Evening star., 1895-06-04
Welcome Relief From the Late
Sizzling Weather.
TIE HHERM 10 n NBFER GOES down
Probably Means That Many Lives
Were Saved Today.
INTEN Sc SU FF E Rim G

The hot wave reached its worst point
yesterday, and last night there was
change for the better. 1t is probable that
if the heat had continued so intense for
another day the number of prostrat ations
and perhaps deaths from this cause would
have greatly increased. The people were
getting to the point where endurance was
no longer possible. Yesterday the ther
mometer reached 9S degrees of official
caloric, and at the rate of progress had no
cool breezes come this morning TO temper
the air, the record would have marked
100 or very near that point What the re-
suit would have been no human being can
now tell.
However, the worst is now over for the
present, and the chances are strong that
by night there may be thunder storms.
Rain will cool the air wonderfully, and the
dry earth needs it badly. The storm in
the west may not give much rain to the
east, for it seems to have taken a fancy
to go TO Canada, like a fleeing bank CASH
Ter who has played the races with the
banks money, and who has hit the worst
end of the game from the start. If that
storm had only decided to swing on a pivot
out beyond the great lakes and sweep east
ward the rain period might promise to last
some time, but as it is the area of low
barometer is somewhat diminished and the
rain does not promise to be very extensive
in this part of the country.
Cool Winds.
The chief result of this storm moving
northeastward. is that it is bringing cool
winds from off the ocean over the hot land
ard this has had the effect of breaking up
the area of high barometer, accompanied
by hot southerly winds, that has occupied
the eastern half of the country for nearly
week. These winds may not finally result
IN prolonged rams, but they are of the
is a broad area of high barometer in the
far west that seems to be forcing the
storm out Of the way, and if this shah
eventually spread eastward there will he
another dry spell, though it may not be
accompanied by such intense heat.
Welcome Change.
The meaning of all this is that the city
Is cooler. Last night there was decided
fall in temperature, and the people slept
more comfortably than on the night
previous. By morning the cooler atmos-
phere could easily be felt, and was CRATE
fully recognized by the suffering folks.
There was a fall of from 10 to Is degrees
in this part OF the country, ana the ther-
mometer was checked in it's efforts to
Smash the records completely that his
tory would hang her head in shame.
The streets, even, began to be endurable
during the morning, and padestriantsm was
once more safe in the noon-tide. The sun
skies were about as hot looking as before,
but there was that element in the air that
gave relief.
The Suffering.
Little children will be relieved by this
change in temperature more than the
grown folks. The temperate ture was getting
to the killing point with them. Their frail
bodies could not endure the heat and there
have been many deaths that are really due
to the heat that are not recorded as such.
1t is probable that at no other time this
season will the citizens suffer more than
they have during the past six days. There
have been other hot waves, longer in dura-
ton and more intense perhaps at the
climax than this one, but none has ever
been experienced here that has given so
much discomfort, or mas been attended
with more serious results. Ninety-eight
degrees Of heat sustained for several days
would probably prove fatal to many peo-
r,e. One day of it was quite enough. The
danger being now over for this time it is
likely that not once again during the sum
mer Will the people be so badly afflicted,
for though the temperature may exceed
the point finally reached, it will find them
better prepared.
In Other Places.
In a special bulletin issued today the
weather bureau says: 1.-THE period of eX-
tremely hot weather that has prevailed
over the central and eastern portions of the
United States during the past week has
been remarkable for it's length and for the
high temperatures occurring, the latter in
many instances exceeding any previously
recorded by the weather bureau during the
period between the 2Gth Of May and the
10th of June.
THE highest temperature at Washington
during 1894 was 81 degrees on June "A and
July Is.
I'm marked contrast to this record of
extreme heat is the fact that between the
18th and 18th of May at a great number
of stations occurred the coolest weather on
record for the month of May, with a Sue
cession Of heavy frostS throughout the
central and northern half of the country
east Of the Rocky mountains
Hospital Treatment.
The torrid weather of the past few days
occasioned any number of heat prostra-
-tions and several cases of genuine sum
stroke. The latter dangerous illness is
caused by excessive heat of the blood, from
100 degrees to 110 Fahrenheit, which pro-
duces great depression of the nervous sys-
TEN.
The first case of sunstrcke to be treated
at the Emergency Hospital was that yes
terday OF a colored man named John Allen.
When his temperature was taken upon ar
rival at the institution it recorded 1l0 de-
grees. The man was stripped and laid on
an operating table. Next, ice was packed
about his head and chest, after which a
stream of cold WateE was played on him by
means of a hose for some time. In this
manner the temperature was reduced
nearly ten degrees, and the sufferer
then PIT to bed and stimulants admin
istered but he died about four hours later.
The Emergency Hospital treatment for
cases of heat prostration varies greatly
from that for sunstroke. The clothes of
the patient are removed, he is thoroughly
dried of perspiration, wrapped in blankets,
hot water placed at his feet and whisky
and other stimulants administered.
Persons convalescent from sunstroke
should do no mental work for some months
and should keep free from all excitement.
Having once suffered from sunstroke a per-
son is liable to a second attack. Insanity
in some of it's varied forms frequently fol-
lows sunstroke. On very hot days, such as
the last few have been, medical authorities
urge that persons should drink frequently
bu. in small quantities. A large amount of
ice water, cold beer, soda water, mineral
water or other iced drinks entering the
stomach at one time is injurious. Immedi-
ate death has often been caused by ice-cold
drinks.
Carroll Smiths Condition.
Justice Carroll Wv. Smith of Anacostia,
who. as stated in The Star, was overcome
yesterday by the heat, lies in precarious
condition at the home of his parents, cor