New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-14
THE MERCURY AT NINETY-sIx
OPPRESSED BY INTENSE DRY HEAT.

VI hEcSfD bI INTENSE DRY HEAT.
SIGNS OF THE HEATED TERa-THE STREETS TRANS
FORMED INTO FURSAcEs-How LABoRERs tx
POSED TO THE SUN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
THIS AND OTHER CITIES.
When the Broadway stage driver spreads his uu-
orea TO what little breeze there may be- il il sign
OF hot day. When, although comfortably shaded
py his umbrella, he removes his bat and vigorously
mops his brow with an alarming bandanna the heat
is growing unbearable. And when he becomes so
exhausted as to pass his bosom friend on another
stage without husky shout of profane recognition
then it is manifest that the hot wave
has burned nearly to the limits of human endur.
ahce' All these signs were tried and found true ves-
terday. procession of coatless hstless perspiring
stage-invers toiled up and down Broadway under
their umbrellas too utterly nerveless aud fahby Co
90 more than swear under their breath when pas
Kept them waiting in the heat.
o. nul tnere was no need to look for signs 70 gain
up TO 96o at Hudnuts at $40 which IS The bighest
point reached here this summer "It is the hot
eWnros eese asy since the Centennial year, was an
ing the height which the mercury attained.
@ @he suffering from the heat was not so great as on
sne 1pt uavs a week and three weeks ago. The hot
weather IN July felt more intensely ON acconnt
.ne abundance of moisture in the air preventing
rree evaporation from tue skin. But yesterday the
;rn M was Hee from moisture. Ii was dry and hot
There was breeze blowing at the rate of ten miles
blowing at this rate is called fresh. But Yesterday
the freshness was burned out The moving air was
desert sands s'orchnf It was hke laden OrSSth from
and and dust, which imperillcd the eyes Of
apf HanTv @TyeF this hee b was little co%rs
he Signal Bureau to be merely ira nsicut IN came
rom rom the West, which has been suffering intensely
from the heat until successful in pslmng off their
not wave npon New-York. Yesterday the tempera-
lures lures Were low IN the West but high along tho
Atanuc seaboard and in the South, showing that
the heat was passing eastward /, was Fridav
iShe Fr t9at the wave reached the city; At p. m.
it had fallen only to ?I.50. From a 8 ae 'T,
to yesterday morning there was very httle
The hours sne efSe' fSe Pa5t Of
marked zoe With the rising of the sun the msr-
and remarkable From zoe at O'clock The tbs
mercury jump ed to 10 at 81 $50 at and 96o at
$3.50 y. IN.
HOW COMFORT WAS SOUGHT.
In the early morning il seemed unlikely that the
day wonld he unusually hot. although the night had
been warmer than those preceding. But by the time
men had reached their downtown places of busi-
ness the weather had become consideration
which could not be pnt aside. Dignity vanished
WITH the whiting OF well-starchcd collars and ner-
sona comfort became the chief thing desired Hatless
men under umbrellas envied coatless men without:
and men whose offices were exposed 10 the fll giare
of the sun unable TO speak calmly of their
nelghoors who dwelt in the shade. Men spent much
time debating the proprietv of crossing the bot
burning stones of the street i'm order to enter into
an eiyslum of cooling drinks the other side
osnanY me drinks conquered, and the consumption
of part i-colored fluids was large.
Br1cklayers and hodcauiers buildings in pro-
cess OF erection suffered extremely. The rays
unprotected heads. Worknen employed in
excavatng foundations for new buildings also
absorbed in, and seemed reflected from. the
earth in which they were digging. Along the
PEELED 70 take frequent intermissions Naturally
the public baths were thronged Those on the
bathers at some of the piers regardless of sharks
elany s.ha1 n2yS ana men waited their turn al tho
despite TIE ADMISSION fee long line stood waiting
at the door OF the other bath most of the time In
the streets from - to il was nike passing by the
open door of furnace. The stones under foot were
so hot that the warmth could be distinctly
felt. The great granite and brick buildings
absorbed and radiated the heat. 1t Was a terrible
day for horses their foam-hecked sides and dis
tresSed breathing testified, and the omnous ciang
OF the ambulance bell occasionally told Of vicfiu,
of the heat In the crowded tenement-honse dis
trlSt on the East Side not "A breath air at times
could be obtained. The population turned mi in
large numbers rom their small sitting rooms TO the
shaded parts of streets and court-yards and on the
roots, where many spent the night. Many others
near by.
At the SIGNAL Service station last evening IL was
stated thai tins hot wave merely transient and
that il would probably be cooler io-,lav liz WAS
represented aS passing the city from the West
shower before morning. At a. m yesterday the
following temperatures were reported: ALBANY 76o,
Angusta Ca, 3s0 Detroit 72o; Galveston, Texas,
Shreveport, La, 10, ST. Panl, Mimi. G3o Yanktor
r. t. 5s0. Al 3 p. m the temperature had risen as
Albany To SlO Augusta 7So, Grand Haven Mich
7O0, So. Louis $50 Cincinnati 90o Chicago 72o Mil
wa1kee 6S', Shreveport, La, 90, St. Paul 04o,
showed prevailing lower tempefatures 1era lsp'rts s
the West than on the previous day. The
inches, and the WIND throughout the day was south
southwest by west.
The following is a table of comparative tempsra-
lures August l3 for the last six years
SAN. GA. NJ. 9 AN i2M. $3.50 p NJ sP NJ
,SSI 60 co0