The record-union., 1897-10-08

experience of the Oldest settlers in ST.
Clair and adjoining counties the pres
ent drought is without parallel For
two months there has been practically
no rainfall in this section and the tenn
perature has ranged above so degrees
in the shade almost daily during all
that time
The damage done by the drought in
Southern Illinois cannot be accurately
estimated, but it has been great The
heaviest loss to the farmers is on the
corn crop, which has been cut down 30
to TO per cent. by the dry weather 1t
has also done much damage to all late
vegetation and to the fruit crop gem
orally.
Hundreds of wells, cisterns and
creeks have entirely failed, and a wa
ter famine is threatened over a large
area of country. Many farmers re-
siding east of Mascoutah are hauling
water distance of six miles. The
water in the Kaskaskia River has
reached the lowest stage in years.
In addition to the severe loss on
crops of various kinds, the farmers
will have to provide unusually large
quantities of feed for their stock, ow-
ing to the parched condition of all the
pastures. The stock feeding season
begins fully two months earlier than
usual as a result of the continued
drought
DRYEST SEASON FOR YEARS.
KENOSHA (Wis.), Oct 7.-Old set
tiers of kenosha say this has been the
dryest season for years in this part of
the country Vegetation has been
parched and crops blasted. Wells and
springs have dried up, and, as a result
OF scarcity of water stock has suffered
greatly. Prairie fires in Somers and
Bristol caused by sparks from passing
engines, destroyed considerable prop
erty belonging to the farmers All
kinds of means have been adopted to
stay the advance of the flames. In
some cases where the fire was appar-
emily extinguished it continued to burn
below the surface.
SITUATION IN ARKANSAS SERI-
GUS
LITTLE ROCK (Ark). Oct. Z
Drought and forest fires are playing
considerable havoc in Arkansas, and
the situation grows worse every day.
Thousands of dollars of valuable tim
Der and other property has been de-
stroyed by fire, and stock in nearly all
sections of the State are suffering from
the scarcity of water, while in some
places there is not enough obtainable to
supply the people with drinking water.
No general rain has fallen for over six
ty days, and in some localities the
drought is Of even longer duration.
The forests, being as dry as tinder,
and the ground covered with dry leaves
and decaying vegetation, have furnish
ed splendid material for fires, and from
all sections reports Of disastrous forest
confagrations are being received
Miles of fence have been destroyed, saw
mills burned, cabins gutted, and in some
instances the flames have been commu-
nicated to large fields of open cotton,
which were destroyed.
In hundreds of localities wells and
springs have entirely dried up, and peo-
pie are hauling water from the nearest
streams, which in some sections are
twenty miles distant Nearly all late
vegetables have been parched in the
fields. People in many localities are
holding meetings and praying for rain
LATE CROPS BURNED UP.
CHATTANOOGA (Tenn.), Oct. r
The drought in this section is unprece-
dented. Late crops have been literally
burned up. Ordinarily large streams Of
water have gone dry, and complaints
numerous and mournful came in from
all points in the territory adjacent to
Chattanooga. Since August 23d the
rainfall has amounted to only .007 of
an inch. The Tennessee River at this
point, ordinarily at good boating
stage at this season, shows a depth OF
only five-tenths of foot.