The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1910-10-27
DRIEST YEAR
YET RECORDED
Many hss England Towns Fac
Ing a Water Problem
FARMERS GREATLY DISTURBED

Meaere supply and People Who De.
pend Upon Wells and Streams Fully
Realize Need Of Rain--Emerseney
and Auxiliary Water Sources Beina
Sought In Several Places
Boston. Oct. rs Unless the next
three weeks bring forth fairly heavy
rains for New England. many towns
and districts must face a troublesome, /,
il not serious. situation In regard 20
their water supply for the winter.
Tue time when rain would aid vegeta-
tion has passed the great need nov y
for replenshmeut Of the water sup
plies needed for drinking and other
honsehod purposes aud for stock
Already the farmers IN southern
parts of Vermont and New Hampshire
are, In a number Of instances. Obliged
20 haul water for their stock over long
distances and some towns in both OF
those states, as well as Massachu-
setts, have taken steps to erect emer-
gency pumping stations and other
water procuring devices The board
OF selectmen OF Spencer has issued a
warrant for town meeting for the
sole purpose of considering business of
the wafer department.
The full extet Of the drought Is not
realized by people who have the ser
vice Of the metropolitan district, for,
thanks to the wonderful system of
storing water which has been deyel-
oped under the guidance Of the met
ropolltan and sewerage board, there
are some billions Of gallons Of water
stored up for just such situation as
now exists
But the towns and cities dependent
upon more meagre supply and the
folk who denend upon wells and near.
by streams for their water know full
wen how badly irin Is needed Even
they may not be aware that this bids
fair to be the drlest year on record In
Boston and ylcinity since the Boston
branch of the weather bureau service
was established in 1871.
There have been only three months
this year, to date. with precipitation
in excess OF normal and those three
months January, February and June
provided a total excess Of less than
two and one half inches. On the 9th
u hand there have been three months
with a total rainfall Of less than two
inches and this month bids fair TO be
another, with total precipitation mp
TO today Of only sc Of an inch, two
thirds OF which resulted from the
storm which began Saturday and end
ed Sunday.
The total rainfall from the first day
of January, this year, up to this
morning, was 222 inches. In the
same corresponding period Of 1908,
which was the driest year on record
in Boston, according to weather
bureau figures, the precipitation to
the end Of October was 26 SO inches
What the remaining few days OF Oc-
tober will bring forth Is, OF course,
problematleal
Many towns are forced stlll to rely
on meagre auxiliary sources for their
drinking water, while that which Is
thus obtained Is generally admitted
TO be much below the standard. So
true has this been in some places,
notably Halmer, that positive orders
have been issued that II must be boiled
before using for drinking purposes. In
several cases the lack Of water has
ieopardized the safety Of towns from
fire. The imposed restrictions Of the
use Of municipal supplied water to abb
solutely necessary purposes Is quite
general through central and western
Massachusetts.
While the drouth has affected, more
or less, nearly all the New England
streams, It's results have been par
ticularly noticeable in the remarkably
low stage Of the smaller ones. More
than dozen small mills, and several
larger plagts, have been forced to
shut down half day at time be-
cause Of o lack Of sufficient water to
furnish the necessary power This
has brought temporary idleness to
seVeraI thousand persons
with the failure Of the usual sources
Of supply, towns and manufacturing
corporations have been forced to seek
emergency and auxiliary sources The
parched face Of Mother Earth has
been SCARED anew by the sinking Of
many artesian wells TO bring to needy
man the water which lies hidden In
the springs beneath It's surface Tap
ping remote sources, additional miles
OF pipe have been laid TO carry the de-
sired water to the communities.