The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-18
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, THURSDAY, july IS. 1878

day. The thermometer then averaged 95 de-
grees. The result was some fifty sunstrokes
and thirteen deaths; on Saturday the sun
strokes increased considerably In number with
fourteen deaths. Sunday made an even worse
showing the thermometer ranged on that
day from 80 to los, and at one time reached
the unprecedented figure OF Ill in the shade
Fortunately it was day Of rest, or the loss
Of life would inevitably have been far greater
than 1t was. The effect Of the weather was
shown in the churches, which were very
nearly deserted during the morning, the
majority of the people staying inside
their houses to avoid the sun; with
great good sense, most of the preach
ers postponed evening service, thereby
suyiuE 11tnffy lives Notwithstanding these
precautions, notwithstanding the fact that
most of the people staid indoors, the deaths
| from sunstroke still showed an increase, and
the Sunday RepubHcans list of sunstrokes
| contained the names Of no less than $50 per-
sons and 30 deaths.
A large number of these died in their beds
from heat, without any previous admOnittons
of illness. on Sunday morning, for instance,
no less than six persons, VIM. Hodtson, Her
mann LOenig. Richard Mccormick, Ed. Pine,
| Franz Dieder and Leopold NilsdmanD, were
| found dead In their beds. All Of them had
retired the previous night complaining of the
heat. it Is true, but otherwise apparently in
good health; they were found next morning
dead in their beds, and an examination by the
| coroner showed that the heat alone had
caused their deaths. Numerous other per-
SONS were Frustrated in their own houses,
persons who had been at no time exposed to
the rays Of the sum- while several cases are
reported of children dying from the effects
of the weather in the very arms Of their
mothers. Nor did these victims leave this
world easily and unconsciously; their suffer
ings and agony are described as extreme. the
majority Of them dying in terrible convul-
! siOns.
The loss of horses on all three days was
quite heavy, and several negroes fell victims
of the heat-a circumstance that created con-
siderable surprise among the St. Louisans,
who seemed to think that the negro ought to
be safe from sunstroke.
| Such was the terrible story of o hot Sunday
! In st. Louis; elsewhere, the loss Of life from
| the heat was nearly as great. East st. Louis
was reported even hotter than st. Louis, and
a number of fatal sunstrokes were chronlcled
there. st. Joe reported fourteen sunstrOkes,
Cincinnati nine fatal cases, Quincy five, Lit
tie Rock three, Omaha three, and Dubuque,
Chicago Burlington and other Western cities
heavy mortality from the effect Of the
weather.
The heat, with It's fatal results, seems to
have created an actual panic In st. Louis, as
that city, the largest in the Mississippi Val
ley, actually proposed TO suspend business Of
all kinds until the temperature cooled off a
little.
Such was last Sunday In the West. 1t was
not however, the hottest day, as the Monday
that followed was even hotter and Tuesday
worse than Monday.
There has doubtless been bitter abuse Of
the weather in this city for some days past
reviIing the temperature is a summer luxury
that few can surrender. 1t would be we'll for
those people who complain to read the story
of a summer day in st. Louis before they
break out again in these weather denuI-
Citations. If they but glance at the weather
report they will notice that New Orleans,
for the past week, has enjoyed q
lower temperature than almost any city in
the Union. This, together with our summer
breezes, the humidity Of our atmosphere, our
soil, and the better care our citizens take of
themselves in the sun, will prevent New Or
leans from ever being visited by such "sun
epidemic" as has lately panic-stricken st.
Louis.
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