two young men were both of them descendants of
German parents who had left their native country,
in order to enjoy the blessings of religious liberty
in this land; a privilege which neither the Em-
peror, nor the petty Princes of Germany, had
the good sense or the policy to allow.

5th Month, 9th.

This day was remarkably
tempestuous; and in the evening there was so
great a light over the cities of Philadelphia

and
West Chester, that they appeared to be on fire;
and next morning we received accounts, that in
Philadelphia 30 houses had been burnt down
in a central part of the city, and that in West
Chester two large ships were burnt. Within about
two miles of my lodgings the same evening, a
powder mill was blown up, and one person who
had the management of it, lost his life by the ex-
plosion. Not many days before the accident,
being well acquainted with the man, I had some
conversation with him on the danger of his oc-
cupation; but the great wages he received out-
weighed all apprehensions of his danger, and he
seemed to have made up his mind to continue the
employment, notwithstanding he had before been
blown up, and narrowly escaped destruction, with
the loss of one eye, and the use of several of his
fingers. So many dreadful accidents happening
around us at the time called forth serious
and awful reflections.