The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-19
q CRY WITHOUT WATER.
Tho DrOueht IN PhIIadolphIa.
Only a nay orTvo,s Supply Len.

OhIy DAy oFTWOb hnppD Lett
Fom ne Philadelphia Enquirer, Aug. II.
A short time since, The entire city OF
Philadelphia, With the exception OF q
portion OF the old District Of KenBing.
ion, was without gas for one night, and
all our cllIHens will remember the Inc
convenlences, Annoyances, and the
straits they were put 10 TO supply, In
10 one form or another, the deficiency.
The present indications are, that unless
fortunate dlBp0nBalion Of Providence
ooourB In the shape OF heavy rains, the
city will DO entirely minus q supply Of
that Indispensable article water,
Some portions Of the city, particular
~ elevated positions, are without O
supply Of water Of the present time,
and the hydrant streams all over the
city are hourly growing weaker and
weaker,
This impending calamity 10 owing to
two oouseS-hrBl, tue unparalleled low.
ness Of tho water In the river 9chuyl.
kill, and second. the lnoapAbillly Of
che Paramount Water Works 10 force
water into the reservoir during the
present draughL II may DO mentioned
however, % o sort OF side issue, that the
unnecessary aud culpable waste OF wa
Tor by honsekeepeFe throughout the
city, when they have been publicly adj
YiAed OF the fact that the supply OF wa
ter has been very limited for some
weeks past, has greatly added TO the
present alarming state OF thlugsj and II
we should DO 80 unfortunate ~ to BIO
denied water privileges entirely for
any given length Of time. our citizens
may, In q measure, thank themselves
for the same, for the water that was
used In this city on Saturday last for
washing pAvementa alone, would have
lasted for several days for drinking,
cooking, and other indispensable pur~
poses. ...
The memory OF the Oldest hAbltAnt
cannot recall the time when the river
SchuylkIll, from Paramount dam, as
far up aS NoTTlstown, and probably
farther, presented such q dearth Of
water ~ Il does at the present time.
over the dam ut Paramount, but 80 low
earth that supports the dam on the
north aide IL all plainly visible, and
broad strip OF grass, Btretching the en-.
tire length Of the dam, from shore 10
shore, can be seen. This would be
enough OF itself 10 tell the story about
the scarcity Of water. but visit to the
reservoir At Paramount displays the un-
usual sight OF nearly oil the receptacles
for water being almost entirely empty.
The western section Of the reservoir,
known az the feeder, and which IL the
first portion OF the basin or succession
Of basins t0receive the water pumped
up by the Fairmount works, contains q
small quantity OF water, bat II Is so
low that the pipes leading into the 9th.
or sections are high and dry, and what,
perhaps, has never before happened,
are plainly visible. The other sections
are no devoid Of water that the muddy
bottoms can DO seen In some Of them.
Chief Graf succeeded In getting the
active cooperation Of the Schnylklll
Navigation Company In the present
emergency, and that corporation not
only waived, for the time being, the
priority Of right perpetually granted
them by their charter 10 the use Of the
Schuylklll water, but permitted the
Chief Engineer 10 telegraph 10 the
keepers or overBeers Of the dams at
NorrlstoWIi and further up the river,
10 throw open the gates OF those dams
and permit oil the water confined there
TO and Its way TO Paramount dam,
AS mentioned, this will afford tenn
porary relief, but only for . day or two,
for, at the exhaustion OF the water thus
obtained, wehave no additional sources
OF relief OF an artificial character, and
must depend entirely upon the open.
ing OF the aoodgates above for the ina
terlal that will give proper action 10
the machinery OF the Falrmount Water
Works,