The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-24
SERIOUS EFFECTS
OF THE DROUGHT
ABSENCE OF RAIN FELT IN
MANY QUARTERS.
olyphant Has Practically a Water
Famine-Mines Being Worked with
DifRculty-Farmers Are Also suf-
fering Greatly, Their Late Crops
Being Devastated-But the Forest
Fires Now Raging Are the Most
Serious Results-They Are the
Most Extensive in Years.

The long continued drought is being
keenly felt in the towns north of this
city and also in the outlying country
districts where the farmers are suffer-
ing from its effects.
The water supplies Of these towns
are. of course in very bad shape. In
Olyphant, in particular, there has been
practically a water famine. certain
parts of the town being entirely with
out water for the past week or ten
days.
The mines of the Ontario and West
ern railroad up the valley are be-
ing worked with great difficulty owing
to this shortage of water. The eifti-
Guilty is being partly obviated by US
ing a special water train of eight oil
tank cars, each containing several
thousand gallons of water. These cars
are filled at the water tank at the coal
pockets near the Providence road and
the water is conveyed to the various
breakers where water is needed. The
train makes two trips daily. The Della
ware and Hudson company has also
adopted the same plan for obviating
the difficulty.
TROUBLES OF FARMERS.
But IL is the farmers who are the
principal sufferers. Their late crops are
not only being devastated but they are
obliged in many instances to carry
water for their animals and for house
hold purposes many miles. Wells
which have given plentiful supply of
water for thirty years are nov dry.
The absence of September rains
which are so essential to late crops has
| as noted above, played sad havoc with
them. The meadow lands are all
parched and dry, and unless there IS
very heavy downpour of rain in a
| short time, they will be in very poor
condition in the spring.
An example of the effects of the
| drought may be seen in the extensive
forest fires which are at present rag
| ing on all the mountains between this
city and CarbOndale. " is many year,
| since these have been SO fierce or since
they have spread over so large ar
area as now. The leaves ard vegeta.
tion generally is in such a dry condi
| tion that even sparks from passing
locomotives serve to kindle a blaze.
FIERCE FOREST FIRES.
| n pdGllCuldllN lcICe DlttHe II Una
| just a little back of and north of the
| Notch, where the flames are burning
very furiously. The view Of these fires a
night after passing through the Motel
is wonderfully picturesque and one
could look at it with interest did the
thought not come home that the for
ests are in serious danger of extinction
and that next summer instead of beins
clothed with a glorious covering o
green the hills may be only a success
sion of blackened and scared land
scape.
In many instances valuable prOpert,
is seriously menaced and extreme vigi
lance has to be used to save it fron
destruction. The smoke from thes
fires has been hanging over the cit
for number of days like a clou
making a Pttsburg effect and OBJ
structing vision to a great extent.
Only a heavy downpour of rain vii
extinguish these fires and when
comes, if it does come, it will cause
sigh of relief to escape from thousand
of persons who have directly or indi
rectly been inconvenienced by tn
| drought.