Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-12
COOL BREEzes9 @4RLoWING
A Break Made Today in the Record Of the
Weather. IS
A Refreshing Wind From the North
west-A Hot Sunday, Which Drove
Many From Town.

There was a sharp Puff of wind from the
northwest about 10 o'clock this morning.
The mercury had been steadily climbing
up the degrees like tired hodcarrier as
cending a ladder, and perspiring citizens
were looking at each other and mutely
wondering how long the torrid season
was going to last anyhow, when that de-
lightful breath of real ozone forced itself
through the stagnant barriers that had
bound the atmosphere in this neighbor-
hood for the last four days and AFFORDED
at least a temporary relief from the pitt
less bombardment of the sun. 1t was like
a breath from heaven to a sweltering and
suffering community, and a Star reporter
who hustled up to the weather bureau to
find out if the change was real was happy
indeed to be informed that the thermom-
eter would behave itself better today and
not record 80 degrees no matter how hard
1t tried.
Probably no change was ever more well
come to the populace or more valuable to
its well being.
Progress of the Hot Wave.
The weather began getting unbearable
August 8, when it marked 80 degrees at
the weather bureau. All through the Ohio
valley and the middle Atlantic states the
same condition prevailed. The next day
it was four degrees hotter and the air
was moist and humid, making it all the
more unbearable, because there was less
possibility for the evaporation to
take up the perspiration and cool
the cuticle during the operation. Yester-
day was relentlessly hottie hottest day
of the year. 1t was a mighty good thing
it was Sunday and most people had moth
ing to do except try to bear the burden OF
the atmosphere. An additional task would
have been serious indeed,
The thermometer got up to 81. and didn't
show any tendency to cease its horrid en-
deavors. There's no telling what would
have happened If it had kept up to-
day. Probably 10000 people left town Sat-
urday night and yesterday morning to es-
cape in some degree the assaults of the
heat. All the trains Saturday evening and
yesterday morning carried crowds to sub
urban resorts or further. to the seashore
At Atlantic City the crowd was the great
est In the history of that resort All the
grocery and provision stores closed early,
because their stocks had run out, and the
hotels shut up their dining rooms because
they could not feed the hungry throngs.
There were 225,OO0 people there. and 6sO0O
of them were Saturday night excurslonists
Many Of these were from Washington.
Every boat that went down the Potomac
carried as many people as could crowd
abroad, and when the tired-out excursion
lists reached home at night, 1t was like
coming into furnace roem of a great fac
tory. At the bathing beach 1877 men and
boys went in the water, and one little girl
padded around delightedly as long as the
superintendent would let her.
There was but one case of prostration re-
ported. however, c. w. Collins, conductor
on the Washington and. Georgetown rail-
road. He was overcome at the 7th street
junction and fell off his car. He soon re-
covered and was removed to his home, at
No. 7O7 street northeast. In an ambu-
lance m
Under n Blanket.
The reason for today's change is prob
ably due to the reduced moisture of the
upper atmosphere. The reason that the
weather has been so hot during the past
three days has been that the higher strata
have been full of moisture and have acted
as blankets, keeping the hot air near the
earth and preventing It from escaping.
This suspended saturation found vent yes
terday in thunder storms. and showers that
occurred in this vicinity, although Wash
ington was not blessed with their visits.
There were storms In upper Maryland and
Virginia, and a terrific blow and rain In
Baltimore. The expectations are that the
present relief is but temporary, and that
tomorrow will be another disagreeably hot
and humid day, although it is not prob
able that the temperature will go much
above ninety.