Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-07
MERCURY HOLDING ITS OWN
Salamander Satisfied, But the Polar Bear
Fighting Hot.
Chief Of Weather Bureau Safd to Have
Taken Refuge In the Cellar
The Predictions.

There was an Interesting conversation at
the Zoo today. It was between the polar
bear and the secretary Of the bureau of
immigration of salamanders 1t was ami
rated on the part of the salamander and
correspondingly despondeIt on that of the
bear. The conversation, it is hardly nee
essary to state, was In regard to the
weather. The salamander was almost, not
quite, satisfied with the situation. He said:
IF it were a trifie of eight or ten degrees
warmer, say about 1O4 or 1O5 in the shade,
then it would be something like. 1 have
not recovered from that chilly feeling yet
If it keep on this way for few days
more it will be fairly seasonable.''
Then he stretched himself out on a boul-
der, in order to catch more fully the rays
of the sun, and seemed fairly well con-
tent.
The gray-coated patriarch from the far
norm nc, was almost ablaze. He walked close
up to the bars of his cage, when the sala-
mander was speaking, to see If by any
possibility he might raach his prosecutor
Skin on His Nose.
His nose touched one Of the bars of the
cage, and his arctic majesty drew back
with whine and a piece Of skin off his
nasal organ. He could not stand it any
longer. All of his stock of ursine profan-
ity had been exhausted. The only thing
left to do was to plunge into the pool. This
ne did, grumbling meanwhile about 1t be-
ing hot enough to scald hogs sThen si-
lence regned.
Wnen The Star reporter went out to the
weather bureau he was Informed that Prof.
Y Hazen was In the cellar. None of the ladies'
IN the bureau, the reporter was told, dared
because people calling up the bureau used
only the first syllable of the first word used
to start the conversation
The market quotation today was: "Mer-
curry holding its own. Way up. Rise of
one or two points since yesterday
Az o'clock this morning the thermom-
eter registered 76 degrees. Yesterday it
was "A at the same time. Last night the
minimum temperature was II degrees COM
pared with " the night before, so that
those who lost sleep can ascertain by read
ing this why it was.
At o'clock this morning the mercury
registered SO degrees In st. Louis and Fort
Smith, Ark, which was six degrees warmer
than in Washington. It was "a degrees in
New York and BsstSn and 76 degrees In
Phlladelphfa, the same as here. In At
lantic City it was 72 degrees. At O'Clock
this morning the humidity was 50 per cent
At noon the mercury had climbed up to 81
degrees, and an hour later advanced a
point higher.
Lander Took the Palm.
Most persons would have preferred being
at Lander, Wyo., yesterday, to sojourning
In Phoenix, .Ariz. In Phoenix the mercury
made two laps over the century mark.
while at Lander it'weit down to A de-
grees. almost cool enoufh for frost. East
port, Me-, was forced to lower its colors to
Lander yesterday for Being the champion
cool place in the United States. The tenn
psrature was so degrees in Eastport
Inc maximum temperature in Atlantic
City yesterday was Is degrees. An east
wind was blowing, and there was a slight
rainfall. Concordia, Kan. was the next
hottest place to Phoenix yesterday, the
temperature being tust 100 degrees. In
Memphis 1t was 96 degrees. and 94 in Nash
vile. Pittsburg had 90 degrees, Cincinnati
w and st. Louis "a. Chicago was fortunate
enough to have lake breeze, and the tenn
perature never touched higher than so de-
grees. while New York went the windy city
eight better. It would have been warmer
In Boston, but the effect of the hot wave
was nullified by coming in contact with
the human icebergs, and the maximum
temperature was only 30 degrees.
Weather Man Explnfns,
THE air is stagnant and, becoming heat
ed. causes the temperature to ascend" the
weather man said. He could give no pros
pect of relief from the heat, unless local
showers, which are predicted for this after
noon, have effect in cooling things.
AS the reporter left the bureau several
ice wagons were seen headfng toward 1t,
as If the weather people were satisfied
their predictions were all right and fore
stalled things by sending for them.
The thermometer registered 81 degrees at
pm.