^336
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

1796    winter season, and that besides Dogs, Cats, Hogs etc. there had
Dec,    been actually, two Horsea buried in the rubbish, which had died
—   in the Spring, in a SmaU hovd, erected on the margin of this
Nuiaance. . . .

"I muat take notice, also, of some other circurastances rdative
to many of the Houses about white-ball, . . . narady tbe
state of the ground in the rear ot the houaes, which, in consequence
of the streets bdng raiaed, is, in many places, considerably
bdow the ordinary levd, and therefore liable to accumulate mat-
tera, which in the process of decay, produce vapours which render
tbe air impure, and in confined situations are often the cause
of fever—Also, the old and decayed state of many of the bouses
and the inattention to deanliness, which is always neglected when
peopleof the poorer kind are rauch crowded together;  ,   ,   .

"Before I conclude I raust take the liberty of raentioning to your
Excdlency what has hitherto been the condition ot the Hospital,
latdy established upon Bedlow laland; I am induced to do this in
order, . , . that measures wiU, in consequence, be taken to pro¬
ride for tbat Hospital in such marmer, as may he necessary, to com¬
pleat the estabUsbment, and give it extensive utility.—The neces¬
sary alteration and repairs whicb the Buildings on Bedlows Island
required, to render them fit to receive the sick, were not compleated
untiU tbe beginning ot August, As soon as thoae waa done, appli¬
cation waa made to the coraraissioners ot Health, for a supply of
necessaries to accoraraodate tbe sick; which at this period were sent
to the Hospital from White haU, and from several Vessels just
arrived from aea. The Commissioners directed the Beds and bed¬
ding, whicb had been used tbe year bdore at Bdlvue, to be sent
to the new Hospitd upon Bedlows Island: But unfortunatdy
those artides were in a very filthy atate and altogether improper for
present use. But as the sick were already at the Hospital, we had
no alternative but to adect the cleanest of those artides, and use
thera in that state.   ...

"Under theae circumstances, the consequences were such as irught
naturaUy be eipected, for within eight days from the time, tbat
those articles were brought to tbe Hospital, those people who had
been employed in transporting the bedding from Bele Vue, the
nurses who had attended tbe aick, and the steward ot the Horae
were attacked with fever. The attending Physician Monsieur Bou-
vier, was alao rauch indiaposed for aeveral days. From this dis¬
tressing situation, however, the Hospital was soon happily rdieved
by a supply of Beds—bedding, and such clothes as were necessary
for frequent changes, and placing tbe sick in a state ot the greatest
deanliness. From the period that this was done, neither nurse,
risitor, nor any kind of attendant, were known to be attacked with
fever."-Report ot Dr. Richard Bayley to Gov. Jay (MS.), pre¬
served with "Tbe Jay Papers," (box No. 2, item No. 9,) N. Y.
H. S.   See also Minerva, iUr 16, 1797.

5          "Proposals of certain Persons to supply this City with Water by
Means of Pipes" (see F 20) arc read in common council and referred
to a committee.—M. C. C. (1784-1831), II:  307.  See dso D 28.

The coramon council contracts with John Morton, proprietor
ot the Daily Adv., to do the city's printing, at an annual aUowance
ot£35.—M. C. C. (1784-1830,11: 307-8. Morton's contract did
not give hira araonopoly,aa we find that botb on Feb. 1,1796 (q.v.),
and in Feb., 1798, Geo, Forraan (ibid., II: 419) was doing specid
printing tor the city. On AprU 2, 1798, Hopkins & Co., also, were
paid for printing.—Ibid., U:  430.

The coraraon council adds £150 to the £800 forraerly granted
(see S 12) "towards the new Pier in Coenties Slip."-M. C. C.
(1784-1831), H:  308.

6          "A report having been in ccrculation that the water ot the Tea-
Water Pump begins to taU, and also, tbat the proprietor wiU not
allow any more water to be drawn from it than is absolutdy neces¬
sary for the use of the dtizens for tea and drinking; the subscriber
begs leave to contradict the said report, and inform the citizens that
notwithstanding the eitremdy dry season, the source of the Tea-
Water has not in the least dlrainished; and so far from hia refusing
any demand tor Water, he hereby offers the citizens a plentiful
supply for washing or other family uses. Any order for one or more
hogsheads of water, directing the place where to be delivered, sent
to the pump, wlU be immediatdy attended to. Tbe price of the
water is 4s. per hogshead, containing 140 gaUons. William C.
Thompson."—Minerva, D 6,  1796; De Voe, Market Book, 267.

9         A fire breaka out in one of the stores "on Murray's Wharf,

Coffee-house Slip," at the lower end of WaU St.  The whole block
 

between the slip and the Fly Market, on the east side ot Front St.,
is consumed,—Minsrt'a,D9,1796; .ir^ui,D9 and 19,1796. About 40
stores, warehouses, and dweUInga were burned, with a loas of about
&l,ooo,ooo. The progress of the fire was arrested by puUing down
the Fish Market.—N. Y. Jour., D 13,1796; Gaz. of tke U. S., D 12,
1796; Rutherfurd, Family Records and Events, 173.  SeeFiy, 1797,

A paragraph headed "Serious Cause of Alarml" appeara in
one of the daily papers. It reads: "Citizens of New-York, you
are once more called upon to attend to your safety. It is no longer
a doubt—it is a tact, that there is a combination of incendiaries
in this city, aiming to wrap the whole of it in fiaraes!—The house
of Mr. Lewis Ogden, In Pearl-street, has been twice aet on fire—
the evidence of malicious intention is indubitable—and he has
sent his black man, suspected, to prison. Laat night an attempt
was made to set fire to Mr. Lindsay's house in Greenwich atreet—
The combustibles left for the purpose are preserved as evidence of
the fact. Another attempt, we learn, was made laat night in
Beekman-street. A bed was set on fire under a child, and his
cries alarmed bis faraily,

"Rouae, fdlow citizena and raagistrates—your Uvea and prop¬
erty are at atake. Double your night-watch—and confine your
servanta,"—Minenia, D 14, 1796.

The common council offers a reward of $500 for the discovery
of the incendiaries who have been causing numerous fires in the
city. It also recommends that the citizens form therasdves into
corapanles for a night-watch.—Minerva, D 16, 1796.

"Mr. Litde's Porter-House in Pine-street" is designated as
the raeeting-place, on this evening, of the "young gentlemen ot
this city, who are willing to contribute to the preservation of the
PubUc Safety, at this critical juncture," the object of the meeting
being to form an association tor the purpoae.—N. Y. Jour. (S Pat.
Reg., D 16, 1796.

A contributor to the press writes critical observations regarding
the powers and usages of the government of thia city under the
Montgoraerie Charter, which is still In force.—Am. Minerva, D
17, 19, 21,23, '796-

The new watch-house at the head of Chatham Sq. (see O 17)
is completed.-M. C. C. (17S4-1831), II: 312. The old one at
No. I Broad St. (aee Je 3, 1793) remained untU 1816.—L. M. R. K.,
HI: 973. The Chatham Sq. watch-house property was sold by
the city in 1827.—Goodrich, Picture ofN. Y., 135,

James Davidson is paid £1:2:3 "for Flag Halliards at Battery."
—M. C. C. (1784-1831), H: 312. The flagstaff aa it appeared at
ahout this tirae is shown on Pl. 56, Vol, I.

Mayor Varick lays before the comraon council a letter from the
raayor ot Savannah, Ga., "on the subject of their Distresses in
conaequence ot the late destruction ot that City hy fire." The
board requests Mayor Varick "to represent the Matter to the
Speaker of the House of Assembly in expectation tbat perhaps
tbe Legislature may grant them some Relief in the premisses,"—
M, C. C. (1784-1831), U:  314,

"Proposals ot Joaeph Brown k bis Associates for supplying
thia City with good Water" are read in common council and
referred to the same committee as the proposals ot Dec, 5 (q.v.).
—M. C. C. (1784-1831), H: 314.  See Ja 30, 1797.

1797

Before this year. Cherry Street was extended to Montgoraery
St.—PL64,VoLL See 1730; My28,i79o; 1799; also L.M.R.K.,
ni; 996; Pis, 174, 175, Vol, m.

Prior to this date. Fourth Street, running from Division St,
to North (Houston) St,, one block east ot Third (now Eldridge) St,,
was laid out, as it appears on the map ot 1797 (PL 64, Vol. I).
It was the present AUen Street,-See Ag 28, 1809; 1817; L. M,
R. K., HI:   1000; Pl. 175, Vol. m.

In this year, a little ship-ot-war ot about ninety tons, named
the "Betsey" (built in New York in 1792, and originally rigged
as a brig, tor a Cbarieaton packet), sailed frora New York, In
coraraand ot Capt. Edmund Fanning, and was the first vessel to
carry the stars and stripes around the world.—Voyages Round tke
World, hy Edmund Fanning (1833), 65 el seq. The "Betsey" was
built so far "up In the town" as to require launching across three
streets. The voyage, lasting two years, was a commercial success.
On its return the ship was moored at the Fly Market wharf, and
received hundreda of risitors daily.—Watson's Annals (1846),
240-41;  Admiral Preble's Hij(. aftke Flag.