Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-08-12
Hot weather In Vienna.
Vienna Correspondence of the London Daily
Telegraph


Telegraph
The cold, rainy weather that lasted till
the middle of this month Guly) has been
followed by intense heat, such as has not
been experienced in Vienna for many
years. One hundred and one degrees
Fahrenheit is pretty warm anywhere, but
in Vienna, where there is little shade and
lots of dust, it is intolerable. The whole
day the streets are empty and the shops
deserted. 1t is only towards evening that
people venture out of doors. Of course
there is a fall in the thermometer after
sunset, but the nights are close and stuffy.
In Vienna anybody rash enough to brave
the suns fierce rays between twelve and
two o'clock, or to loiter near certain parts
of the foul-smelling river Wien, runs the
risk of sun-stroke or typhoid fever. The
coolest means of locomotion in this torrid
heat is undoubtedly the tram-car. The
open facre is only practicable with the
hood drawn up, which makes it matter
OF considerable difficulty to get in and out.
The hood of the Vienna fiacre is made to
keep out the rain, not to shelter one from
the sun, and consequently it covers over
the whole vehicle. The summer tram-car
is shut on the top only, either side being
open, which, while keeping off the sun,
let's in fresh air. In Vienna it is not "the
thing" to take a one-horse cab, open or
closed, under any circumstances, but the
''smartest' people ride in the tramway if
they cannot find two-horse facre, and at
this season of the year the ttram"'is deci-
dedly the most popular public conveyance.
1t has one great advantage that only peo-
pie who have lived in an indifferently
paved town can appreciate; it runs
smoothly, whereas even the best-suspend-
ed private carriages jolt disagreeably along
the primitively paved boulevards of Wen
ma They are ahead of us in Pesth, where
the principal street have wood pavements;
but the wiseacres of the Vienna corpora
ton, who waste their time in paltry SQUAD
bles, have set their faces against improve
ments of any kind. Half the acute ner-
vousness from which so many Viennese
suffer comes from street noise. Fancy the
insufferable din produced by the fast-trot-
ting facre as it hurries past over the I'M
evenly paved thoroughfares. People bent
on pressing business have not always the
good luck to come across schnell- fahrer
or fast facre. They are generally occu-
pied by "mashers," or officers belonging
to some crack regiment, who insist on be-
ing driven at railway speed.
In such fearfully hot weather little bus
mess is transacted in Vienna. If you
wish to see picture of human misery go
to the general post-office, the custom
house, or some large pnblic administrative
department where the employees must
| work. See them reeking with heat in the
new uniform which a thoughtful govern
ment has compelled them to wear. Be.
hold the poor, perspiring, but ever dill.
gent clerk, dragging his weary pen over
volumes of ruled paper, spotted here and
there with the pearly moistness of his
expression of martyrdom-and what else
is 1t to be shut up in q badly ventilated
Office, in uncomfortable clothes, and plen
| ty of work to do while the thermomete,
marks over hundreds No official is more
civil and obliging than the Austrian
| Whatever you require of him he will dc
his best for you, and with such pleasant
manner that you forget he is discharging q
duty and look upon his services rather as
a favor conferred. During my long resi-
dence in this country / have not met with
a single instance of rudeness from govern.
ment officials of any rank or degree, and
believe my experience Is the same as that
| of most foreign residents in Austria. How
he can be improved by being put into q
tight-fitting uniform which he is Obliged
| to wear when on duty winter and summer
it is difficult to say; but one cannot helI
feeling sorry, in weather like this, thai
such good fellow should be obliged te
work in such horribly warm clothes.
| Curiously enough, even at the most sui
| try time of the year few Austrians veal
1 straw hats. In Vienna they are hardly
ever seen. The soft, light felt, not unlik,
the old-fashioned "wide-awake," is almost
universally worn during the summer, botf
in town and country The "deer- stalker
or "pot-hat" is considered more dressy
and is preferred in town for the evening
The panama" commonly worn in France
would be the right headgear for July and
August in Austria. The finely plated
straw of which 1t is made keeps out the
sun, even in the hot climates of Soutl
! America. Linen-covered helmets mr.,
sometimes seen out shooting in August
but they are not fashionable covering
with the Austrians. English tourists hav,
somehow brought them into disfavor.
| The consumption of beer in such wealth
| or as this is fabulous. Watts upon watts o
the cool, frothy beverage are drunk In vi
emma and the neighborhood. Five or ri,
glasses containing about double the meas
1 ure of an ordinary tumbler are frequent,
taken at ono sitting, and twice IN man,
form the usual allowance of amateurs
Pilsener IL somewhat lighter than lager
but In more difficult to keep In good condl
ton, md In consequently not sold every
| whore. When really fresh Il In probabi,
the best and tho least injurious beer thai
In brcwed. There IL another drink pa
tronizcd by those who do not like beer, o,
with whom II does not agree. They cali 1,
gespritzt-red or white, according 10 th,
color Of the wine II Ia made Of, TO which |,
added m equal quantity Of soda water
Many people find II more refreshing thar
beer In hot weather, and am inclined Il
DO of that opinion myself. A delicious
light mineral water that comes from CHESS
hiibl, near Carlsbad, Ia often used for ges
pritzt, as q substitute for. soda water Il
Ia much In the style of the French st
dalmier, but more palatable when DRUM
unmixed with wine or spirits.
Some of the large Vienna restaurants
have of late years introduced singularl,
happy innovation for hot weather, in thu
shape of palm-leaf FANS which are handed
to customers on taking their seats. Why
should not European fan himself wher
warm just as we'll as Chinaman or Jap
How thankful, too, would the travelling
public be if cheap fan were provided
during this excessive heat, with every
| first-class ticket by the railway companies
Many foreigners never travel in summe,
| without one, and I can from experience
strongly recommend it.