The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-09-03
THE DROUGHT.
Il Extends Throughout Almost the En-
tire COuntry-ShOrf Crops. &c.

/ From every county in Maryland comes
reports of thoughts. No rain of Importance
I has fallen for semc weeks. The ground
4 is parched aud the hot sun is drying up
! the corn, potatoes and all la.e crops and
( is damaging fruit The cora crop will not
/ yield much over oRe-half the average the State
over The late corn will almost be a failure.
/ 1t is nov, it is believed, past redemption
should rain ldIl
The same reports come from the North,
/ West and portions of the South, and all late
crops are seriously injured. Manufactures
using water are also iutertered with.
I The New York correspondent OF the Phil
adelphia Ledger writes rs follows on We'd
/ nesday The whole country for fifty miles
/ around, as far as vegetation is concerned,
! seems to be burnt up. The drought has
( now lasted some six weeks, and if we do not
| have relief soon it is probable that q good
many of the worthy Long Island and West
I chester farmers and gardeners will be ruined.
/ The wells on Staten Island, and in many parts
/ of New Jersey are all dried up, and water
has TO be brought from long distances, and
must be well paid for at that. Inc dust
On the roads outside the metropolitan
1 limits is absolutely sufiocating. Here in the
! city the worst Inconvenience we experience
/ is the low state of the Croton, which declines
/ to mount higher than the second. story OF
I many dwellings. If the drought continues,
( manufactures aud other establishments that
are using much water viii be notified that
/ they will have to reduce consumption until
/ the reservoirs are replenished.
\ dispatch on Wednesday from Cincinnati
says From all directions South aud West
4 comes reports ofdistress from drought Cat
I tie are suffering greatly for water, and MINI
Z erons county fair has been abandoned alter
l.
sheep are dying by hundreds for want OF
water. Cisterus and wells are all dry, and
Z drinking water has to be hauled many miles.
+ Fences are rs dry as finder, and sparks from
[ trains are causing great damage by hre.
From the mountain districts OF Kentucky
come the only reports Of good crops.
Z Throughout all the dozen mountain counties
/ rain has been plenty all the season, and the
crops are unusually hue.
Navigation is virtually closed on the Ohio
river. None but little Cumberland and Ken.
lucky river boats are running, ana but ie" oil
them. The river business Is suspended
{ Dispatches to the Chicago Times say that
/ hardly drop OF rain has fallen IN and about
Z Gibson, H., since the middle OF June, aud
I the dust lies from two to five inches deep.
I The fields look IS though sirocco had pass
I ed over thea. There Is absolutely no pas
,urage. The majority OF the wells are dry.
Z A serious water famine Is threatened in De
catur H.. and the region about that place,
and stock IS suffering. In Berrien Springs
7 Mich, there has been no rain for SIX weeks,
and vegetation IS about DESTROYED. Late
potatoes are entirely ruined. The weather
/ Is very warm, the Thermometer running GP 20
( lDaa on Sunday. In Lansing. Mich, Mira.
! Curren vas sunstruck on Monday, aud died
/ in fifteen minutes. Monday and Tuesday
were the hottest of The season III Lansing
Z lO2' in the shade.
The excessive drought ia Virginia has a..
Z sumed proportions OF so alarming character
{ that even the heated Poliuca! contest IN that
Stale Is losing its interest. Reports from
. every section are coinc5dent as 20 the exist
ence o. an absolute water famine. At Lynch
7 burg the James river is SO low that boys
I easily wade scross IL. Ia Southwest Virginia
T there has been no rain worth mentioning ioF
neatly thrrc moa,hs Even the carefully
cared iur kitchen gardens are harmed out. al
the EFisl mills are closed, and many Of The
Z poorer class q farmers have been obliged 20
z sell their cattle and horses Tor lack % forage.
! Springs that have flowed without stiHt for
T forty years are uow drv, and the best wells
! arr empty. Similar notes Of rum come irVu
T Pulaski, Wythe, Roanoke, FrAnzHa, Bed
I iu.d. Patrick, Campbell, B0teioari, Ailegha
ny. Nielsen, Alhcmarle, Page, Madison, Rap
I p&haaaaek, FaaqulcF, lsoudoan, LlsyN I rcd
erick. Not;owny, Lancaburg, Meckleaburg,
Powhaian, Prince Edward. Charlotte, Pli;-
sylsaaia and even a large proport,oa et The
iiicwaier section. The situation IS terrible,
+ and unless copiogs rams fall very soon there
T MSS, be widespread disaster.
E The water in the Red aUd Assintboiae nv
/ css has fallen 10 saeh an cxtcni rs 20 affect
. navigation The boats have stopped running
T 20 Foss E.lice.
I A dispatch froa Fredericksburg. Va, Sep
tea Der !, SAYS -- Fhe unprecedented dfoath
+ prevailing in NottheFa Virginia has been d.
sassroas 10 the corr crop. Ia some portions
/ rasa has not fallen for three monihs- There
IS % food sas cattle, and, 10 soue eases, The
people travel thirty siles Tor hrcais'nTs. Ia
I the upper RAppahannock wafer Is haalzd
I from she rivcr Tor hogschold use, and the
supply FROM the river is 50 reduced thai the
! large mills here are gaAbie 10 do more than
custom uozk. Other manufacturing esiab
iishmrn's have been compelled 20 suspend oP.
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