Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-07-25

| HoT AND HoRRID !-All words are weak
and wanting to eloquently express the
porous power with which this July, in the
year of grace 1868, has afflicted us. In truth
it is almost an impossibility to do justice to
the sweltering summer season without
some summary swearing and, therefore,
declining any desperate description, we
will coolly and calmly as we can pen
only its prominent points-not to embalm
our own miseries as much as to record it
for the posting of posterity. 1t began
well, our statistical memory has become so
muddled over these suffering sun CLEANS
that we cannot designate the precise point;
but for the sake of something like definite
data we fix it on the first of the month. 1t
commenced warm, continued warmer, and
went on warmest, going upward and on
ward in its intensity until it ended in, a
general stew. The sun seemed to have
suddenly surrounded itself with all the
power which it is said to possess in the
torrid zone, and made every place not en-
tirely accessible to the little air that some
times stirred as hot as an oven. Prosaical-
| ly, 1t played us out, but, POLITICALLY por-
trayed, according to rural rhymester-
Its very nice weather, no doubt for the corn
For potatoes and beans. and all kind of shoots
Is apt to dissolve and rur down in the boots.
For the first, fifteen days of the present
month. the fearful, feverish, persistent
heat has certainly been without a parallel
| In Lott fla~
upward day by day to the blood heat mark
Of, 100 degrees-in many localities going
beyond tfris-although here at home we
did not note it higher than 96 on fair test
Reports from all points, concur in repre-
senting the heat as being greater and of
longer duration than ever known before
while eases of sun-stroke have been more
numerous than those of any former sea-
son. In many places the thermome-
ter stood for hours. together at 100
degrees, with not enough of wind
astir to propel paper windmill.
1t was in vain for one to seek shelter in
shade, for the entire air was thoroughly
heated, and every effort at relief speedily
subsidized into growl ending in gasp. In
New York the continuous, excessive heat
exceeded any term within the past twenty
five years. The only seasons In which the
thermometers there remained at high
p tint for a number of days successively,
was in 1s45 and 1855, in the former year
touching ninetyEeight degrees. The heat
has largely increased diarrheal diseases,
and destroyed hundreds of children. In
Philadelphia, as in fact all of our large
cities, TIE weather was so very hot, pre-
venting any very active outdoor opera
tions, while large number of persons were
overcome and many died from sun stroke.
Transcribins from the record of one day,
that Of July 15th--which is fair sample OF
the whole term--we note that at noon
in New York, 100 degrees; Baltimore,
106; Richmond, 95; Rochester, 9s;
Hartford, 9S; Syracuse, 9S to 1O2;
Boston, 80; Poughkeepsie up the Hudson,
markedup to 105-thereby disputing the
prize with Baltimore. There were 100 cases
of sun stroke reported in New York-an
unusually large number of which termina-
ted fatally-11 fatal cases in st Louis; 20
in Cincinnati, 13 being fatal in Roches-
ter, of which were deadly; I6 in Phila-
delphia. Now for the day tollowing-July
18th, we find Richmond quoted at 107 de-
grees; Trenton, over the river in Jersey,
81; Montreal, away up in Canada, 106; at
Augusta, Georgia, 100; at Wilmington,
down the Delaware, 102; in the city of
brotherly love from 81 to 9s, according to
locality. Some sages suggest that the crust
of this earth is becoming thinner, and that
the central fires are having more direct
influence upon its surface-how this may
be, we know not-but prefer not to argue
it until September-at least while still
a. The pavements they are kissing hot Il
I The sky above is brazen,
And every heads as good as dead,
The sun can get his rays on