much patching was kept in serviceable condition until
1804, when it was damaged by high water. In
January, 1805, the Legislature passed an act author-
izing Upton Bruce, David Hoffman, senior, Thomas
Thistle, George Hoffman, and William McMahon to
hold a lottery, and thereby raise a sum of money not
to exceed $2,000 for the purpose of purchasing a fire
engine for the town of Cumberland, and directing
them to appropriate the balance of the money on
hand, after making such purchase, to the erection of
a bridge over Will's Creek. Whether the lottery
was held is not recorded, but certainly another bridge
was erected, and this was in turn washed away by a
great freshet, in 1810, at which time the Creek
rose to an unprecedented height, entirely flooding
Mechanic street. After the bridge was destroyed,
in 1810, a ferry was established, and kept in use
until a new bridge was erected. The ferry consisted
of a rope stretched across the Creek at the foot of
Baltimore street, the ends being lashed to large
walnut trees, and a flat boat being attached to a ring
which was made to slip along the cable. Another
wooden bridge was shortly after put in the place
of the one destroyed, and this stood until 1820,
when a suspension chain bridge was substituted
therefor, a full description of which will hereafter be
given.
The survey of the town, as made in 1787, having never been filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court of either Washington or Allegany County, as required by the law authorizing the survey, the Legislature passed an act January 27, 1805, reciting
