The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-09
SLEEPING ON THE ROOFS.
WHERE MAHYsBEK REP0sE ON SUI
TRY SUMNER NIGHTS.

pen,xen. Of the Crowded Tenements Fipdiss
on tho Heusetops their only Pure Air and
Hest-A Death scene ON a Roof.
The climate Of New York during the hot.
Ary summers, closely resembles that OF the
Holy Land, and somc at least Of our devices Tor
mitigating our sunerines under the heat are not
unlike the ways Of the generations that lived
when the mummies were fresh The ancient
Hebrews cooled themselves on their housotops,
aud at certain seasons lived there In temporary
booths Tho Arsbilns, from the Euphrates TO
Jerusalem sought the refreshing GOODNESS OF
the evening breezes on their roofs anu 'no
Eeyptiaus habltuslly assembled there 'ne
Moors worshipped there, with heads turneu 70
ward tho ssttinq sun, and with them the Gus
com OF using the house top as favored piaoe Oh
family resort travelled along the African coast
into Spain, thence to Mexico, and South Amen-
GA. Perhaps 1t even ante-dates, on TINS oont'-
mont, the Spanish invasion, and the extinct race
of Yucatan may have aired themselves ON their
lofty roofs when UImal was in Its prime.
During the last heated term in this city tho
roofs became the place Of refuge from the close
foul air OF the narrow tenement rooms, aud
many were the roofs on which slept the eatire
population OF one Of these houses, whose num-
bers rival those OF a email village, and on Sun
dav evening when the sudden heat again beat
down on the city the roof was again the place
OF refuge. On tenement house In Oinal street.
towering over all others In the neigh borhood.
eight families slept on Sunday night. 1--WE
have ped up here all summer" an old man
Bsid. About four weeks ago, when we could
not sleep down stairs, we drew lots as to VINO
should have the best places then came n few
cool nights and some gave up their places To-
night see all hands back again. You see there
are good and bad places up here. just as In a
theatre. Near the chimney is the poorest place
for the bricks are sometimes warm. We give
abe young unmarried fellows, VIII 4 amt got no
jim-jams, the outside berths, near the cor
Dices, where the women folks are AFRAID 10 60
One wants THIS ana tne other thst. .u, we
one has fallen into bis place Us a good company
of soldiers would at roll call. A week ago,
forty nine souls slept sOundly up here.
On one housetop Ia Macdougal street the
father had raised canvas tent over his mattress,
and thereon lay his two children. smiling at tue
future. while his wife served tea and cake.
Walking along the roofs OF a row OF ten houses
vast uocoyered dormitories. on one OF them a
little wasted child, with the hectic flush Of death
ON its sunken cbeeks, rested In Its mother s
arms, victim OF the former heated term.
Around the sorrowing group the boarders slept
~ though death bid not chosen one OF their
with . glass of water to cool the little ones
parched lips, Its ewes closed in death. and the
CRY OF the grief. stricken mother broke the still
The hot weather did IT," the father said,
while tears streamed down bis cheeks. 81
knew we should lose hsr soon as we had an.
other spell OF warm weather. All she wanted
vas country ale; but we are Door, and couldn't
hnord II, even to save my chilo's iife."
This IL the beet part OF the house." said q
Teuton In RiynRton street. and II the land.
lord would only stretch All awning over the roof
u would be q blessing to the poor tenants. The
Homen afraid Of rain, and though they know
IL will do themselves and the children good to
como up here on the roof. they keep them In
che hot rooms rather than run the risk Of theiI
patching cold up here During the last heated
term the roof was covered every night for over
hhree weeks"
81 have slept up here every nigh, 70, i've
weeks" said hearty man on a roof IN william
street, and have gone TO work In the morn.
ing as fresh as II we didn't have any hot wealth
Or, while my companions In the shop looked
Tagged out and tired" Yes" added his wife
land / believe we have saved the baby BY
bringing him up here"
All along the Bowery, through Little Ger
many" In Sixth, Seventh. Eighth. and Ninth
avenues, and In all the cross streets where the
on Sunday night.