The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-27
RIonmosp,s w.rEx FAMINE.


Heusehoidcrs Compelled 60 Buy
water by the Pailful-A DeplOrabIe
State Of Affairs.
n. Y. World.
Richmond, Va, August 22.-Rlchmond,
usually the victim of great freshots, when
there ara heavy rains in the mountains, food
the wharves of The principal market. the gas
house and some of the main business streets,
is now suffering from famine of water, and
the greater part OF it is at the mercy of any
fire which may break out and spread under
the influences of the winds. The supply
come, rom the James river, which is at this
time lower than for forty years, the effect Of
drouth which has parched up the tobacco
on the stalks, wi.Eered the corn in the
fields and destroyed nearly all vegeta.
ton, except such as is upon moist, low
ground. For two or three years the city
council has been dilydallying about the con-
struction of new pump works, and they are
not now within six months of completion,
though they were commenced to avert ust
such calamity as now contronts the people
here. There ara only two small pumps at
work, and the water they supply runs down
INV tuu NhlIOlnI ithNlhB hup hTbbb
which is on the hills, without water for cook
ing or cleaning purposes, Already the sew
ers are oisoning the atmosphere with their
noxious odors, aud great crowds congregs,e
about the few wells and springs, although
recen! medical auto lty ha 9 declared with
singular emphasis that their water is full of
the most pernicious properties The blame is
generally placed upon the committee
on water and the spirit that an
mated them, which was so psrsi-
mOnious that rather than buy steam
pump to serve until the new pump house
was built, and to save $50, 900 they have ina
hlcted great calamity upon Richmond.
An immense Indignation meeting was called
for tonight, but under the conviction that
the authorities would do something for the
peoples relief tho meetiBg was deferred.
All that has been done to- day has been q
determination to cut all the water from the
city for eighteen hours daily and to turn it
on from six p. m. to twelve midnight. The
Mayor has however taken the matter in
hand, and 1t 10 understood will remove
every officer who does not promptly obey
orders and work to relieve the public
distress.
WILL TAKE 1T BY FORCE.
1000 men. has source Of wstar snnntn Sa
the old canal which in ertremitv iha ri; nv y
will probably be comnellad to ,ot s
posseseion of bv forcible means To I,
does II of course lava itself liabia 60,
enormous damage. Tie GAllooo 0nurins
mills and five or ak DINER estahliSbma a ~
likewise dependent on the same canal The
records of The water works and their nsnaaa.
ment show history of imhecilitv nm ,bo
part of the CITY sutborities scarcelv ever no.
fore Witnessed. Yesterday morn;ne ahou,
six o'clock. the SUNNY was sligbtIv increoSed
and In some of the uoper poriions Of tbs
CITY weak aow was obtained in The lowor
portions of the residencea. This was owina
10 factories and other places where water q
used during the week not rponirino n on
Sunday, ifhis morning bowever The tow.
porary increase was EXHAUSTED. md to.dav
the state of affairs ia as bad az before A.
the CITY spring such has been the tbron, Of
people endeayoripg to get water that a M.
liceman was stationed there in ord,r Ia nro..
vent fighting. AT other snrinps ard walls
the rush has been equally AZ great Ws,ar
during the past three DAYS has cost the citi..
zens about 1--we cents bucket. and in somo
Instances even more than this. ss in Sme
instances people have TO 20 more than a
mile for even bucketful. The Sl,l, news.
paper of this evening has the foJrw,nv in
r,f,renue 10 tbj, deplorahle state Of # ,ss.
Tho immense harm elresdv o,,,, IN Tho