The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-06
sIFFERING FROM THE HEAT.
srrKIyG coon AIR ~ TIE STREETS
AyD UP ON THE HOUSETOPS.

thermometer Among the Niueti---some
fiat. 10 he Taken by the Board OF Health.
"Thousnn,ls and thousands OF people left
,o This afternoon" the bury police Captain
.,,I ns ne slowly walked up from tho pier Of
A., Fail river steamers. vest rday afternoon.
,nd =, they did hut scores and hundreds of
,Snnsands remained behind and last night
,vc,crcd in tho fearful heat that blisfered tho
,,c,ropolls. The Battery and Central Park ter
mini OF the city rcjoiced in occasional brcczcs
"a spasmodc reminders ot the sweet long
49,, INIT the great middle section. and especial
10 mn, part VI Gotham in which the boarder Of
,,o,,rNto means finds Judgment with the widow
~ uncertain age. where clerks and dccayed
,.,,iiie. exist and where boarding house seems
,,,mpcd on the facade OF each and every dwell
Inc in that section thcro was no breeze no re-
minder. nothing but discomfort, beer, and occa-
sional profanity.
But even there we get but little idea NJ the re-
.I,,ins power of the human body. There are
deeper depths than these. and into them
nluuged the inqustive scribe. intent on obser-
,s,on Of pcrsprntion. And he found it.
There are three kinds Of metropolitan endur-
snco when may be OF interest to tho patriotic
ro.asr-tho Celtic the Tcutonic. and the Ital-
n Prince street. and further down town toward
N. classic Tomhs is n colony OF Italians. Their
Industrial pursuits are divided into active
search for rags in barrels. boxes. streets. and
cutters. and the twirl of tho organ handle to-
rether with the drill Of the reluctant monkey
In every house racketty. tumbodown. dirty. and
Insecure live n score Of families. a family con-
,isting OF pa. ma five to nine children. one to
II 4 "a
Occasionally there is family in sufficiently
good pecuniary condition to permit OF their oc-
cupyng an entire story, hut such instances are
rare. From o'clock until after ~ these per-
sons congregate on the stoops on the sidewalks.
pcrched on carts. in wagons. on ash barrels, un-
dor the steps. and in the windows.
At half-past II last evening. as the sweat stood
In beads on the face of the writer. whose only
exertion consisted in putting dcodorizinG ci-
gar nm Italian with his wife approached one of
tho Crosby street houses. On his back was
slune hand organ in his arms slept vencra-
bio monkey. He bent beneath his load. and
damned the weather IN low Italian. His wife
wore II yellow turban and u cheap smo'k. but.
MS she pushed before her n common wagon; IN
which Law two sturdy-l mhcd babies, she rolled
her eyes md wiped her face and groanrd aloud.
Their arrival attracted no special notice. and
they entered the house jus, us an aged woman
~
swnaty. foul in every line and feature. and on
her back an enormous pack. The three toird
ny stairs w stars. up stairs, ana separated
the organ grinder 10 The front room, the rag
picker to tho back.
As the old woman opened her door an odor as
foul ms herself pierced the air. On stove, was
frying fish. In one corner "a feather bed; in
another heap OF nasty rags. The writer ven
tured to speak.
"G0od evening. Madam"
What you want y
Are you very tired 2"
What time did you 20 out ?"
AT o'clock this morning
Are these children yours r.
mo; they are my Grandchildren" There
DO you all live herey"
Yes. and my two sons"
Where are they2"
The question brought its answer. for into tho
room came two low browed. bosterous fellows.
thirty and twenty five years Of age. They had
been drinking. and were ugly. Each had big
pack or bag OF rags on his back. Each slung
his pack in. the, corner, and the thick dust
choked US all and made them laugh.
No washing was done. but in brief time all
gathered about the pine. table. and in the room
heated by the sun. heated by the fire lighted by
scande. and perfumed by the fish. the rags
and the seven regular occupants, the festive
eatherers OF ill-consldered trliles, made their
evenng meal.
On the slnntlng roof nearly dozen men sat
and smoked, On the stairs Children slept. On
the steps and in the street, Ms II B"dlam were
broke loose. the overheated denizens Of the Ital-
ian quarter sang and smoked and chnfrrd each
other. while those IN the close houses tried their
best to sleep. In this street are Il number of
rolored families. by anumher we mean about
hhundred. Some OF the women are married
moro are not. Some nre welded To partners OF
like color; more are not. It would be- idle u
enter into details The majority Of the men
were smoking. A majority ot the women were
ironing. Great heaps Of starched clothes were
being sprinkej 10y hand. the charcoal stove
hnnted the irons and the atmosphere detied the
thermometer.
Avenues 4 and b were sight to behold. 4
long line Of tcnoments there ." accommodate IS
thousands of mon. women. and children. nnd
i seemed MS If they We're all out for n picnic hy
the light Of the moon. Tho hearts Of oven the
police were touched and the guardians ol
tho peace refratned from clubbing the little
ones who Law scattered far and near in pie
turrsqn" groupings and fast asleep. Short
PIP were feature with the men. and short
WIS evidences of John Bnricycorn's presence
bu That WAS earlier in the evening.
In Roosevelt. Frankfort. Cherry. and Water
streets On the "nst side. and in Rector. sullivan,
Greene. and Thompson on the west, the Irish
population suffered Intensely In the earlier
tncs Of New York. when tho streets were
shorter. they were also narrower. In many OF
these, within radius of quarter of mile OF
The City Hall. the poorer Glasses II Irish-Amcr-
lcans live. and their condition in n night like
last night is ,pitinhle. Huddled in tenements
where the halls are narrow, the ceilings low
the rooms small, tho ventilation imperfect. the
sewage dangerous. and the rent ONtOrt onate
they gasp and suffer, and barely exist. Even In
ue best appointed, where minor system OF
nnts prevails. the case is only a trife better.
Children are numerous. and meals must
Pc cooked. Fortunately there is some
Improvement in the lahor market. and in
spite Of the terrible heat very many OF
The husbands and fathers earn dollar and half
aday These men would relish sleep. but they
can't get IT, In Cherry street man in n red
shirt. with his trousers stuck in his boot legs
was sltllng last evening on "A low stoop talk ing
VITA his wife and neighbors the children either
eeseep on the pavement or playing behind the
You look heated"
i,do" he said.
Have you work ?"
Gcs, IN Twenty-third street on the church. "
,mel II you 20 to work at G. | should think
vow youg % IKE TO have nights rest Why don't
The man scratched his head. pulled Mt his
p.pf. ana then, Us II struck by u humorous idea,
vi,h We'll come here. now. Come up to the room
,, ne yea thes,vay to tho top Of the house. four
ft, r.. s up. HIS room is middle room, getting
~ epe ventilation through the tunnel that runs
rv 'ngth OF the building. In II were three
o ours, one on the bedstead, two on the floor. The
thhe. furniture was n stove, still hot. a wash :
'I pine table two chnirs, a clothes press,
nn Ji aeradle. OF course. The air was close an
Welt" he said
mere being nothing to say in reply. beers
Nsfe suggested. the money paid. and '" Good
I, In Roosevelt street the smell from tho garbage
oo1es WAS fearful. In Water street II was the
eeaIne IN the narrow streets north Of Fulton
.rrIy where stores occupy the street stories
gnu me upper ones are rented to various fan .
l4ff "a Na..1