Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1878-07-25
TERRIFIC HEAT WAVE.

The one universal, all absorbing
subject of interest to all humanity, oil
all classes, ages and sex, was the fiery
heat wave that swept last week with
such blazing fury ever all the coun,
try from west tc east. The first ac-
count we had of it as fearful death
',}eahr5 power seemed to be at st,
Louis. Thence it widened out north
ward with a deadly blasting force
preparatory to its grand sweep to the
east in which every town and city on
its way was visited with sickness,
Sunstroke and death. Te!egraphic
dispatches soon came rushing in from
all quarters noting the sudden rise OF
itemperature from the reasonable and
ent.urable mark Of ninety odd to over
one hundred degrees, Under such a
scorching, binding sickening heat
power, cases Of prostraticn, disease
and sunstroke were soon reported at a
fearful tate. In st. Louis over two
thousand cases we're reported and the
deaths were at the rate Of forty per
day. In Chicago and other Western
cities the fatality wos Tut little less
than at St. Louis. In New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and other
eastern cities the mercury rose and
continued for several days from I6 to
l02,5 degrees, ard the cases of sun
stroke averaged thirty TO forty pei
day. Business had to be suspended
to very great extent and outside
mechanics and laboring men were
compelled to quit work. A peculiar,
ETY. of this fierce heated term in st
Louis was that notonly exposure in the
streets Frustrated people but that a
number Of persons died suddenly IN
their houses.
Our modern philosophers are moth.
ing ii not aole to present plausible
theories. We used to have heated
terms" But this they called "a heat
wave 1t mad its origin they say in
st. Louis, where the Mississippi dwin.
dies in summer to comparatively
marrow stream, leaving muddy shore,
and shallow surface exposed to the
force Of the sun. There are no cooling
hills at hand to temper the reflection
of the suns rays and hence arose thi;
fiery heated wave. After it had got
fairly started on lis surglng sweep tC
the east the refreshing announcement
was made that "cold wave haC
started from Manitoba or some
other hyperboreaH region, wheel
MoulG speedily overtake the fiery
dragon OF st. Louis. This was wei.
come news. 1t gave sense OF rcllet
A race is always celebrating. Blu,
here was a race of no common inter
est. A race in the air between two
great elements. \ race across til,
continent over mountains and plains
4 race Of life and death. Poor suf
fering, gasping humanity looked faint
" NJ and craned its neck to catch tn,
first breath Of the expected gale
The promised cold wave may be die
not make as good time as suffering
Impotence hoped, nor did it come
iringed with icicles or frosty breath
But it came, and came with healin!
in its wings. Sunday morning fount
the heat wave still supreme. But b!
noon there was roll Of thunder an
nouncing the glad coming of its vic
torious pursuer. At once everybody
breathed freer. On Sunday evening
the mercury had fallen full fifteen de
grees. On Monday morning the weel
opened with reasonable summer hea
and pure reviving air. The deadly
nnwnr nf tho heat Wavn waS ONnr