The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
special Correspondence to The Republican

seem equally and unreserYedly
thankful for the change Of tempera-
ture wrought during the night which
has brought the mercury which was
high up in the nineties yesterday,
down almost to the 20 level, with
promises of a still further reduction.
Our experience has not been unlike
that of other cities as regards intense
heat endured the past ten days. The
armament was as molten brass above
our heads, the earth like red-hOt iron
beneath our feet, pardon natural eX-
aggerations.) The sun stared at Us
remorselessly all day long. burning
up and consuming in hot wrath the
pitable apologies for clouds which a
plying nature sought to interpOse
between it and us to mitigate the
fierce rays that seemed to penetrate
| the brain down to the very seat of
life. In the morning we wished it
were night at night we longed for
the morning. But in proportion to
cur population few towns will De
found to have suffered less. The num-
Der Of fatal cases of coup de so Ljel, Ia
stroke of sum will not, believe, eX-
coed half a-dOZen-Certainly not 10 at
most. Undoubtedly death has been
FASTENED by the furnace-like heat to
which the chronic invalid, the old,
and those suffering from acute dis
eases, have been subjected but the
lessons taught are uniform with those
of preceding seasons, They are to
the effect that the tolerably vigorous
who give alcohol the go-by in all its
forms, are safe from sunStroke if they
observe a fair degree of caution in
keeping cool" and avoid unneCes-
sary exposure to the solar rays, which
are as competent to kill as to make
alive. But all extreme Vicissitudes
Of climate and all sudden alterations
of temperature are to be dreaded by
the victim of alcohol. An instance
occurring here few years ago, will
be more impressive than hackeneyed
generalities. A well known stable
keeper in the prime Of hfe, appar-
rently healthy, but with blood, soft
tissues and bone all charged and sat
urated with the latent fires of alco-
hol, only needed one more drink,
with the hot dOg-day sun to send
him headlong to the fate he had
tempted by his long continued de-
bauch. He took it on a very hot
day and fell before the last drop
fairly reached the stomach. dead,
probably before he struck the pave
meht. But [ have depressed. The
number of minor casualties from
the heat have been CorrespOndingly
few. The wide streets, large number
Of little parks, Government reser-
vations, usually the apex Of the acute
angles formed by the functions Of the
avenues with the streets and contain
ing from one-half to an acre. and the
clearly condition Of our streets, all
tend to the preservation Of the gen
eral health. Here let me say Of our
Board Of health Gust legislated out
of existence by the adoption of a new
form of Government that its men,
bers were thoroughly competent, en-
forcing an exceptional degree of
cleanliness and otherwise instituting
such reforms that Washington under
their reign was one of the most
healthy of American cities. EXclud-
ing the colored population, no city of
its size could show such a low rate of
average mortality, Contrary results
among the colored people are eX-
planned by extreme poverty, ignor-
ance and total disregard of their hy-
genie surroundings. We are not even
subject to the terrible tornadoes that
seem peculiar to no section, but are
common West. The report of yellow
fever in Brooklyn leads us to scan
reports from Norfolk, Portsmouth
and Fortress Monroe with unWonted
particularly. We are in every day
communication with all Of them
and the memory of the awful vista
ton of "Yellow Jack" to the two
former in 1858, l believe, is WILDLY
remembered here.
Although Fitz John Porter has
made out the best case possible by
aid of his ex.Ccnfederate sympathi-
zers, no one here save those sympa-
thizing with the "lost cause" seem
to think that John will get the props
knocked from under him at the re-
opening of his case in September,
and that the sufliciency Of the proofs
on which he was cashiered, will be
made so manifest that all who run
may read. Back-pay as a Major
General from 1868 to the present
time would make handsome nest
egg for Fitz.
The latest political limitations are