The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
HUMIDITY MAKES US SUFFER.
Weather Observer Boyer Tells How
the Amount of Moisture Is Found.

the Amount of Moisture Is Found.
1.-THE humidity averaged IS per cent"
This is a statement made in the dis
patch in yesterdays Morning News tell
ing of the terrible death list resulting
from the heat of Saturday in New York
city.
The fact that scores of people were
Frustrated by the heat with the thermome-
Ter registering at its highest only 80 de-
grees was calculated TO cause surprise
here, where for a week the temperature
every day ranged higher than that with
out single case Of prostration or death
directly attributable to the heat.
1.-The humidity is an important factor
in making heat felt by mankind" said
Weather Observer Boyer yesterday. HUI
mildly, as is generally known, signifies
the moisture in the atmosphere. In a dry
atmosphere neither extreme heat or cold
causes the suffering that a less degree of
either does in humid atmosphere. That
is the reason why in some of the north-
western sections of the country there IS
probably not as much physical suffering
with a temperature up to 1O5 degrees as
in the East, with temperature of 80
degrees.
when you have a high temperature
and an excessive humidity you have condi-
tons that are productive of the results
described as occurring in New York city
Saturday. To a much less degree we had
these conditions in Savannah. Our high
est temperature was but one degree less
/ than that of New York, being 81 degrees,
| but 1t was not sustained through any
| great part of the day. We also had sufi-
/ Gent humidity TO make the day an
unpleasant one, producing that 'muggy'
! feeling which is disagreeable and which,
| when accentuated into oppressiVeness, as
| at New York, results in physical depres-
| sion and succumbing to the effects of the
| heat.
Frequently days here are uncomforta-
BILE when the temperature is not high, and
! people noticing the report of the weather
/ bureau as TO the highest heat recorded are
! inclined to doubt the accuracy. The dis
comforts of the day have been due, on
such occasions, to the humidity, to the
| fact that the moisture in the atmosphere
| Is so great that it prevents perspiration
| from evaporating and cooling the body
! and leaves mankind correspondingly OPP
! pressed physically.
1.-THE humidity is determined by the diff
/
| thermometers one with dry bulb, the
! other with a wet bulb. The first Is the
! ordinary thermometer, the latter is the
same, except that the bulb is covered by
moistened linen. If there Is what is term
ed perfect saturation, that Is humidity of
| 100 per cent, there can be no evaporation
| of the moisture from this linen covering.
| The atmosphere has then all the moisture
| 1t can hold, as in a fog, without precipi-
| tating it in rain or snow. If the atmos-
| phere Is dry the moisture in the covering
| will eVaporate and in doing so will cool
| the bulb and lower the temperature as re-
corded by the wet bulb thermometer,
| From the difference between the tempera-
! ture obtained in this way and that re-
| corded by the ordinary dry bulb Their
| mometer the exact proportion of moisture
| in the atmosphere is determined. Elabo-
rate tables have been worked out for
every degree of temperature, based on
actual experience, and the result as shown
| in the percentage of humidity published is
| absolutely correct.
ANY humidity over 50 per cent. pro-
duces the feeling with which every one
is so well acquainted, when the clothing
| sticks to the body, when the perspiration
oozes but does not evaporate, when every
one feels uncomfortable all over and in
/ clined to abuse the weather and all con-
nected with 1t. The acuteness of the suf-
ferng, of course, depends on the degree
of heat prevailing at the same time"