The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-12
YESTERDAYS HEAT
Caused Much Misery and Death in
New York City.
THE STIFLING TENEMENT HOUSES
Prove to bc Dcns orTorment for Their
occupants---Tho Intense Heats Ef-
fects Added to by tho Presence of
Droves of Fosquitoes.--Nlany Child
rcn Perish!:-The Weather ut Other
Places.
Places.

the shade! That is what reliable ther'
mometers registered in Lower Broad,
way at noon to-day, with a certainty Of
more heat up to nearly o'clock this
afternoon.
This fs the hottest day Of the season
and the hottest August day in 20 years.
The effect upon this city is fur more
serious than most people imagine
Persons are overcome by the heat in
hundreds, and actual sunstroke befalls
scores OF people.
The aggravation of other diseases by
the heats iHcalculable, and children,
especially nursing babes and teething
isttle. ones, suffer untold miseries. The
hospitals are crowded with poor suppli-
cants for treatment for the ailments
generated by the weather, the staiFs Of
physicians are overworked and many OF
the attendants are lit subjects for treat
ment themselves.
Sunstroke has carried off directly or
indirectly dozen persons in the last
twenty-four hours, and there are scores
OF others in the hospitals. The suffer-
ing caused by the heat has been inten-
sihed by a veritable plague OF mosquitoes.
Sunday night these little pests made
made their appearance by the millions
and drove all persons indoors. The old
est inhabitants declare that they never
experienced anything OF the kind be-
fore, and wonder what they have done
to be so afflicted.
Small children are the greatest suf-
ferers, and today there is white Grape
upon many an East Side door. AT s
O'Clock this morning the temperature
here was 70 degrees. At 10 o'clock it
was SS degrees, and half an hour later
the mercury had not crept any higher
in the thermometer. At o'clock this
afternoon it registered 92 degrees.
Then thunder clouds foomed in the sky
and shortly after a fine shower came
down. Just as soon as the shower be-
gan the thermometer fell two degrees.
The humidity ut that hour, 2, had de-
creased to 72 per cent. AT $3.50 the
thermometer registered SO.
Down Broadwayseveral thermometers
were hung out to dry, and each one
registered different degrees of heat.
The west side of Broadway was so hot
this morning that it seemed us ifevery
buildingalong that side OF the Thorough b.
fare was q big furnace, full Of live Goals,
and that some one had LETT the doors
open. The heat radiated from the
pavement in trembling waves.
The brokers, business men and clerks
without vests ontpassed listlessly along
the streets, the perspiration rolling OIL
them in streams. On the shady side
of the street there was such a crowd OF
pedestrians but that little mir circulated
there. In consequence it was sitting
on tho shady side Of the street.
With the exception OF the monster
buildings down town and the biggest OF
the flats uptown every structure in the
city was thoroughly heated up before
noon yesterday. 0veronthe East Side, in
fact in every tenement house district,
the brick work had been warm for
several days past. But the heat OF yes
tcrday warmed up every portion OF the
tenements even to the interior wood
work. As there was no rain or any
particular amount OF coolness last night
but a very small portion Of the heat got
out of the building. In not tenement
house in the city has there been a room
or hall nor any portion OF the building
thnt has not been stitlingly hot for the
past forty-eight hours.
Even on the roofs there was but little
relief to be obtained because Of the ab-
senCe of breeze that was worth the
name. In order to get the roofs cool
enough to sit or stand on it was neces-
sary for the male members of the diff
ferent families to throw buckets of
water on them.
But few OF the dwellers in the teno-
ments got any rest last night. The
mothers and women who had remained
in or about the tenements through last
night got away as soon us they could
this morning.
As many us could do so went on one
of the many free excursions which
leave the city every morning during the
summer. Others went down on the
piers until the sun got too hotfor them.
On the business streets, particularly
along those streets where the horse cars
run, it was pitiful to see the suiferings
OF the horses.
by the sen shore at Coney Island this
afternoon the mercury in the shade
stood at 0S degrees.
During the forty-eight hours ending
at midnight tonight there have been
forty cases Of heat prostration in this
city, eleven Of which have proved fatal.