The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-03
NINETY-NINE IN THE SHADE.
A Serious Suggestion in Behalf Of the
Troubled TOilerS.
THE DAYS RECORD
Ono Hundred and Fifty-One Cases Of SunstrOke,
Fifty.threc Of Which Were Fatal.

50
now the ruling topic OF conversation among all
classes OF the community The broil has become
not only very serious matter but has assumed the
alarming characteristics OF dread calamity. 1t Is
co be very much feared that sufficient Importance
Is not attached to the ravages the sun has been
making and consequently that precautions to guard
against the effects OF the heat have been either
indirerently considered or not thought worth
being adopted. There can be no doubt at all but
that some action should be taken, II such weather
as have had for several days past is to continue,
whereby our humber working people, and indeed
the working classes generally, should not be ex-
pected permitted to expose their lives to the terri
BILE strokes of the SUMS rays The record OF the
sunstrokes for several days past and of the deaths
which resulted ought to be SUFFICIENT to suggest that
1t is little short Of murder to allow men or women
to expose themselves to an excessive heat, the ef
fects OF which so seriously concern human life ITSELF
Yet all over the city there seems not to be the
least effort made to mitigate the penalties
OF this great misfortune to large numbers
of persons Had there been SO many
lives lost, as they have been, by unwise exposure
to the weather or from the exhaustion from work
indoors; by some calamity arising from mems cu-
pable negligence cry OF indignation would be
heard from oil sides, and condemnation freely
vented for the lack Of precauti0n which had been
the cause OF the occurrence.
Judging from the heat of yesterday there Is likely
to be a continuance OF the evils except action be
taken Immediately 1t had been hoped that the
herceness of the heat would have moderated be-
fore now and that though still excessively hot
the temperature would not be absolutely
sickening and that the beginning OF the
end might be experienced. But this was
merely visionary speculation, as appeared during
yesterday, for rs relentlessy as at any time pre-
viously the hot shafts descended upon the city,
sending the blood OF the people up to boiling
heat and firing the roofs OF the houses, the
stone pavements and everything out of DOORS
The COOL summer morning air, so delightful
to inhale and the refreshing evening beeze dsap-
peared and in their stead we had the hot atmos-
phere around, the oppression or the thick close
ness and the restless feeling that comes from such
combination As the morning wore on there was
not the slightest relief to be had from the scorching
temperature At noon the mercury In the
Thermometer stood at 81 degrees, having
at six O'Clock A. NJ From noon until three O'Clock
P. M. the mercury slowly moved up to the hundred,
and at three O'Clock P. M. 1t stood at 80 degrees
1t is easy therefore, to form an idea Of the cond-
ton Of the city during the day. The heat yesterday
was some shades greater than on the day previous,
eS degrees, and at three O'Clock P. NJ the
same day at 90 degrees. But though the
nsd e advantage IN the
| cOus breezes which were greediIy seized upon by
wayfarers and anxiously looked for ct the inter
| sections Of streets having an open sweep to the
river. Even in front OF the HERALD Building, with
the mercury pointing to 100 degrees, fresh, DELI
tanning the faces Of the crowd around the ther
mometer, making passers-by stand to enjoy the
It was really most pitiable spectacle to travel
along the docks at the lower end OF the city during
the day. ana away up town on tine east and west
streets down town and on the crowded
| to see the wOrkmen sweltering under the sun,
the heavy globules Of sweat falling from their faces
every motion Of the poor fellows bodies showing the
excessive exhaustion from which they were suffer.
| ing Yet there was more commtseratfon expressed
for the dumb brues attached to the wagons than to
these men, who at any moment during the day might
without unreasonable anticipation, have dropped
dead at their work. 1t was the same among the
men engaged in putting up buildings in the uptown
districts all Of them being exposed fully to the most
powerful sun rays without even the slightest shade.
1t is not probable that these men could do days
work under such circumstances, and 1t is absolute
cruelty either in themselves to attempt to do 1t or
tempt. AS for the car drivers the "'bus" drivers,
truck drivers and wagon men OF all Sorts 1t is not
too much to say that tnes lives are con-
and that even II they escape the terrible
sunstroke they must necessarily suffer much from
proved by the continued exposure to the causing
Influences again and again; rather the more con.
tinued the exposure the greater the danger of
It would seem, from all the circumstances, that
there ought to be some understanding come to by
which, during the hours from noon to four O'Clock
P. NJ this exposure Of life should be discontinued
while the heated term lasts 1t Is INTENDED to say
Of the excessive heat to ''ie or and loaf" but 1t
Is earnestly suggested that where at all possible
the men, while working full hours should do so in
part In the evening, all work during the afternoon
hours, when the sun pours down Its rays most In
idea, nor would it be the first time it was
found necessary to adopt It IN this city,
it having been put TO practical test here in the
summer Of1848. Even this summer It Is being avaed
OF in large cities farther South. little incOnven-
fence might be caused by such an arrangement, but
eratfons when the mere defenceless toilers are to
reap benefit which SO seriously concerns them,
and especially when human life is at stake.
1t may, however, not be necessary that this re-
source should be put in practice. There were, as
has been said fresh breezes blowing during yester
day afternoon, the like Of which we have not felt
80 high, at one time, that people thought they
saw in the sky some heavy. dark and
toward toward the su city and burst into generous
fall Of rain But this anticipation was only on
the atmosphere and the burning light still losing
nothing Of Its glistening sheen. Nature, however,
regulates herself with wondrous laws OF precision.
and likely enough those breezeS that famed the
city yesterday may be the harbngers OF more per-
manent relief.
The comicai side of the city's broil still goes on
without interruption, and 1t may safely be said,
now that everybody Is so well cooked, that there
is no FUN IN laughing at anybody else on the grid.
iron. 1t Is difficult, however, not to smile at the
ponderOus heavy people, who all in gravy and
are altogether too fat ever to come to any
thing like respectable feeling while the mercury
stands above seventy. As II these were not enough
Of ills heaped upon us, here, too, we have the ice
men going back on u.s. as Is alleged, and resorting
demand in their line OF business 1t Is said that the
icemen, availing themselves OF the topsy-turvy
state OF things and with an eye to what may yet
be in store for us, give only half measure
and that for a payment with an advance OF fifty
In circulation about this grievance, and remon-
strances Of grave nature have been made to the
ofYenders. The icemen, however, In defence, deny
tho chea ting mart charge. and with some show of