The Somerset reporter., 1908-07-16
NUMBER %
The Drouth VERY Severe.

The drouth which has prevailed al
most without interruption since cary
last month has already been 20
cause Of immense damage TO al kinds
OF crops and must result in still great
or injury unless a substantial rainfall
occurs within the next few DAYS.
Haying is already in progress and re
general report Is to the effect nat
about halt a normal crop will be mar
vested and that Of rather poor quail
ity. A ride in the country shows feds
of corn with the blades curling, and
curling and following leaves on peas,
and beans. Gram which vas s1wn
early has matured fairly well, ut ne
stocks are short and the heads nov
forming are small with the prospect
that the kernels will be OF scant size.
Other pieces Of grain, sown late, or
upon clay or sandy soil, snare fully n
the calamity following such lack Of
the least but they are already injured
and must be subject to arrested
growth if We do not have rain at
once. The early part of the summer
Of 1903 witnessed some such q coIdi-
ton as that now obtaining, but Al ac-
custOmed to observe the weather
agree that the present drouth Is me
worst that We have mad n this section
within the memory of the present
generation.
Notices were issued on Monday by
Herbert Wentworth, manager CT tae
Skowhegan Water Company, ina. -
customers must use water for domes-
tic purposes only and that the Use Of
hose would be bsClutely prohibited
until the present condition If modi-
fed by a substantial rain. The com
pany has two pumps, one at its sta
ton at the eddy and one at the mead
of the Island. The first named has
capacity of 500 gallons per minute
and is the one usually depended upon
the source Of supply at the Eddy De
ing presumably better than that of
the other pump which mas its intake
located in the kennebec river. The
present drOuth, however, mas Been 50
severe and protracted that the supply
at the artificial pond at the EDDY,
where the pumping station is located,
is way below normal. This being me
case, the pump at the head OF the
Island, operated by power from the
Electric Light Station, has been run
night and day but the increased use
of water, as the dry weather con-
tinued and lawns and gardens began
TO receive the attention of their own
ers. has been such that the usual level
Of "a or = 10
tanned. The officials of the water
company estimate the normal de-
mand to be about 100000 gallons per
day, Just about the capacity OF the
standpipe. They found however. the
first of the present week, that they
were pumping twice this amount and
yet were falling behind in their
efforts TO maintain the usual pressure.
The notices above referred 70
seemed to have the desired effect and
enabled the water company 70 "catch
up to some extent. The pressure at
Samson's drug store, yesterday morn
ing, was so lbs, indicating nearly a
full standpipe. On the strength Of
this improve uent, other notices were
issued yesterday. notifying customers
that they could use water through
their garden hose, between the hours
of six and seven p. m.
The selectmen have taken the con-
dition of things into account, espec-
tally with regard TO the increased
liability to fire and have employed an
extra night Waterman, John B. Nut
ting, who commenced his duties on
Monday last. The chief engineer of
the fire department has recently Civ
en- the town force pump thorough
inspection and trial and is sure that it
is in perfect working order.