Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-24
THE SUMMER OF SO.
The Captains Story of How Hot
it was i'm New Haven.

Detroit Free Press.
'Well, it's purity hot" answered a
lake captain in one OF the ferry dock
saloons Yesterday, "but it isn't nothing
to the summer OF 1886. We had it at
least twenty degrees hotter than this
right along for six weeks. | was run
ming the Mary Jane between Chicago
and Buffalo then, and I've seen the
thermometer stand at 1870 degrees I'M the
middle OF Lake Huron"
"That was awful" sighed one OF the
sitters.
"Well il was fairish but We didn'tcall
ii very hot till we got into the 1t. Clair
River and the mercury went up to 100
degrees when hanging against the water
butt. The boys used up 72S palm-leaf
fans on one trip that year. On one oil
our trips down we were becalmed Tor
three davs on Lake Huron. We got 1t
there and no mistake
Purity hot, eh2'
"Well. Pm an old man, and | don't
care 10 90 10 lying ut this day, but III
tell YOU few solemn facts. Every sail
IN that schooner smoked and SmOldered
tin they fell 10 pieces on deck and left
Us under bare poles. Yes, sir, we
hadn't 4 rag aloit rs big as your hand
That was lust at sunrise in the morning,
ard within within an hour We had 10
wet down docks to prevent them bGyn-
ING. | went down stairs to conult the
thermometers, and II lay on the floor, all
melted into chunk OF glass and tin.
Then | began to realize how hot 1t was
and got frightened"
What could YOU do?'
.sWeu. not much. We had begun to
rio lines over the lee side, so that all
could take to the water, when the top
sail ward came down aud killed the
cook. The links in the chains had
melted right out. never knew case
like it since, bat then the weather has
cooled off greatly since 1886"
"Aud about the cOokY
Nothing about him. When We
picked the body up 10 hCave it over
board il had spread out IN mass over
four feet square, and we had to use
shovels before we got through. He was
a GOOD Young man and a perfect gen
tlcman, and his mother never blamed
me i'm the least for sCOop-shoveling his re-
mains over the rail. We finally rugged
our lines and got overheard"
"And was it much cooler|
"Ah, young man, how little you re-
portcrs know of the great lakes spread
out before your gaze on the maps.
Cooler Why, the minute we struck
water we began squirming like SO many
GELS. The lake was red hot. The water
wouI have cooked an egg in four min
utrS. was bliStercd from head to
heel i'm no time. Some day | VIII
take oH my coat ami vest and show you
INV back. The flesh was actually cook
cd 10 a depth of two inches, and Tor
over two years the dogs used to scent
cooked meat when | walked out, and
follow me bv dozens. Five surgeons
/ tainted away ina heap ut the sight ofmy
I lett shoulders, and the only man could
! get 10 dress my back was butcher un-
I der sentence OF death.
"ItmuSt have been terrible. How did
Won come ont of the calm
"WeI, while | was squirming in the
water white squat struck the SchOon-
/ or and down she went Ii was all over
| i'm Il minute, and air and water were
A., hotter than eyer. struck out for the
L Canada shore, over hundred miles
! aw.rv. knowing that it was sink or swim,
/ but i'm half an hour | was safe.
/ picked up?'
"Wcn, n" replied the captain as he
Scrarthcd'hiS lcs, IL struck an iceberg
| and climbed up into a cave near the
I top, tell you it was 4 grateful change
/ 10 me. aud that's one reason why | can
never see hunk Of ice and lemon with
/ out feeeliug grateful To- the man who in.
/ vented both-with little gin in mine, if
/ YOU please