Evening star., 1897-07-28
The Tariff Bill Passed the Senate With
a Jumping Mercury.
bow LEGISLATORS WERE ArfIRED
Some Strange Combinations, All
Designed for Comfort.
IN EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS
Written for The Evening Star.

written Tor The Evening Star.
The sun hung over Washington like a
| copper ball when the tariff bill as amended
passed the Senate. 1t was a hot day-so
| hot that Pennsylvania avenue was nearly
| deserted and resembled a street at high
| roon in some equatorial city. The heat
was more than oppressive. 1t created a
lassitude that induced somnolence, and
ncen We're seen asleep in restaurants and
on the street cars. They were even more
sleepy in the galleries of the Senate. The
debate dragged wearily. and the intona-
tions of the speakers became drearily mo-
famed himself. and members of the House
| who thronged the Senate chamber indulged
in catnaps on the sofas.
While the senators and represent ives
were gasping for fresh air. the atr.os-
phere outside of the Capitol was mucn
worse. Many of the asphalt pavemeuts
became softened under the action Of
the sun, and tremulous waves of heat
arose from the streets. Negro huckstars
went to sleep upon their wagons. and hack
men on the Capitol plaza crept within
their vehicles to escape the rays of the
sun while waiting for fares. Hardly a
breath of air was stirring. The hags on
the marble edifice hung limp and mott on-
less. end the very dome became torrd. A
few wheelmen appeared in the streets,
moving over the hot pavements mechani
cally but listlessly. The concrete walks
became springy. and these using them fire.
quently left foot prints behind them. The
robins disappeared from the parks. and
even the domestic sparrow 0rangella do
mestica) sat in the plinths of the corint hia n
columns painting for breath.
In Summer Attire.
1t was as hot day as has been seen
in Washington in many year. Congress
men had been broiling in similar heat for
three days. Crash suits were in great de-
mand. Scores suffered from prickly heat
and burnt flour and carbonate of soda were
in great demand. Dogs dropped in shady
places with lolling tongues and legs drawn
out. Flies settled in swarms in the beer
shops. The great green house in the bo-
tanic garden fairly steamed with heat,
while the rare palms and eXotics surround
ing 1t were watered morning and evening.
Fifteen thousand employees in the depart
ments sweltered in shirt sleeves and
challe waists. while their chiefs of divis-
ion, arrayed in light flannel. pongee and
crash suits. sought comfort in breezes
created by electric fans.
There were some startling surprises
among the statesmen in the Capitol. No
two were dressed alike. Some wore crash
suits with belts, and others the same with
out belts. In most cases crash waist tcoat
was discarded. a few were exceedingly
natty in appearance, notably one gentle
man from Pennsylvania. He had a pongee
coat. a white silk shirt and flowing tie
of the same material. His trousers We're of
fine white duck. He wore no waistcoat,
and the trousers were held in place by a
white leather belt with a silver buckle
The suit was set off with light tan shoes
and a fine Mackinaw hat. 1t was the neat
est rig seen in the Capitol on that day.
everything being perfect in fit and harmo-
NOUS in color.
Some Queer CombfnntiOns
Then there were others--old-timers, who
wore broadcloth coats and doeskin trous-
ers, without waistcoats Some varied the
costume with ancient alpaca coats. The
value Of the coat was sometimes indicated
by the stain left upon the shirt collar
der profuse perspiration. Light cassimeres
were USED in abundance, some close fitting
and others baggy and loose. There were
white duck suits SO thin as to show the
color of the stockings and underwear. The
white flannel seems no longer popular and
the seerSucker suit. once so common, has
entirely disappeared.
A southern senator. known from the ST.
Croix to the Rio Grande, wore calfskin
boots and a black broadcloth suit antique
the trousers were nearly large as the
smokestacks of Mississippi steamboat,
and the double-breasted frock coat as COM
modious as the mansion Of a southern
planter before the war. This apparel.
however. was thrown into the shade by
suit worn by a representative from the
Pacific coast. He was attired in snuff
colored raiment. with a bright yellow
waistcoat, a Spinola collar and light
colored knotted tie. The tout ensemble was
rendered complete and unique by pointed
patent leather shoes. fawn-colored gloves
and a chimney pot hat that would have
excited the admiration and envy of the
Prince of Wales.
Speaker Reed was dressed plainly and
and dark trousers. with tanned shoes, black
derby hat and a Madras shirt of pink hue
1t was in admirable contrast to the suit
@crn by him in the hot days attending the
first session of the Fifty-frst Congress.
At that time he appeared in seersucker
suit and neglige shirt wearing Oxford ties.
straw hat, ard a dark blue silk sash,
knotted at the side.
Another strange combination was coat
and wais.coat Of Kentucky tow, a narrow
tie Of white lawn, and trousers of light cas-
simere. 1t was worn by the chairman of
one Of the great national committees in the
last campaign. A renowned western sena-
tor, breezy and portly, wore blue serge,
ample in dimensions, and apparently ex-
tremely comfortable. A New England SEN
ator, who never turns a hair no matter how
hot the day or debate, appeared in Steel
colored French cashmere. The fitting was
the inspiration Of tailor far above the av-
erage. All the statesmen were in summer
garb, giant and pigmy, fat man and lean.
cloak room and restaurant, and buttermilk
drinkers were surprised to learn that the
supply had given out before 3 o'clock.
SwcrvinG Sentine;s.
While the atmosphere was enervating in
the streets of Washington, it was abso-
iutely enfeebling for those approaching the,
city by railroad. The tremuloLs waves of
heat arising from the city were plainly
seen by the perspiring passengers miles
away. The dome Of the Capitol seemed to
be swerving, the Washington monument
was curved and crooked. and the golden
cupola of the new library building was as
creased and sQuatty as Dutchman's cap.
They lay upon the horizon shadowy and
fnoistinct. as II limmed on the sky by a
brush dipped in a weak solution. As seen
from the line of the Pennsylvania railway,
away beyond the Eastern branch of the
Potomac, those monuments of Washing
tens glory wabbled necessarily, as though
appearing through windows of fiawed glass.
The whole landscape seemed to be in the |
throes of convuisive tremor. At first the |
monument appeared upon the right of the |
dome, but as the train neared the city It
Moved slowly behind the massive edif1ce |
and assumed a position upon its left,
where it stood like a colossal but uneasy