The New York herald., 1876-07-15
THE HEAT.
THE CAUSES AND TERRIBLE REsuLTs-sUN-
STROKES AND MORTALITY

livclicst curiosity regarding It's and probable
duration. There mysteries In the economy Of
nature which the wonderful Intelligence and re-
search OF man have never succeeded fathomng Not
withstanding the resources OF science her progress
has not advanced beyond the Investigation by scratch
ng II were OF the the envelope that
sncoses the truths it seeks and only by the sparks
OF hight that emanaie ffom The hard inty shell that
scientists the least important results OF
their labors Light aud heat have long furnished sub.
jecls OF study the advanced philosophers and
delivers after The OF first phcnome
non has been generally considered as intimately MS
of solar ray II found 10 be distinct
In It's operation matter, and. far known,
be regarded as independent quantity in the great
equation OF the universe.
To the animal world least light bears the same
relation to heat the OF seeing does to that
of feeling 1t Is The medium by which the presence OF
matter beyond The reach OF touch is made apparent 10
u.s. Heat is, on the other hand perceptibe iorc
which appeals directly TO the sense OF feeling, that
active of all the NAL faculties and Is trans
mitlable from one substance 10 another by radiation
absorption according to the conduct ing power OF
the matter acted upon There are three sOurcea
OF heat whence derive the volumes necessary
lite, Il must be remembered that heat -
necessary 10 vitality without II the animal functions
would remain inactive as the parts OF steam Gu
gine without the steam: These are the sum- the
Internal heat of tho earth and the combustion
OF local matter IN air The first OF these
necessarily furnishes the chief supply, TOR it is
stant one, with no perccptble dimnuton IN tho an.
nual average OF IT'S intensity. The secoad, although
equally constant, is annually decreasing IN intensity.
anu therefore, OF secondary value IN the ca iculaor
OF results The third when the two former
in combination tail to iurnlsn the supply OF warmth
which is necessary for human comfort It is essen.
TALLY artificial and is limited IN It's use to tho pur
poses OF man.
At certain seasons OF the year. when portion Of the
surface of the globe forms a nearer approach TO
right angle with tho direct rays OF the sun Than at
Others tho medium Of the air through which the suns
rays pass smaller IelractDg influence on tho
OF heat han at other seasons wnen the conditions
different and We therefore, receive the heat IRON
the sun directly or nearly SO, and every object cx-
posed to its influence its share of caloric in proper
ton Its absorbent properties. The air through
which the suns heat passes To the earth does not re-
ceive It's heat from the sun directly, but by radiation
from the earth, which aDsorbs the heat. This a
provon very fully by the fact that while the valleys
and Hat lands Of the tropics are intensely warm tho
high mountain ranges IN the same atitudes arc COW
with eternal and glaciers formed OF massive
rivers OF solid ice.
We must therefore recognize in heat affecting tho
atmosphere a reflected radiated, instead OF Direct
force in nature Now, coupled with The variable guam
TIT TO particular seasons but invariabIc as 80 an.
nual averages OF heat, from the suns rays nrst alb
sorbed by the and then radiatcd, we have tho
radiation into the atmosphere OF the unmeasurably
quantity supplied by the internal combus
the earth When the supply from these two So, ces
Is abnorIn lily great, owing TO atmospheric c"ndH ons,
experience periods Of heat such that o the present
tme but the suns heat decreased By the inter-
position OF atmospheric obstacles It's direct trans
mission then have what called cool weather.
In tho present case our heat has been
lied by two distinct causes, although both may 30
said TO have arisen out oi the operation oil one well
known law OF meteorological physics The first hYs
been the peculiar distribution OF atmospheric dens;ei
The OF the continent during The year THIS
has been marked by the eastward movement Of ex-
tended areas Of high barometer over the southern
and Of Of low barometer over those OF the
North The angle a. which the suns hoat rays have
struck the carths surface at midday IN the low lat
tudes Is SO near that OF right angle that tho
increased density OF the atmosphere indicated
by tho high bRrometric pressure docs
,erally modify their intensity, and consequently
normal temperature for those lattudcs has been main
tanned. But these southern areas o high barometer
represented, and still represent the Reservoirs as IL
were from which the air currents have been flowing
steadily northward for considerable tuic bringing
with them along the surface Of the earth large share
OF the heat which permeates the southern air. Tho
second may be briefly described as follows
The corresponding movement OF areas OF low barometer
through the Northern and Middle States brought with
them high temperature peculiar TO themselves ana
Independent OF exterior causes In fact, these areas
originate in elevations OF temperature in tho Chinese
seas, and they progress eastward over the Pucic
and the American continent they usually arrange
themselves with regard to the areas oi high pressure
present regular atcrnatons OF atmospheric den
sity There is continuous movement OF these distinct
conditions gong the toward either
pole, in northeastcrly direction in the northern
hemisphere, and in southeasteriy direction in the
southern half OF the globe. sometimes these areas
pass over given point such as Now York CITY, with
regular alienation OF high and low pressure, again.
found that the low viii pass succcBsvciy to
the norlhward OF tho city, and the high areas, IN tho
same order of movement to the southwark, the inter-
spac cs occupied by normal pressure Tho
erratc OF storms which arise IN the depressed
must not be coniounded with the movements OF
the themselves which normally obey law that
them In regular tracks such as DC indicated
by experienced mctcoroiogsts. The actual angle of
the line OF direction wiz tho equator may vary
variations Of density Of tho air or because OF topo-
graphical obstructions combining with either Of tho
foregoing causes 10 produce dcviaton hut the ro-
sultant or line OF general annual direction be
scarcely said TO vary from one year to another.
Our hot weather then. can be easily explained BY
study OF tho OF these areas OF high
aud nished pressure. Ii an area OF high barome-
ter meridian on ono parallel OF latitude
cool weather will prevail during ITS PASSAGE but
long as the high pressures move through the semi
tropical Southern states and the warm low areas
through the Northern SO long must We expect 70 saer
the foregoing remarks II Is only necessary 10 call at
tentoD the fact that the violent thunder storms
VIII usually prevail IN the South during the summer
have this year been confined altogether to tho North
crn and Middle States thus indicating the existence in
the last named sections of favorable atmospheric con-
lons for such phenomena.
DEATHS fRoM suxsrROKE
The following deaths IRON sunstroko were yesterday
reported at the Coroners Office -
Ann Cunningham, NO 32 Spring street.
William Reed, No asa Madison street.
John Vetzcn. ~ years, No 80, Ninth street
Philip Brown, 80 years, No 1s2 stanton street.
Mr.. sherman, SO years, No. 40 West Washington
place.
George speidel 27 years. No 3l5 West Thirty eighth
John Cherry, No "a James street.
Mary Bean. ii months, No. $50 seventh avenua
Frank Murphy, 30 years, No 427 East Twelfth
street
Sarah Coyle, 70 years, ST. yoscph's Home 8.
John McCo iligan, No 507 West Twenty -hfth street.
John kcrshcnheuter, year, No. 432 West Forty.
iinth street
Margaret wnp, go years, No s2a East Thirty second
trcct.
William j. Irwin. 30 years. No. $50 Sixth avenue.
Elizabeth schucr 81 years, No. 434 West Thirty
linth street
Wattbew Varner 80 vc.rs M 40 west rhivtv
econd street.
Sarah Cumming, 80 years, No. 25 Essex street.
Mary Foley, No. l66 East Thirty-third street
Mary Battle, 40 years, seventh avenue, Fifty
ixth street.
John Shay, months, No. 34s East Finy-fourth
treet.
Michael Reilly, No 242 East Seventy y.fith street
Catherine Mavin. months. No. Is Chrystie street.
Thomas Couch 30 years, fireman ut Masonic Temple.
Martin Lynch No ~ Thomas street
James r. Hayes 3S years, No 157 Ninth avenue
Marcus Mendic So years found on Mulberry street
Thomas smith, 35 years. sailor on Anchor limo Of
tcamcrs.
Daniel Holden, 45 years, found on tho OF Dey