The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-14
WITH THE MERCURY AT 990.
THE OPPREsSIvE NEAT AS FELT IN
dND NEiR NEW YORK CITY.


Nonod that the storms OF IuesuV ma enuen
lhe heated term were more fcctullly dis
n,ovca Yesterday than on Wednesday. The
,omperltufe steadily increased from about 80
,tdayhrc * TO 90 In tho shade at mid afternoon.
There was hardly breeze stirring until about
iP NJ and during the hottest part OF the day
men walked the streets almost painting, and
thriving to keep of the in 'olerable heat with
umbrellas and Jap inese fans. In the hot oinces
down town, transacting business was, as one
man described 1t, worse than taking a steam
bath" 10 throw the doors wide open, send the
windows up, pull on their coats and vests dn-
button their collars. and he ieidy TO make oath
,hat such weather was n'ver seen bel 're' was
the routine for the inmates Of the lawyers,
bfokers', and insurance ofiices. and the retail
merchants did not grumble because customers
we're SC ,tce. Every possinle device to procure
shelter for those who had to walk WIS re cd
10, and the comfort BILE look OF an In
eenlous man who hai shade over HIS
sead fastened by some prctty conirvancc
To the back OF his coat collar excited envy. The
poicc r. port Of sunstrokes did not in any sum
eeni sense show the number ~ pc sons who
were temporarily overpowered by the heat. In
almost every shady side street one or more men
with ol 1ine faces and heads reekins with pers-
piraiion leaned against riillngs or sat on steps
to recover sufficient strength to face the terrible
heat again. Horses drawing carts and street
cars looked as though wafer had been poured
over them, and although considerable pains were
taken uy tue drivers To give them rest, vet they
were h-cked with foam. and many droyped In
the streets. The street cars were crowded with
persons VINO were endeav'iing To escape the
heat, but who really only went from the trying
pan into the hTe for the close air OF the over
crowded cars was hotter even th that of the
street, and the stray suuheams that struck
thrOugn tho crevices IN the blinds seemed TO
have wonderful power Of radiatinr heat
Many who were able t. escaic FROM busin IS
for "A short time He'd ~ the marks Tor relltf, but
almost In vain. Even m the shade OF the tire
II was close and warm. and the heated Rraveled
walks made tier temperature fcli by everybody
near them. The la, terry ertninly must he a
cool place" many said as they went out OF their
way T. get whir Of tue salt breeze that usually
blows over II. But II twas not cool The hundreds
WIN, hy moving - tne sin moved, tired 70 Keep
own brecz WI IA fans, nj tue rcd and black
eued walls OF old Castle Garden seemed to tie
baking IN the sun.
Hanging over the jersey mainland were white
masses of clouds, with thunder heads peep
lng IN here ana there; but the blazing sun night
overhead seemed TO beat them down, 80 that
they might bring no cooling rain 10 the parched
The towering Wis Of brick. stone, and iron
along BrOadway seemed TO be rAdiating a br zen
heat II their own, anu the shining signs on
store fronts d zzed the eyes. The 81 ges were
twi-thirds 6il-i when they starred from the
ferries, and the suffering passengers sat In their
seats rdly showing us in,ition To GET out
when they arr We'd al their destinations.
The police officers In the streets took on their
black pot h ats whenever they got chance, and
wiped tue perspirstion from their overneatsd
heads.
Washington square, usually one Of the coolest
ppots IN the CITY, had few loungers in the after
noo. Here and there sat a man or woman
tanning under tree and one or two white.
but the sun biazed down into all the walks, and
made the water around the fountain look ike
molten gold, and the children cried to be taken
Inc animals in the Zo0loRical Garden in the
Central Park suffered terribly except the alliga-
tors, who lay basking In the hot sun with evident
ENJOYMENT, and the impetturoable cAmels en-
lOyed tne heat. But the lions aud tigers in their
cages seemed to have forgotten to roar, and lay
Dn their painting sides, with their tongues out,
aud on their backs, with their legs sticking up
In the air, as though they were de d and stir.
AT aoout o'clock the white clouds In the
west mel.ed In gloomy bank Of vapor that
crept all around the horizon, and rose higher
and higher until 1t partially obscured the blaz-
l0s sun. At the same time cooling breezes were
felt all over the city. and everywhere with glad
faces people exclaimed, Rain, rainl" The
threatening clouds grew denser and blacker
ano the terrible heat srew less and less severe
until the sun was almost concealed ftom view.
The patter OF raindrOps was listened for, but
they did not n come; md, ma Jus. 6SMnT Serose
the sun burst through the heavy clouds and
poured nood OF yellow light through the cross
streets that seemed to be- scurching hot.
A. soon as the rising clouds had partially hid
den the sun, hundreds OF carriages began to
psrk drives ana at sundown, when IL became
evident tut the promise OF rain was illusiNe,
long lines OF pedestrians s.roled Into the cool,
shady walks, which now had the additional at
traction Of being breezy.
AT night a cooling brseZe famed the city, and
brought relief To thousands who were swelter-
lug ~ close rooms in the centre Of brick plocks
wherein u whlrlwnd would hardly be aole to
SIR tue air rhe sieeDers mt OF doors In the
tenement districts found this breeze grateful.
Their little rooms behind walls Of red brick that
had D. en- baking all day In the 1uu were not
reached ny II, but It famed their hard beds, the
cellar doOrs ana empty c.rts in the streets.
In ths tenement quarter oi which Tompkins
square is the centre, seepiug out OF doors Is
TTacliced, although not So generally as around
the Five Points. lhs -warming population in
he hptlgeg A. n.
ana and the int@rsecting streets Is so numer-
Gus that tue sdewalks .wouldiOe inadequate to
sands of the honest and ind dlstrious poor In that
qlalter who would rather endure torments from
tue heat than seeu exposed TO the gaze OF the
puhhc. blt reliei Is quad here, Tor those
whose rooms are iusunerably warin,o the uroad.
sleep comfortably with only he sky over them.
The bleak waste Of I"W kins square last ght
Wa me ''eepng place OF many persons, and a
walk ihtousn II a. 10 O'Clock was a surprising
eApi Teh'e The great square l. unlighted, ex-
cept aronnd the edges by the ordinary street
lamps au1 tier hgut. sOen from the centre
Of tins vasi blank, dark space, Is as confusing TO
the eye US "a fog. TIE pr gre,s Of the projected
improvements IN the -quare has made In
certain p,rts OF 1t huge mounds OF sand
and gravel. On the sloDs4 Of these mounds
furrowrd Nv water until tbey look NE immense
bnt hlils, last night men uhd boys were slee ping.
illng on the bare earth, They could not be seen
~ The gloom until YOU had approached within a
rev et OF the mounds, ana then they looked
rs the' lay with arms and legs careles.lY oxtend-
Along the edges OF ths square, also, men were
lilng Hat on the ground, aud prrsou In walking
had 10 look very sharp to avoid falling OyeI
them.
In the streets around the square hundreds OF
men were sleeping on duOrstcps and In wagons
bar the women and children nearly all kept IL
uOurs, or, n they could get no sleep thore, re
paired 10 the roofs.
THE FEARFUL MORTALITY
The meaRre hospital reports Of deaths in tn,
ely give only a talnt notion Of the feirfui NOR
tallty since the beginning Of the heated term
Black lines Of fu1era corteRes are constantl'
these IL not noted and cannot tie computed bl
the busy thrOug. Iur ferries on the east side a
1hrtY-fOurth, Twenty -tniTd, ana Tenth street
nra the outlets from the city TO Calvary Gem
stery. Nr. j. ~. Armstrong, ferry master a
JtittN fourth street, said YESTERDAY;
"Ih- rush has been 50 great tnat we hay'
be0n cnMuelicd u increase the accommud atom
by rum iHg our boats every Eve minutes, anC
even Win this tncrR $50 facility several process
sym ~ the MA lie II the day have been com
pelled to W II their turn" On sunday the mum
Der tnai passed over was t1lrtY- even, on Mon
day q w less win alittlc Increase on Tuesday
ON "Wednesday uOrs IN n forty passed
over Al lwenty-third and Tenth streets tbl
hggregIte was seVenty-lye day. Al Crane
tir'et no tally wac kept, but tho number wa
large
he cN.es Of sudden death from heat yester
dhy wtlei An unknown woman about foTt
Years ulu, with dark htiT ana complexion, ant
drcssed IN d dark calico dress, IN the ba asenen