The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-26

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So far we have enjoyed one of the most
moderate Summers on record, and, though
still in the midst Of the heated term, we have
reason to be alike cheered and cautioned.
The thermometric range in New York. during
the months of April, May and June, fell decid-
eddy below that for the corresponding period
of the two previous years; and July's mean
range will probably be much lower than the
normal mean. In the health reports for the
week ending July IL there were 600 deaths,
and in the previous week 683, against 1851
and 1,022 in the respectively corresponding
weeks of last year-a most wonderful differ
ence, to be explained in part by sanitary pre-
caution, but chiefly by the remarkable weather
which has prevailed.
It is of the highest interest to science, both
sanitary and meteorological, to trace this
weather to its physical causes. There are
strong reasons for referring it to the marked
and seldom equalled fall of snow during the
past Winter on the vast and lofty line of the
Rocky Mountains Our readers will remem-
Der this fact, in connection with the dis
astrous snow storms of Minnesota and Utah,
in which so many human beings persisted.
The accumulation of an extraordinary snow
fall and ice formation on the Rocky Noun
tains, it is obvious, would have decided
this dissolution been sudden the desolating
floods of June would have been far worse
than they were in the rivers of the TRANSMITS
souri, region but the melting of the glaciers
and avalanches has, apparently, been gradual
and gentle, while the effects upon the atmos-
phere have been most marked. We know
from the science of heat that in the iquefaction
of one cubic foot of ice heat enough is with
drawn from the surrounding atmosphere
to lower over four hundred times the same
volume Of air one degree, and when we apply
this fact to the iquefaction of the Auean ice
masses that sheet and pinnacle the Rocky
Mountains through thirty degrees of latitude
and twenty of longitude we discover the
secret of those vast waves of cool dir which,
even in Midsummer, are launched at intervals
from these Western ranges and borne by the
westerly winds eastward towards the lakes and
the Atlantic seaboard. Indeed, at the very
period when the SUMS sway is most undis-
puted, from the 18th to the 23d inst, one of
these refreshing and invgorating aerial waves,
as shown by the weather reports, was passing
from the great plains over the lakes and de-
scended over the Ohio Valley, the Eastern,
Middle and South Atlantic States, with aston
ishingly high barometers and low thermom-
eters. ssat
These physical phenomena explain alike the
previously unexplained delicious GOODNESS of
the Pacific seaboard climate in Summer and the
occasional propagation Of this GOODNESS to
our own Atlantic seaboard. But it must be
borne in mind that when the dog days of
August come the cause assigned for this
climatic result has ceased to have its full
force; the SHOWS Of the Rocky Mountains,
whose MEETINGS Fremont found to swell the
volume of the North Platte as late as July,
vanish with that month, and the real dangers
of the Summer, in a sanitary point of view,
are then made manifest In the occasional
though very transient reliefs from excessive
heats and from droughts we have had much to
encourage the hope of escaping this year with
out the great prostration experienced last
year. The high temperature of the last two
days should not be taken too discouragingly
into calculations on the general result.
But, as we said in the outset, we have
reason to be cautioned by the approach of the
malarial and really the most trying month Of
the Summer. Let the health authorities and
the private citizen, encouraged 80 far by the
sanitary conditions of the city and by the
favorable weather vouchsafed US, vie with
each other in waging relentless war against
everything that can invite or feed the pesti-
lence or the epidemic.
The indications from the Board of Health,
so far, have been almost as encouraging as the
results springing from the weather. Within
the past three days the booths at Washington
Market have been demolished and much filth
cleared away. Other sanitary reforms in
other parts of the city have been accom-
plished All this is we'll as far as it goes but
the trouble is it fails to go far enough. The
action against the fat boilers has been mere
child's play. No manly, straightforward.
determined effort has been made to compel
the rendering companies to respect the
health authorities or to quit business
which imperils whole city. The Board Of
Health, at its meeting yesterday, made some
progress with the details of the suppression
of nuisances, but the absence of broad plan
is made all the more perceptible. The
business of a rendering company is one unfit
to be conducted in the midst Of q teeming
population Foul odors breed disease and
death constantly, and are ever inviting pesti-
lencs to the houses Qf the people. Apd it is
not rendering companies alone to which this
remark applies. There are other branches of
business besides fat melting, as oil refining
and compost making which are quite as det-
Eimental. The Board of Health should see
TO IL that all these nuisances are cleared