The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-12
Terrible Heat.
THE MERCURY UP IL THE NINETiEs AGAIN.
DAY OF GREAT SUFFERING-DREADFUL NOR !
TALLY AMONG TUE LITTLE ONES.
Nn,y N.r IInralA sntnr.n,.

THE MERCURY UP ~ THE NINETiES AGAIN.
DAY OF GREAT sUFFERING-DREADFUL NOR
TALLY AMONG TUE LITTLE ONES.
! New York Herald, Saturday.
Yesterday morning dawned lovely. The
atmos phere was delightfully."- cool, and light
zephyr brecZcS stole gently in through all
| the open windows OF the city. People sat
down TO their breakfast with refreshing
/ Zest for the meal. and everybody was IN
hope that Thursday was the last day OF
the torrid heat. Scarcely had the thOu-
sands begun 10 come down town than it
was experienced that the "centreS OF dis
turbance" were out OF the right serial track
still, and the forenoon as it advanced proved
| TO be even worse than the day before. The
blaze OF the sun poured down on the city
with relentless force. and envelOped every
street and avenue, dwelling and business
place with its oppressive rays. Out OF doors
there was no relief from The latter, and the
heavy, Sultry atmOsp phere bathed in perS pi-
ration all who had TO travel outdoors.
Men walked along the street coatless and
| hatless. moving listleSsly and stopping for
breath and rest under the numerous
awnings. Those pushing on quickly,
| intent on business, showed in their
faces that they Quaked under the or
I
dreaded the fierce brightness OF the street
outside. People crossed the streets as they
might If heavy rain was falling; horses
were driven slowly, painting for breath, and
drivers stood sweterDg at the lines. The
hOrSe.cars presented scenes in which men
and women sank weak in their seats, with
eyes closed, feeling q great relief in the fee
BILE breeZes brought To them by the motion
OF the car. In the stores and Offices men in
their Shirt-sleeyes loled around, fatigued
from doing nothing, but shifting about 20
keep cool In the larger offices, where busi-
ness must necessarily proceed, clerks wilted
under the familiar labor and went through
their tasks with palid faces and weary
movements. At noon the mercury stood
$50, and as the afternoon wore on the heat
increased, and under the burning rays
which pierced the city poor humanity fell
down more hopeessly into inertness. The
people suffered more and more every hour,
and aS the crowds passed on IN endless sue
cessiOn through the thOrOughfares 1t be-
came evident how keenly the dead sultri-
ness was affecting them. At half-paSt 3
O'Clock the mercury had risen to $50, hut
long before that hour, as the heat became
unendurabIe, every one who could possibly
DO so had been preparing TO leave the city.
RUSH 10 HE INTERMEDIATES.
Asit is popularly supposed that 3 o'clock
is the hottest hour Of the day, at about that
time there was perfect exodus OF the city's
population in the direction OF all the boats
leading TO breathing-spOts in the suburbs.
The ferryboats, too, were crowded with
people seeking their homes across the
rivers, intent on rest or on trip to some
faYOrte spot where ocean breeZes would
Irestore the sap and vigor knocked out Of
them by Gotham's heat. To COney Island,
OF course, the multidudes fl0cked 10 brace up
under the bTeeZeS ever blowing there from
the sea, and at 4 o'clock the downtown
streets were notceably relieved OF their tor
mented thronCs, and at it was plain that
the usual rush up town in the afternoon had
taken another direction. At 1t was
gloomy sight 10 look upon the exhausted
remnants Of the days havoc tOing upward
on their last Journey for the day. Still the
heat kept on. through, OF course, the mer-
curry had fallen many degrees since half
past O'Clock. During the evening the
sutrlest atmosphere enveloped the whole
citv; but there was some slight ease 10 be
found here and there, when the breezes
from across the river lazily swept up
through the city uEmolested by the mid
summer sun.
| RECORD OF THE HEATED TERN.
This constant strain caused by the heat
This summer, though not attended with a
notable number OF sunstrOkes in the open
air, has been marked not only by frighttul
mortality among children, but has resulted
IN the deaths Of adults from sheer cXhaus-
ton. The general suffering throughout the.
city is to be attributed to the same cause,
exhaustion from the heat" being the cer-
tificate for burial. II will be remembered
that the heated term began this year in May,
when the mercury ran up on Thursday the
21th 10 go. The highest point reached in
May, 1879, was on Saturday the 3lst, when
1t reached go. In June this year the high
est indication was on Friday the 25th, when
the mercury rose to $50, the average for the
month being SO 60. In June, 1879, the
highest point the mercury Indicated was on
Friday the 27th, when it reached go. the
average for the month being 500. From
these figures it will be seen that there has
not been much difference between this sum-
mer and last in the actual degree OF heat ia-
dicated by the thermometer. Yet the sum-
mer Of 1879, in May, June, and so far in
July, did not produce ANYTHING like the suf-
fering experienced for some days past in
the city. This season, even when the mer-
curry scored favOrably at $50 or there
abouls, the exhaustion from the beat was
felt TO be excessive. The following shows
the indications Of the thermometer at noon
and at half. past O'Clock every day so far
| this month:
12M S3OP.M l2M $3.50 p. NJ
July L.. SO 81 July O.. 70 76
,ISIy }"y 2 e 20 80 J%y J%y g.: g.: s. g g
INN - rs sG July g.. So 93