The Dickinson press., 1896-08-15
DEATHS FROM HEAT
ANOTHER SCORCHING DAY THROUGH
OUT THE COUNTRY.

Many More People Succumb to the
Heat, and the Death List in Chi
cnRo and New York Grows mt an
Alarming Rate-Somc Hope That
Cooler Weather Will Prevail i'm a
Few Days.
Chicago. Aug. 12.-The latest reports
show that the total list of victims of
heat prostrations yesterday numbered
siNty-five. OF these twenty-five are
dead, ten expected to die and three
driven insane by the heat. OF the
three one ended his existence with
poison and another attempted to slash
his throat with IL razor. To-day about
thirty-tive deaths occurred. 1t began
to grow uncomfortably warm here to-
day ut carly dawn. And as the blaz-
ing sun pushed its way UP over Lake
Michigan, the intensity of the heat
was increased hour by hour Mt the rate
of gc0metricGl progression. TO make
life still more unbearable n steamy
hot wind as baneful as a sirocco from
the sands of Sahara, blew over the
city from the marshes and swamps be-
yond the southern limit. 1t was a
bligllting wind and men sought to es-
cape from 1t.
1t waS terrible even Oil the lake
front and in those quarters of Chicago
where wealth and plenty abound, but
in the poverty-stricken tenement dis
tricts the agony was awful to contem-
plate. Ali night long the miserable
wretclcs sweltelcd and painted in vain
for breath of refreshing air. They
slept or tried to sleep by thousands, OH
the sidewalks and on the paving
stones willie the steamy vapors rose
from the garbage heaps, spreading
death and disease.
The city a,nbulances and patrol
wagons from the police stations were
kept on the r,in all night long. benring
victims Of the heat to the hospitals.
This morning men walked through the
streets without coat or vest and pant
ed, perspired and suffered for want
of fresh, cooling air. PrOstratiOn from
heat began to be reported as early as
8 O'clock. Animals. overcome by the
heat lay dead in almost every ward in
town. They were SO numerous that
the garbage men could not keep the
streets clear of them. The coroner's
Office was buster to-day than it has
been before in years. There were not
enough deputies to do the work. In
order to get through with the work
the coroner sent out notice that in all
cases of deaths from excessive heat,
PHYSICIANS certificates could take the
place of inquests.
Hundreds Dead in New York.
! New York, Aug. 12.-The number of
H., S,>r
New York is about 100, and additional
victims are reported hourly. The pros
tratiOns are almost innumerable and
llO accurate statement of them can he
made. An,bulances and patrol wagons
have been running about all day, the
clalnor of the gOngs becoming IL famil-
lar sound. Street car horses have
dropped in the track by scores. Out
of-door work has been largely suspend
ell and many factories are tempOrari-
ly closed. Last night was the hottest
of the summer, the climax of the pres
cllt torrid SPELL and one of the hottest
known in the city for years. Morning
brought no relief and ut o'clock the
thermometer stood 5 degrees higher
than at the same hour Sunday, but as
the humidity was less intense there
was less discomfort in the atmosphere.
Early in the morning there was but
50 per cent of humidity, which is rath-
or below the norm al.
Suffering has been most severe in
the tenement regions where poor peo-
pie arc unable to get breathing space.
In these sections the charitable Or
CARNATIONS have had their hands full,
many infants and children succumbing
1 20 Aolx
compelled to call on the police depart
ment in responding to calls, as their
ambulances could not cope with the
number of cases reported. So police
patrol wagons were pressed into SER
vice to carry heat victims to the hos
pitfalls. Many other wagons were used
to carry away dead and disabled ami
mails.
A Ray of Hope.
Washington, Aug. 12. - Maj. Dun
woody, the weather forecaster scanned
the map to-day in vain for n prospect
to relief frcm the torrid heat under
which the country has been sweltering
for the past week. 1t was slightly
cooler in the Ohio valley and the lower
lake region was given a slight breath
ing spell by thunder storms. The tenn
pcrature had also fallen slightly in
the Mississippi valley, the mercury to-
day registering but 92 as against 9S at
st. Louis and Chicago yesterday. But
out on the prairics Of Nebraska and
ansas and to the sOuthvard along the
Gulf states humanity struggled to ex-
list ut 100 degrees. The Atlantic
coast as far as Boston showed very
high temperatures. At the latter place
1x,1,io o1c ~,
at Atlantic City. The same tempera-
prospect for relief in this territory to-
Northwest, in the Rockies, however,
The barometer had risen there and had
the lake region. If these high and low
areas develop the hot spell will be
broken.
Nineteen Fatalities.
st. Louis, Aug. 12.-Not before in
tants suffered from the heat as during
the past week. The highest point
reached by the thermometer was 100
in the shade, and on no day was the
maximum below 05. On the streets
| IAS AASuI was AAAOAC AASCA6C uAtl lllG
record higher. City Physician Sutter
declared last night that the record of
heat prostrations and deaths at the
hospital for the psst week is unprece-
dentcd in its history. He reports that
11O cases, all serious, were cared for
and that nineteen of them died, while
more are still in a critical condition.
This is not the complete record for the
city, for at least that many more cases
were taken to the dispensaries, where
many died, and others were sent to
various hospitals or their homes for
treatment.
At Other Points.
Hartford, Conn.,. Aug. 12.-This was
the hottest day since 1888. The max.
imum temperature was 90 degrees
though private thermometers on the
street registered 103 degrees. Pros
trations and deaths caused by the hea,
are received from all sections of tho
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