The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-07-22 00:00:00

Ely 3totttbriby Obertur.

SAT URDAY, JULY 29, 1.876.

THE WEATHER IN JULY.

The people of these islands, whose national
topic of conversation is the weather, have lately
had something really worth talking about. The
wave of fierce heat which has passed over the
land, has reminded many of that period of heat
and drought eight years ago, when the earth
became so dry and parched that it cracked in
great lissurei in all directions ; when the
withered grass in the fields, becoming iike so
muea tinder, was set on fire by the flying
spark: from the passing locomotives ; and when
the fields, outstretched day after day beneath
the rays of the tropical sun seemed'almost
human in their expression of patient endurance.
And while all this went on for so many weeks,
the captains of the ocean steam ships which
arrived in the Mersey from New Yor, could
tell bs how in the Atlantic large
rain fal'en hul it been tti'tbiest e°cif
upon 1. ha land w.tuld hve a ma.ie the ugricat.
turis t to, j ice f It the proserity of his 11717
the success of his root e'rop.i. ' „In
Wd,,-,1 1:11!1.,V, WAS a $ °rely and brolc', 11 one
there was a d.y here anti there of ordin44
suitini A. heat, hit tin e ,rth hel no time. Co
absorb it before the sky agdia became overcast
with clouds, and thit heat which should have
been retained again eseiped, and the atmos-
phere once more becinLl cod and ungenial.
Now, lw .v; F, W h.v ha 1 s tine g.)nnine old-
w waen the therm°
fashioneil sum nt.r
meter has ma,rk.fd 80 ,h-gret s it the shade, and
considerably over 100 in ti sun. Aid although
w are ow i ii with rroin th • lo gest day, and
h r:z eia?!. h-urs
the so 1 "Si n )t )17 • t',e
y
31 /11, 111 (1:i 1111 C , : C.,11:41.101 hoLter
than It was ;hue, and
we find also that
sun's absence at night w the
ales little perceptible
difference, in the intense heat. The earth, in
fact retains the waruith poured down upon
and indeed finds it impossible to throw it oft.
Weeks of sunshine, intermitted only by OCCa-
sional showers, have produced their results in
the heightened temperature, and at night,
although no heat conies from the rays cf the
sttl, the retention of the day heat by the
eroum f Ic o• for the a ,irait hifroum
which I)v,r)jfl tiate at daii.o •:s peoide Lind it
i npossible to escape.
Many au tdaborate calculatioa has boa wads

-

showing the effect produced upon the day's
business in London, and, consequently, upon
lig. wealth and prosperity, by a few hours of
dense fog. is it possible to estimate the
Ipprexima; e result upon the working
power cf ili nation of one such a
day as has lately ikon experienced in many
parts if the country ? Take the field or the
town, the one a type of the work of the Creator,
and the other showing in its highest forms the
skill of man. The tiller of the soil is accus-
tomed to a hard and continuous labour, and the
muscles of his brawny arms are as conspicuous
as those of Longfellow's village blacksmith.
He knows what it is to face the blinding storm
in winter, and has lively remembrances of the
perpetual discomforts of tillage operations.
But even with his hardy nature, a burst of
tropical heat tells him that he cannot be
thoroughly industrious, or go about his business
with a reasonable aniount of energy when the
very air swoons round him with heat, and
clothes are scarcely tolerable. Then, so far as
the crowded town is concerned, it is excessively
difficult to conceive its ordinarily busy people
putting forth their usual activity on a day when
the pavement scorches the feet, and the city, in
spite of the shadows thrown by tall piles of
masonry, is little better than a huge Turkish
bath. Man loses all appetite for his food, and
cares for little besides draughts of cooling drink.
The constitution, indeed, at such a time, is
rendered much more liable to be attacked by a
lurking disease than in the days of frost and
snow, when the frame is strengthened by ex-
posure to the bracing atmosphere, and a large
consumption of food is necessary to supply the
loss of caloric heat which is constantly going on
in cold weather.

The torrid temperature, when it sweeps down
upon us, shows in a striking light the weak side
of those conventionalities of modern life which
have come to be adopted as binding rules.
Many would gladly dipense with necktie and
collar, would go about in canvas shoes, white
trousers, a flannel shirt, a light alpaca coat, and
a straw hat, but the usages of society are opposed
to a style such as this, and comfort is neces•
eerily sacrificed to custom. The closely-fitting
collar and the knotted tie drawn tightly round
the throat must be worn whether snow is on the
groan 1 or the thermometer is up amongst the
eighties. Diet follows the usage of attire ; and
in July, as well as in December, the city mer-
chant, on going home to dine,:will solemnly par-
take of hot soup, hot fish, and a Lot joint, and
then be lost in astonishment that the cool of the
evening brings him none of that relief such as
he had anticipated. Then he probably resorts
to iced drinks, which mitigate his sufferings for
a while only to increase them by and bye. At
such seasons a vegetarian diet is recommended
by many members of the medical profession as
producing less heat in the body than one of
animal food ; but with every desire to he cool
and comfortable, there are many who would be
nervous at the loss of strength which might
arise from such a change. Such would " rather
bear the ills they have than fly to others that
they know not of; " and as the period during
which the land is " parched by the sun's
directer ray " is generally a short one, the flesh
diet is preferred to the chance of a weakened
constitution. After all, the hot weather, which
creates so much discomfort in the busy town, s
of incalculable benefit to the farmer, whose root
crops may indeed be deficient, but whose multi-
tudinous stalks of grain are made to bend
beneath the weight of the full corn in the ear
which follows the action of bright and con-
tinuous sunshine.

THE IRON TRADE.
WOLVERHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.

There was about the usual attendance of iron-
masters and merchants on 'Change this afternoon
but the reports as to the state of trade are any-
thing but satisfactory. The works in the dis-
trict are in the majority of cases only kept going
about two days per week, whilst many others
are brought to a standstill. The demand does
not appear to improve in the least, and although
it was thougitt that some relief would be afforded
after the quarterly meetings such hopes have
not up to the present been realised. No alter-
ation is reported in prices, which remain the
same as quoted at quarter-day. The demand
for pig iron remains much about the same as
announced last week, whilst there is a great
falling off as far as the inquiry for coal is con-
cerned.

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY.

There was only a very limited attendance of
ironm asters on 'Change this afternoon, and the
business transacted was of the most limited
character. There was algood deal of talk during
the meeting about the rumoured failures in the
North of England, and there was naturally con-
siderable uneasiness, and even some anxiety, as
to the probable results, the tendency being to
weaken the market, buyers fancying that the
worst has not yet been seen. Last week, owing
to the extreme heat of the weather, there was a
large suspension of business, and owing to this.,
and a fair amount of orders for some departments
having come to hand during the week, makers are
now fairly employed. Bars are quoted at from
.t 7 to £9; plates, £lO upwards; sheets (singles)
..€9 to £lO and upwards for better qualities;
hoops, £8 10s. upwards ; fencing rods, 10s.
to X 9 10s. ; and wire rods, 10 to £ll. Staf-
fordshire cinder pigs were offered at from £2
10s. to £2. 155.; part-mine, £3 ss. to 10s. ;
and all-mine, .t 3 15s. to £4 10s. ; Northampton-
shire pigs, £3 a ton; Lincolnshire, £3 2s. to .t 3
3s. 9d.; Middlesbrough pigs delivered into this
district, long weight, 1:3 is. ; North Stafford-
shire, £2 17s. 6d. to £3 3s. GI Although the
out-put of coal has been still farther reduced,
the supply is still considerably in excess of the
demand. Good forge coal could be bought at
from 7s. to 84. 6d. a ton, and slack at from 2s.
6d. to ss.

THE -WAR IN THE EAST.