The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Remarkable Hot Week and How 1t
Happened.

Happened.
1t Melted Chocolate Creams in the Shop
1t Was 81 Degrees In the Shade
Highest Record of Next Week Was &C
Desrees-A Difference of 81 Degrees
An Obstinate Storm Center In the
Northwest Caused 1t.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PREss.)
Washington. D. O., April 23.
When we lett Portland at noon, April
18th, the thermometer registered 70 de-
grees above in the Eshade. Boston was
even warmer. The night on the Sound
was like summer night. The water
was like a mirror and it was possible to
sit on deck in the night air without dis
comfort. The next day was hotter still.
AS we journeyed to this city all the
forenoon from New York the cars were
as hot and dusty as ever any cars on the
Maine Central in the hottest days Of sum-
mer. We fairly sweltered in our winter
clothing. The other passengers were
dressed the same way. One lady had a
fur cape. When we arrived in this city
at noon it was blazing hot. The mer-
curry was in the close vicinity Of 80 de-
grees. OF course we had exected the
sprouting grass. the budding leaves and
the flowers in the parks, but this tropi-
cal heat was unexpected. 1t was as
much OF surprise to Washington resi-
dents as to us. 1t was unprecedented.
The Oldest inhabitant could rememb Der
nothing like it. There WAS no known
record anywhere near it. for that week
in April.
They had been having it all the week.
The hot wave came Monday. 1t lasted
till the following Monday. Friday was
the hottest day. The highest thermome-
ter reading at little past noon, was 81
degrees, as registered at the capitol. Mr..
Fred j. Rando lph, the weather clerk,
who is stationed with his instruments
and maps in the lobby of the House of
Representatives for the convenience of
members, and whose intere sting and i'm
portant work was the subject of special
article in the PRESS last winter, says
that that hot week was the most re-
markable freak of weather ever recorded
in Washington. 1t was as hot Us the hot
test weeks Of summer, for it rare
reaches 100 here even on the hottest days.
But here was a reading, on Friday
| April 18th, of SO degrees in the shade,
and during the whole week it averaged
| above so degrees in the day time. Ihe
evenings We're so balmy that the women
rode in the open cars In light dresses and
/ sr4 sion how tho
| height of summer and the nights were so
warm that even sheet was too much for
bed clothing and many people found sleep
| impossi BILE.
The lowest reading for the week, at the
coolest time Of the night was So degrees
and the temperature, night and day,
averaged 10 degrees higher than the high
| son.
| Mr.. Randolph explained the cause of
| this hot week with the aid of his maps
showing the daily weather conditions all
| over the country. 1t was all due 20 the
| fact that an area of low barometric pres.
sure, or in other words, q storm center,
that happened to come arbitrarily, as
such things do, in the Northwestern
states continued to remain there day af-
| ter day, also arbitrarily and also unpre-
cedentedly. These storm centers usually
go ao ross the country, in one direction
in the Dakotas and Montana and Wy
oninQ, etc, for whole week. A storm
! center is attened by huge circle of re-
| vOlving winds that sweep around it in
just the opposite direction to the move
monts of the hands Of a clock. Thus this
storm centre, or area of low barrometric
pressure, had vast cohorts of winds
sweeping up from the South, passing
over the entire eastern half of this coun-
try, up around into Canada and British
Colum bia and SO down again through
the northwestern states. Had the storm
center remained but a day or so in one
place, as usual, this wouldn't have pro-
duced any unseasouablee weather, but
day after day the storm center remained
and day after day the hot winds came
sweeping up from the South. Hence the
extraordinary hot weather all through
the Atlantic and Middle and Central
states with corresponding extreme low
temperature in the northwestern states.
The maps show record of 10 degrees
above, as far west and north as Illinois
and Michigan, while over in the Dakotas
it was only 10 above, the cold winds
coming down there from British Column
bia, just as continuously as the hot winds
came up from the South.
1t was predicted that the normal
weather would return by last Monday,
and SO it proved The present week has
| been cool enough for anybody. The con-
trast is remarkable. The highest read
ing thus far this week WAS today. 1t
was &C above. Contrast that with 81 of
last week. The mercury went dawn last
nigh to 46 and night before last to Al.
The highest reading yesterday was g.
and Ia breeze was blowing all day that
made an overcoat essential to comfort.
One lady passed along the street with a
fur cloak, at the same place when last
week it wasn't comfortable, or safe, to
some people to walk without an UNI brella
or some protection from the fierce heat
of the sun. One sunstroke was reported
| kIIt tho IA.al lnS nd a1l1nct des n nd