Evening star., 1895-09-13
THE ORD BROKEN
Yesterday the Hottest for the Second Dec-
ade of September.
Other Cities Where the Thermometer
Was Hish-No More Excessive
Hot Weather.

In these record-breaking days it is inter-
esting to note that Old Sol is not behind
all true sporting spirits. He broke the
record for this city yesterday for the Sec
ond ten days Of September. The tempera-
ture then arose 10 96.2 degrees. which was
the highest temperature ever recorded by
the weather bureau in the twenty-five years
of its existence.
The weather bureau notes the highest
temperature of each of its stations for
each ten days of each month, so that i'm
portant branch of the government has q
list Of temperatures. both maximum and
minimum. which are regarded with much
awe and veneration by the officials OF the
bureau. When record is broken the old
record Is taken down and the new achieve
ment is posted In its stead.
Highest Since 1871.
Not since 1871 has the record for maxi
mum temperature been broken for the Sec
ond ten days OF September, and in that
year, on the 10Th of the month, the same
date Of the present break of the record, the
thermometer registered 81 But Washing
ton was not alone in the unpleasantness
or high temperature. The warm wave
spread over almost the entire country and
broke records in ten cities, while in four
other localities the thermometer reached the
highest mark it had ever attained. At At
lantic City the temperature was 92 degrees.
degrees higher than ever before, and in
Baltimore 1t was 81, or degrees in excess
of previous records. list of cities where
the record of previous years was broken.
tne temperature Yesterday and the increase
ever previous records beng given follows:
Block Island, r. l., 7S-2; New York, a2-3;
Harrisburg, Pa. 92-4; Philadelphia, 9+3;
San Antonio. Tex, eS-2; Columbus, Ohio.
OIL; Parkersburg. w. Va. 94-2.
Cold Wave Coming.
But there is a cold wave coming and 1t il
not likely that any more excessive heat
will be experienced this fall. The cold
| wave started in the lake regions, and is
| now east-bound. At Buffalo this morning
the temperature fell eighteen degrees; at
Columbus, Ohio. ten degrees and at Pitts
burg, Pa, ten degrees. If this cool wave
reaches Washington in due time ii will be
| here this evening, and it is thought that
drop Of twelve degrees IN the temperature
will be experieI ced.
| While it is not expected that further ex-
ceSSively hot weather will visit Washing
| ton, the only basis for this belief is in the
record of past years. The weather bureau
always assumes that the probabilities are
| that the records Of temperature of past
years will be repeated. Now and then they
day, so that the high temperature expert
enced was unexpected and a surprise to the
| bureau
| The weather bureau is never quite so sure
OF predicting warm waves as 1t is in pre-
| dieting cold waves. The reason ior this is
| that the officials of the bureau know just
| where a cold wave is apt to come from.
| while warm wave will spring up out Of
| the ground, ii were in almost any part
| of the country. The cold waves almost in
| variably enter the United States from the
| northwest border. and by calculating their
| rate of progress the time of their visit to
| any particular point can be ascertained
with considerable certainty.
The Last Hot Wave.
| The hot wave which has just gone over
the country made its appearance in the
Mississippi valley and lake region. There
was no way for the weather bureau to as
| certain that a sultry temperature was about
to spring up there. The causes that LEAD
| to the creation of such hot waves have not
/ yet been discovered. and the first thing the
| bureau usually knows about them is when
| the thermometer begins to rise at the point
| Of their origin. There is stagnation in
| the atmosphere at such places, and the
| heat from the sun appears to be retained
| until very hot temperature is reached.
| Up to that time the freak of the weather
| comes upon the bureau as surprise, but
| when the hot wave begins to move the
| country is warned of it's coming and has
| time to prepare for what is in store for it
| A hot wave may spring up anywhere at all.
| It is as likely 70 make its entrance on the
earth in the District of Columbia as any,
| where else, and frequently does so.
| 1t is expected that the thermometer viii
drop this evening to little above eighty
| degrees. perhaps eighty-four, and tomor-
| row the probabilities are that it will range
| about in the lowsr eighties.