Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-25
GREATLY IN NEED OF WATER.
Rain Would BE Worth Half . Million Dol
lars TO Eastern Pennsylyania.

lars to Eastern Pennsylvania.
The drouth, water scarcity and mountain
fires have all contributed to the very general
alarm which is felt throughout the eastern Sec
ton OF Pennsylvania. This is not merely the
usual yearly statement that the water supply is
very meager, but today as never before in the
Lebanon and Schuylkill valleys there is an
actual and impending water famine, serious
condition Of things never known Of before. In
the country districts hundreds of wells are dry
in every township and farmers have to go great
distances for the water. The fields which were
plowed and sown a month ago are baked hard
and dry. The once productive fields seem to
be covered with nothing but barren dust and in
many instances the seed sown early in Septem-
Der has refused to develop. while farmers are
blowing them over again. The low condition
of the Schuylkill is explained by the fact that
all the streams which empty into it have dwin-
died away into mere rivulets.
The Perkiomen. Maiden creek, Ontelaunee,
Little Schuylkill. Cacoosing. French creek,
Manatawney and others. which al this season in
other years were almost ready to burst their
banks, now only carry an Insignificant volume
of water, while many meadow streams are as
dry as bake ovens, and some farmers and stock
owners are sorely pressed for a water supply
and in some cases live stock is driven mile and
more daily to water. The Schuylkill twenty
miles above Reading has developed into a slug
gish, lazy little stream incapable of bearing
more than rowboat and it can be crossed by
merely stepping from one stone to another.
Along the Perkiomen valley everything Is dry
ing up and today the prevailing, all-absorbing
topic everywhere is the great scarcity of water
Three or four boroughs and other places in
the coal regions shut off their water supply
from householders a certain number of hours
each day. and at several boroughs in this
county notices have been posted that water
shall not be willfully wasted. A person who has
kept record says that there were ten inches
less rainfall in the Schuylkill valley this year
than during the same period last year. The
figures are: 1891, A inches: 1892. "a inches.
In Mshonoy City, Ashland and neighboring
places the authorities are especially vigilant to
prevent waste of water because Of the low
condition of the reservoirs and only turn it
on few hours daily. In many small coal
region towns children are kept from school
and their time occupied in carrying water from
long distances. while at several places water is
distributed in large tanks filed at remote
places and hauled on the ra road. Some people
entertain the fear that cold weather will set in
before the water supply is enhanced by rain.
in the event OF which the situation would be-
come doubly distressing.
This is the situation Of affairs as cleaned by
the Associated Press. and one well informed
person says that a forty-eight hours continuous
rain would be worth $500, 900 to eastern Penn
s.Nana ihis rs NOV Iaucuui picture VI the
situation, but bottom facts. Added to this
drouth and water scarcity are the mountai
fires, which have ragged in western Schuylkill
and different parts Of Berks during the past
twenty-fonr hours, and well-informed parties
declare that for the removal and destruction of
every acre Of timber the sufferings Of the COM
munity at large from a water famine will only
be SO much severer. Valuable property had a
narrow escape from destruction on the
mountains surrounding Reading Sunday night,
and hard work alone saved it from destruction.
In lower Berk at several places farmers we're
fighting flames nearly all night and hundreds
of acres of valuable timber have been DESTROYED