the state-house square; and over the front door is placed a fine marble statue of its founder. In 1837 it contained 44,000 volumes. There are other institutions of the kind, which contain upwards of ten thousand volumes. Opposite the Philadelphia library is the Athenæum, a valuable institution, established in 1814. Attached to it is a library, and a spacious reading-room, well supplied with newspapers from Europe and other quarters of the world, besides nearly a hundred from various parts of the United States. The university of Philadelphia was founded in the year 1755, and is one of the most respectable and flourishing institutions of the kind in the union. Academies and other seminaries of education are numerous, and efficiently conducted. The city and county of Philadelphia constitute a school district, under special regulations. By the report for the year 1837, it appears that the schools in it were attended by above eleven thousand children; and from the same document we learn that the arrangements for the general diffusion of instruction are very extensive and highly efficient. There are in this city a number of benevolent societies, various institutions which have for their object the relief of the sick, the helpless, the destitute, and other objects of compassion. In this respect it is upon a level with any city of the same size in Europe.
The harbour of Philadelphia, from the peculiar nature of the Delaware River, is more liable to be impeded by ice
Philadel- than those of New York and Baltimore; but otherwise it
phia. possesses perhaps as many natural advantages as either of
them. Its trade is very great, as will be seen in the article
PENNSYLVANIA. The navy-yard situated on the Dela-
ware is of great extent, and fitted up with first-rate appur-
tenances for building frigates and ships of the line. Ship-
building is briskly carried on; and this city has also a high
reputation for the extent and excellence of its breweries.
It is, besides, famous for its manufactures, paper-making,
printing, and publishing establishments, and its periodicals
and journals of every description.
Philadelphia was founded by William Penn in the year
1682. On the 5th of September 1774 the members of the
first congress assembled here, and adopted that celebrat-
ed declaration of rights, the preface to the declaration of
independence which was promulgated from the state-house
about two years afterwards. Congress continued to sit in
this city until the approach of the royalists in September
1777, when it fell into their hands, and was retained by
them until June following. During the remainder of the
war it happily escaped the ravages of hostile operations.
It was also the seat of the state government until the year
1800. For municipal purposes the legislature has from
time to time established corporate governments in differ-
ent parts of the suburbs, so that Philadelphia is now di-
vided into several districts. The municipal government of
the city proper is vested in a mayor, a recorder, fifteen
aldermen, and a select and common council, besides sub-
ordinate executive officers. The recorder and aldermen
are appointed by the governor of the state; and the mayor
is chosen by the councils, from the body of the citizens.
The members of the select and common council are annu-
ally elected by the people. They receive no compensa-
tion, sit in separate chambers, and each body has a nega-
tive on the legislative acts of the other. The city proper
sends seven representatives and two senators to the state
legislature. The population of Philadelphia, according to
the census of 1810, was 96,664, in 1820 it was 119,325,
in 1830 it was 167,811, and at present (1838) it is esti-
mated at about 200,000 souls.