Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-07-11
4 HOT WAVE.
Fatal Effect of the TOrrid Sur
in the West.
A Score of People Killed in Chi.
cago---Many Prostrations.

Dispatches from the West give the follow
ing particulars in regard TO the terrible effect
of the recent torrid spell: Chicago H.,
For nearly a week Chicago has been tn.
centre of an immense oven which extended
from the Missouri River to the Ohio and
from British Columbia TO Pensacola Moist.
ure has filled the air t. abnormal degree,
and made life almost unbearable
One hundred and sixty-nine persons were
sunstruck IN the city IN one day. Although
1t was Sunday, over fifty persons fell. Many
of the victims cannot live. man named
Phnehaldt was sitting on a fence when he
was Frustrated. The fall broke his neck
There are over 800 cases of sunstrOke in
the hospitals, and all the morgues of the city
have the dead bodies of unknown victims of
the heat. Thousands of people rushed TO
the lake and the parks, but the heat there
was almost as intense as in the downtown
districts. The thermometer at ten o'clock at
night registered eighty degrees.
There was no breeze. The leaves of the
trees drocped lstlessly. and owing to the
heavy moisture in the air noises were unusu-
ally distinct.
1t was sticky, sitting night, with the
thermometer at eighty-fOur degrees at mid
night. There was no solid rest for anybody.
In the densely populated districts of the city
the suffering was intense. Thousands did
not go to bed al all. The others rolled and
tossed and grumbled upon their beds until
daylight came.
When the sun came up next morning
there was but little breeze and what there
was came from the south and was like puffs
from blast furnace. Thousands of people
who thought they had reached the limit of
endurance were compelled to suffer even
more. The sun hung like a copper ball and
blazad with a fury that has not been expe-
rienced since tno Sunday three years ago,
when over 100 persons were killed by the
heat The mercury climbed steadily until
big thermometers In the street registered 1O3
degrees.
Streams of coatless and hatless men
Rugged the shady side Of the dry and dusty
buildings, while horses wearing straw mats
upon their heads toiled through the streets.
The heat in the streets was intolerable In
some places where. the sun got an oblique
sweep pedestrians staggered, tOppled over or
chung to anything for support. A Their
mometer which faced the on the Wells
street viaduct, at 3 o'clock marked us de-
greCs. Two horses attached to a Mason
street car fell over at Fifth avenue about
noon. In all parts of the city horses were
killed by the heat.
Policemen, with their faces burned to the
brims Of their helmets, were forced to leave
their corners and seek shelter. Now and
then patrol wagon or ambulance, carrying
a whte-sheeted victim of the heat, rOlle'l
past.
At Clark and Madison streets horse fell
dead upon the crossing. On Randolph street,
near Dearborn, ana unknown man 1oll IN q
stream of pedestrians and was carried away.
Every foot O; shade in the city occupied
by sweltering men and women. Hundreds
lay upon the grass about the Government
buildings and under the trees in W ashington
Park.
Twelve hours of such heat was enough to
embarrass the welI-flled hospitals and
morgues. Frank Kronlick fell dead at
Seventh street about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing. A few moments later Engineer Ed
or.lG Life Of hn PoJ0 Handle
tOppled out of his cab at the round house,
and before doctor could reach him he was
dead.
H. Wentford was struck down by the
sun Just as he was leaving his boarding
house. Men who ran to raise him found
him dead He had been out of doors less
than minute. Patrick Shea's dead body
was dragged from one Of the cattle shute5
at Fower'S packing house, where he had
died after being Frustrated by the heat.
William Moore was picked up unconscious
at Randolph and Clark streets. Two little
children named AnfieId and Debary We're
Killed by the sun. Assistant Fire Inspector
| Gillian of the fire patrol was struck dead at
| Clark and Madison streets at = O'Clock at
night just the streets were filled with
people returning from their work.
In all there were eighteen deaths and
| eighty-five DrostratiOns from the heat i'll
! Chicago, and over 300 dead horses were
| dragged away by the health officers
A dispatch from st. Louis, Mo, says: The
warm weather which has prevailed in this
city for a week past was checked somewhat
during the afternoon by a shower, which
cooled off the atmosphere to a con-
siderable extent; but there IS
| still great deal Of suffering,
as Immediately after the rain the clouds dis
! persed and the sent the thermometer up
to the 100 degree mark again. The list of
prostrations numbered thirty-one, eight re-
sulting fatally. Up to II o'clock at night
eleven prostrations were reported, two Of
| them fatal.
| The heated term still continues at Cincin-
natl. There have been from three to six
prostrations from heat each day, about
one-fourth of them fatal. The most
marked effect is in the increased
death rate of children. Of thirty
eight deaths reported, twenty-six We're of
children under two years OF age. Their
deaths are from various causes, not sun
sUroke, but evidently their ailments were
affected by the extreme heat
At II o'clock in the morning the mercury
stood at ninety-four degrees at Louisville
XIV. but an hour later it had fallen two
points. A cool breeze at the rate OF nine
miles an hour is blowing. Thirteen persons
were Frustrated by the heat. but only one
case has proved fatal. Since the heated
term began there have been eight fatalities