New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-02
UHJT THE HEAT DID.

|
No Sahara travellers were ever more CRATE
ful for the sight of water than millions of
sweltcring Americans were for the welcome
cool wave that on Friday night surged forward
| from the interior and broke along the Atlantic
coast 4 week of intense, unremitting heat
had killed more human beings than almost any
other in our history, and had so debilitated
the survivors that the respite came none too
soon to avert an appalling result. The daily
growth of the th-ro formed painfully
accurate exhibit of the intcnSifying force OF
accumulated torture and an unbrOken con-
tinuance Of the high temperature, it is safe to
say. would have proved fatal to many whose
mower of endurance was already ovcrtaXed
when the clouds opened in their first shower
As il is the suns work has been destructive
enough and a cuIsory survey of the situation
inspires doubly fervent prayers against It's
repetition The number of deaths in this city
alone exceeded by ten that of the worst week
of the grip epidemic, arguing disastrous
mortality among invalds and an alarming pro-
portion of fresh fatalities. The ambulance bells
have seldom rung so constantly in the crowded
streets Coroner Levy was called on Thursday
night eleven times. and for the hospital doctors
terribly harassing. No less than 773 small
children succumbed during the week. The
twentv-f four hours ended at noon on Saturday
embraced the largest mortality of persons OF
all ages known in this city in twenty years;
and the amazingly long list of prostrationS could
probably be heavily supplemented from private
records In considering the source of all this
affection there is at least ono curious feature
observable. Often before the summer Their
mometcr in many parts OF this country mas
reached an equal height and our neighborS the
MexicanS are constantly called on to endure
temperature which makes the ordinary COM
rlaints If NEWCOMERS seem unreasonable But
even in chihuahua, amid the "qulyering Vapors
Of din nOontidc," the shade is invariably cool,
and nj night the stars glitter through tenn
pcratc atmosphere that stimulates sleep and
secures effective rcpcniShment of the vital
forces Here with an afternoon temperature
Of over 90 in the shade, a suffering popula
ton has tossed wakcfully the livelong night in
sitting bedrooms, and sighed in vain for cool
breath with the dawn. Even a succession OF
scorching DAYS or an unchangng humidity
would alone have been relatively innocuous;
but with a mercury varying hardly twenty de-
crccs in n hundred hours and still night-alr
retaining the fires of noon, exhausted human
nature has had no chance to recruit
The story from Williamsburg concerning tho
>ufcringS Of the men employed in the furnace
heat If the sugar rcfnerie> embodieS a whole
some moral for the more fortunate. At the
Brooklyn Navy Yard sensible order forbidS
work at the FORCES and in the boiler shops when
the temperature is over 90 degrees. OF course.
the workmcn grumblc AT the loss of pay but
il is pity the wisdom of the provision Is not
more generally realized and widely applied.
The restless energy Of Americans, which i'm
pcS them 10 labor nj high pressure in all sea
cons. regardless Of health or other circumstances.
sometimes involves the risk Of frlghtful Sacri
fee. Last week the comfort even of carhorScS
was consulted by agents of the humane Socle-
tics and assured by their thrifty owners. and
men and women in such times Of stress should
consider whether a temporary StOppage OF wages
j. not preferable Ia n permanent loss OF health
or working efficiency. \ second torrid term
il is now said may be impending, and those
who desire 10 signify gratitude for their first
escape can find abundant and appropriate chan
ncls in the frcsh-air, frccice and floating
hospital funds whose beneficial usefulness
was never more emphatically manifest.