The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-01
MANY SPRINGS AND
 STREAMS DRY UP
Orouth Affects Nearly Every
 Section of the Country
FARMERS SUFFER GREATLY
Industries In Birmingham Are Not Hurt to Any AppreciabIe Extent, But Farmers Are Com
 plalnlng Bitterly.

Notwithstanding the drouth which Is checking the wheels of industry through out the country. the Birmingham district is not a heavy sufferer. It is said that the dry weather which now extends from one end of the country to the other Is the worst experienced in half century
 Streams which have been giving abund- ance of water for the last fifteen years are drying up fin many parts of the Uni- ted States. and unless a spell of wet weater sets in soon 1t Is believed there will be a marked decrease in the produc- ton of coal In the Birmingham district, however, the mines are said to be so ad- mirably located In regard to water sup ply that 1t will be almost impossible to prevent a continuance of work on that account.
 The Tennessee company, the Republic company and some of the small eommer- cial companies are complaining a little but the output of their mines have not been seriously affected. The sloss- -Shef- field company is having no trouble what soever around Birmingham, but Is experi- encing considerable inconvenience in Franklin county in the vicinity of Rus sellville. where its brown ore is mined.
 The Railroads.
 In but few places has the water actu- ally given out, but by pumping the low water into the boiler scales have formed and this Is source of considerable an 1 noyance. The railroads have felt the drouth to certain extent but for fifty miles north and south of Birmingham an abundance of water can be had. In the Carolinas and in the section south of Montgomery 1t is said not a few tanks have been abandoned.
 By establishing their boilers and ma chinery near the larger water sources. such as the Warrior river, Five Mile creek, Village creek and Valley creek the coal companies have avoided trouble. Farmers, however, are making loud com plaints. Old citizens say that the drouth l Is the worst Jefferson county has known since the early forties In fact, the big spring at the old Wilson place, mile or SO beyond East Lake, has dried ur for the first time since 1929 This is ont of the most historic springs in the coun, ty, and only a few persons living now can remember when 1t succumed to drouth.
 In Pennsylvania.
 In the Connelsyille, Pa, coal regiol many of the large plants have been shu down for lack of water and newspapers of recent date from that section offer nc hope of relief at an early date. The Prick company is the heaviest sufferer in that region, and has lost thousands of dollars through inability 10 secure enough water to run the boilers
 For the first time in the knowledge of man Kentucky is complaining of lack of water Up to this time people living in staid towns were of the opinion that water was of little consequence In that land of women. horses and bourbon. It 1 appears, however that the main trouble arises In a lack of water to run the dis tilleries. Kentucky whisky, 1t Is reliably reported, contains a certain amount of 1 water just the same as other whisky. While they use no water on the side of whisky the Kentuckians admit that 1t is necessary to have certain amount of it mixed with the spirits to give body I thereto.