File:Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, in the olden time - being a collection of memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the city and its inhabitants, and of the earliest settlements of the inland part (14778489741).jpg

Identifier: annalsofphiladel03inwats (find matches)
Title: Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, in the olden time : being a collection of memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the city and its inhabitants, and of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania ...
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Watson, John F. (John Fanning), 1779-1860 Hazard, Willis P. (Willis Pope), 1825-1913
Subjects:
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.M. Stoddart & Co.
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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David Rittenhouse in 1775. As he has charge of the time-piece (most probably of his own construction) belonging tothe Philosophical Society, which is kept in the observatory in theState House Square, with the astronomical instruments for adjust-ing it, he conceives it would not be inconvenient for him to takecharge also of the said public clock, etc. The pay was twentypounds per annum. In 1828 a new steeple was erected upon the tower which wassixty feet higher than that which was finished in 1753, but re-sembled the old steeple in its architectural details as nearly aspossible. A larger bell and new clock were ordered. The bellwas cast by J. Wilbank, and weighed four thousand two hundredand seventy-five pounds, and cost $1923.75. Not being satisfac-tory, Mr. Wilbank furnished another, weighing four thousandsix hundred pounds; it was cracked, and was replaced byanother, which did duty for forty-five years in announcing thehours, sounding fire-alarms, and being rung on important public
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The State House. 211 occasions. The new arrangement for striking the hours with ahammer regulated by the clock was adopted. A new arrange-ment was also adopted for fire-signals, by which the direction ofthe fire from the State House could be learned from the numberand arrangement of the strokes sounded upon the bell. Thisbell was taken down in 1876, and replaced by another presentedto the city by citizen Henry Seybert. The old trouble was againshown in the casting of this bell. It was made by Menealey &Kimberly of Troy, but upon being tested the sound was notsatisfactory, as it did not reach to any great distance. It wasremoved, and another one cast and put in its place. The sup-planted bell now strikes its clear and distinct notes for the in-habitants of Germantown, being placed in the Town Hall. Theclock was made and kept in order by Isaiah Lukens, a watch-and clock-maker of the city. In 1876 a new one was presentedthe city by Henry Seybert, made by the Seth Thomas ClockCompany

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