Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-25
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
The Great Peril Of the Drouth.
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The matter o. supremest gravity now
confronting the people Of the United
States, and of far more public serious
ness than current Political discussions,
is the drouth. This touches the life Of
the people at all points to threaten 1t.
When it is stated that Lake Cham ola in
is eight feet below hish-Watcr point F;
that it is possible to walk across the
ohio river in places where usually the
water is 80 feet deep: that many t:.irs
are mehaccd by a water supply too
Slnall to afford fire protection ana fast
approaching the place when it must be
sharply husbaned for drinking plroos-
es; when mills are down over Il wide
area because Water-power has failed ::
when forest fires are burning in The
great Adirondack region, i'll Maine and
ether New England states and through
out almost the entire Northwest, and
are barely held from the widest dovas-
tatl"n, and the fire has crept under
Sround-Wc have a situation full of the
dcadliest possibilities.
Not even the light and casual rain
comes to nclp out mankind Nor would
thiS render any great service IN con-
trolling the dangerous situation 1t
will require long and strong outpour-
ing to sink down and extinguish forest
IirtS that are ttnaCiously smoldering
beneath the surface. 1t is pitiable to
look upon the rivers Of this region re-
duced 10 proportions such as the Oldest
'Efabitdnt scarcely remembers to have
seen before. The volume of paper upon
which newspapers rely is very low
r,it nr icb
rllp. Added to all this comes the dan
ger iroin fire Already there are more
cuntlagratnns than usual. and the ut
most care should be exercised lest fires
become started. The case of the CITY
where, when a threatening fire began.
he flremcn We're told they could use
ne water tor one hour only. lest the
drinking supply he dangerously drawn
upon, is too nearly the case generally.
All that has saved the country from
forest fires of uncomfortable propOr-
TONS and the most devastating results
is that we have happily had a few high
winds. Should the wind blow strongly
where fires are burning results terri
bic to contemplate would inevitably re
suit, unless the long and soaking rains
soon come. Here is a situation as wide
as the country. beside which the con-
tentionS and bitter determinations of
pohtlcS shrink to comparative unim-
portance. The country will be safe
whoever is elected president Of the
hlttd states, but is will not be safe if
me orouth continues through thu re-
gions where tic smoke of countless
| ."rcSt fires hangs dark and threaten
| ing over the people. No wonder that
IN 50 many cases the authorities Of our
| churches have called on the peopla to
| fray that rain may come. 1t is Il stu
atlon where the helplnssneSs of man in
| the fac" ~ Nature becomes glooinily
oppressive and in their helplessness
| men ar" turn Il To the Higher Power
| Iher" Is a lesson 10 be learned from
| the very Widespread drouth tina. ough,
| to take mold upon tho minds of the peo-
| pie. In thc long run we have got e.
perfect arrange mcntS expensive though
| these mus tie. for saving the flood
waters by reservoirs The need for this
IS very krenly appreciated in states Of
| the West, where water for irrigation
| purposes IS Gf the utmost consequence
| ana hence. We Lave the reason for the
| extensive irrigation works and reser-
| NolrS winch the national treasury 1.
beng draw upon to supply. Mcasur es
are being taken hy which even the wa.
| ter from c!nudlursts is to be conserved
| Tor the use of man. 1T is only neces
| Siry To look as far back as last Nav I,
discover that much of the country now
most severely parched with drouth wa.
then plagued with foods. Had there
Eecn system Of dams to hold back :
lalge portion Of the food water in stcr
age the present shortage would be
greatly ohviated. The conservation O
oar natural resources means, anon,
other things, the outstanding Of noo{
waters for service in periods of drouth
TIE f'hilaicli hia Press points out in
stances Of streams whose flood water,
are not allowed to run altogether t.
waste. 1t says that while the Monon
gahela river lis now receiving very lit