Evening star., 1896-06-22
A HOT SUMMER SOLSTICE
Yesterday Was the Longest Day Of the
Year.
1t Was Also One of the Warmest and
Most Dfsagreeable-Some
Relief in Sight.

Yesterday was long day and a hot day.
The weather bureau admitted freely that it
was long day, for the almanacs, forsooth,
pronounced with all that wisdom that
makes an almanac invincible that it was
the longest day of the year. So on that
score there could be no chance for a quib-
ble. But on the question of heat the wealth
er bureau was not quite so ready. 1t was
warm, to be sure warm to the point of dis
comfort, but the sages who know all about
highs and lows and atmospheric disturb
ances could not be brought to admit that
the thermometer was very high.
They were probably right. 1t was only
30 degrees in the shade on the top of the
weather bureau roof, far away from the
sweltering influence of the asphalt and the
brick sidewalks. But 80 degrees Of plain.
everyday heat coupled with many tons of
moisture suspended In the atmosphere suf-
flee to make very hot, disagreeable day.
Old General Humidity who used to be
assailed as the cause of so much human
suffering. was abroad. The air was of that
Soggy, spongy, lifeleSS quality that brought
all the woes of life to the front and made
existence a burden, Notwithstanding there
was good breeze nearly all day and there
were spots where one might be cool II one
remained perfectly still, just as 1t used to
be necessary to sit when photograph was
being taken. before snapshots became pos-
Sibe. The least movement meant suffering
and whiting. Exertion Of any kind brought
out the perspiration in rivuletS and made 1t
seem as though the Official thermometers
were at least 800 degrees above zero.
Old Sol Improved His Chance.
Being the longest day of the year, the
heat and the humidity had all the better
chance to get in their fine work on suffer-
ing popula ION. 1t is mere often the case
than otherwise that these longest days are
also the hottest, but their passage leaves
the comforting thought that after them for
six months will come steadily decreasing
hours of light and heat. They are bad days
for burglars and babies. Even when dark
ness falls the housebreaker finds the fam
lily all awake, painting for breath and sigh
ing for sleep. while the little ones roll and
toss and fret and add to the concern and
discomfort of their elders.
Sc 1t is a good thing for all sorts and
conditions of men to find the days growing
shorter. 1t means less heat, less trouble
The gasnaker welcomes the passing of the
summer Solstice even if in this CITY it does
bring nearer the day of reckoning when he
must reduce his prices. But cheap gas in
the shortening days is a boon to the maker
OF gas as compared with dear gas in days
when the very thought of gaslight sets the
whole town to shuddering.
Ihe last two nights have been very hot
indeed. caused by the wave of heat that
mas been slowly sweeping over the country
from the Mississippi valley 1t is said TO he
almost gone by this time and the bureau
officials hold out the hope that In a few
hours there will be a perceptible drop in
the temperatures. But they cannot go fur
ther than this. for they suspect that there
is another hot blast forming over on the
Grid plains of the far western states that
VIII reach this region later in the week, so
they hold out no promise of even few
days of cooler Temperatures.
Saturday the official thermometer regis
tered " degrees. Yesterday the highest
point attained was 90. Downtown these
figures were doubtless overtopped by from
D to degrees in almost every section. 1t
was hot enough, goodness knows.
All over the eastern part of the United
States the heat was intense on both days.
But with all that is to be said, spoken and
out of the way, it canrot be claimed that
30 or even % degrees is intensely hot for a
Washington summer day, and there re-
mains the possibility and more likely the
probability that before the shortening of
the days will have begun to be appreciable
the thermometers at the bureau will be
dallying with the hundred mark.