In July 1895, Blantyre, like much of Central Scotland suffered a great water scarcity. A long, dry, hot summer had caused the few reservoirs to be lacking in quantities of water. A mere 15 years after water supply was run into Blantyre, the pipes were running dry.
Emergency actions were required by authorities as horses delivered water barrels to the main streets, ensuring residents had water to drink and cook (reports don’t mention anything about washing!). As residents took to washing clothes in rivers, this vital service of delivering water ensured water was available in small quantities.
On the last Saturday of July however, the drought broke and the rains fell. It was a desirable state of weather much appreciated and residents took to filling up buckets and barrels wherever possible. One sight worth remarking though was that the rainfall fell whilst the emergency barrels of water were being delivered. Strangely, the water carts could be seen delivering water in the midst of the most fierce rainfall, an abundance of the very commodity it was delivering!
As water carts were later sent back to the towns who supplied them, 2 water carts and barrels were retained in Blantyre that summer (just in case!). AI imagines the scene.
