The Hickman courier., 1872-05-25
A water Famine.

i he crOd keTS are dDEOau III the Iau0
predicting a water famine, which is not
pleasant to contemplate even in remote
prospect. According to some Of these
representations the famine is close at
hand-at our very doors. Agriculturists
are solemnly advised to prepare for
the worst, if it is not already too late to
profit by the admonition, by securing all
the surplus Installations Of the skies in
ponds aud tanks to be drawn up ia time
Of need. We presume there is no fear
of an immediate failure of drinking
water. 1t is even asserted by some that
water is not our national beverage, aud
that even if it were to be Withdrawn from
our wells and pumps and streams, few
would suffer for something to drink.
This is not, therefore, the ground of the
fear that seems 10 prevail in some quar-
ters in view of q water famine.
Ia New York the lakes are said to be
lower than ever known before, with no
prospect Of a rise, and the canals they
feed are becoming too low for navigation.
The coal of the Pennsylvania mines is
dependent upon canal transportation, and
the water IS already, too scant for such
heavy cargoes. The supply of coal for
the New York market is thus curtailed
Syracuse Is troubled about its salt trade
from the same cause. Seneca and Cayu
ga lakes are ia very sickly condition,
with no prospect of recovery. In fact,
they have been sinking lower and lower
for over year past, and Of course the
canal arteries Of which they constitute
the heart are at very low ebb. 1t Is
feared their pulse will soon cease to beat,
aud then the worst consequences may
ensue 10 the sections aud interests i'm |
mediately concerned. Massachusetts is 1
crying aloud for water. She seems to be
in 4 state Of feverish excitement. The
water power Of Massachusetts, is 4 very
important consideration. She runs all
her machinery by it, even to her great
moral mill Take away the water power
Of Massachusetts,, and very little except
dry bones would be left. She must have
water 10 drink or her laws regulating
lppetites must give way to the higher
aw of thirst Such a calamity might
set the world back centuries. The whole
owes it to itself to keep Mass.
aehusetts mills all going if it would not
zee the wheels of progress turning the
wrong way. Our first great duty should
be, even at the expense of every other
interest, to see that Massachusetts, is we'll
supplied with water.
Seriously, the farmers are predicting
mother short crop; it will be the third
u succession, and the state cannot stand
uch shortcomings much longer. They
ire getting alarmed at the plague of dust,
md long for session of good, whole
some, comfortable mud The papers
mention a strange coincidence between
he establishment of the Washington
weather. bureau and their two-years dry I
pell They are almost ready to make
up their minds that this interference in
he weather business has brought the
lrouth. Although the distant kingdom
# Persia. with no weather bureau, has !
,een similarly, and still more deeply J
flicted, they are beginning to look sus
at Gen. Myer as a Jonah. A
title longer, and they will advocate
hrowing him and his bureau overheard
o propitiate the elements.
The facts are that many portions OF
he world are suffering greatly from
routh, and some countries are famished.
less raia has faller, and according to the
heories of some scientific men, there was
necessarily less to fall 4 Scotch as
roDomer some years ago predicted gen.
raj drouth, and explained it upon scien-
ifc principles. The drouth came, wheth
II or not the reckoning was correct. The
heory was that the earth had drifted
nto the cold wave which it is 10 the habit
# meeting every ten or fifteen years.
The cold wave seems to have been real
zed last winter. a diminution in the
upply of heat necessarily decreased the
and less water is sucked up
rom the sea to be sprinkled over the
and. We know from actual tests that
he fall of water In the United States for
welve months past was short OF the
,sual abundance. Reports from Eng
and. made up from reliable statistics,
i've the average rain fall during the past :
ear tyenty-two inches. the usual supply :
eing thirty inches. This would make :
deficiency of over million gallons OF :
,ater per square mile. Similar observa>
ions aud calculations in the tropics indi. p
ate the same general result From all !,
his it would appear that the cry OF Il
-ater famine in many sections is not
ithout some foundation in reason.
We have suffered some ourselves for p
ant of rain, but lately the clouds seem p
, be makeing up for lost time and pour
own their torrents upon the least pro- Il
ocation. Il
rba first dav of Adams life must