The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-19
The Midsummer Heat.

AS usually happens, our uncOmfOrtably
warm weather did not begin this year until
after the summer solstice, and with few
days intermission, il has kept up until this
time, when il is at about its worst For
tunately light breeze made the great heat
OF yesterday much less oppressive than II
otherwise would nave been in New York,
and In this respect we had the advantage ~
some of the interior towns, which found the
day almost unendurable
The heat wave. as IT is called in some
quarters, was felt in its greatest intensity
at ST. Louis on Sunday, though the weather
had been very warm there for II week pre-
Viously. At early morning VI the next
day the Thermometer showed 90, and the
mercury continued to rise until nightfall.
The people called it the hottest weather St.
Louis had ever experienced, but that city
lying ON plateaus above the Mississippi
and stretching out over an extensive plain,
is peculiarly exposed To the rays Of the sum
mcr sun and often lacks refreshing breezes,
as it did ON Monday, when forty deaths
from sunstroke took place. St Louis has
never been an agreeable place to live in dur
ing July and August, and probably the heat
was not uncxampled, though undoubtedly
its effects were more fatal than ON any pre-
vious day in the city's history. Both men
and animals We're Frustrated 10y it, the cases
Of sunstrokc exceeding hundred, and bust
ness in tho town and its neighborhood was
ut Il standstill.
At the same time the weather was also re-
markably oppressive in Chicago and other
cities Of Illinois, in Iowa, in Arkansas, in
| Tennessee in Wisconsin, in Nebraska, and
| in Kansas, and the number Of sunstrokes
was large, the thermometer ranging
| throughout Monday from 900 to 1902. I'm
| New York. although the mercury rose to %
at o'clock in the afternoon, Monday was
! 10y no means an exceptionally trying day,
| the average being only 79Ao On Tuesday,
| in ST. Louis, the thermometer at its highest
showed 100 but the people, frightened by
| the experience of the day before, took UNI
| usual precautions against the heat-modcr-
| ated their consumption Of alcoholic beNer-
| ages, and avoided unnecessary eXcrtiVn and
exposure the number Of sunstrokes
| greatly diminished in consequence. Prof
| TICE. the weather philosopher, had predict
| ed the hottest day of the century for ST
Louis, and it certainly was very warm, il
| ibl AIhlNf 81 bu'l 40 lllNAs III All'dEbi hlo'i
| Tuesday was exceedingly uncomfortable
| but southwest breeze famed the inhab-
| itants and prevented much suffering fIom
the weather. Throughout the region which
had experienced the great heat Of Monday
| the thermometer continued in the ninotics
with the exception of Iowa, where tho
weather suddenly changed and became
cooler. In New York, however, IL was not
so warm az on Monday. 02' being tho high
est point reached by the thermometer and
75so the average temperature "Wednesday
was also trying day at the West the heat
holding out in spite Of fresh breezes here
and there; but in New York it was very
moderate, the thermometer not rising be
You'd so.
At nghtfal however, wo began to get
warning that tho heat wave was sweeping
toward us from tho prairics Of the West
Yesterday throughout, the weather was ex
cecdlngly warm and oppressive in the city
though pleasant breeze saved it from be
coming intolerable, and we are now feeling
| the facilitating and exhaustive effects Of
merclcss midsummer sun.
In such weather of course very active anC
energetic physical exertion may be injuri
Gus, and mental and bodily repose is desir
able but people who are occupied with worn
which Is not too heavy In its strain on the