Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-12
THE HOTTEST TOWN.
Yuma, Arizona, Averages the Highest
Temperature.
A, Old Army Sergeant Tells Stories of the
Torrid Climate There.

Prospects Of warm weather in New
York this season." echoed the old army
sergeant, removing his battered back
briar to blow 4 contenl ;ous cloud Of
smoke into the air. "N--- alive, you
never win know what warlI weather is
until you have swelteTed in Yuma
Arlz.. where the genuine, simonpure
article is to be had ten months in the
year. It's the hottest town in the
United States. and has held that record
unbrolten ever since Arizona was ac-
guircd from Mexico. along with few
other places From now on nothing
green will be visible in the town or
vicinity except a few scrubby trees
shimnorfng and shriVeling in ll0
blasting sunshine. and the ground viii
Ire 50 hot that even an ln.ian o. d
Greaser could not stand on it WIN
bare feet. while matches thrown upon
1t win ignite instantly
From the middle Of May until early
in October the temperature seldom. if
ever. falls below 80 degrees. and moIe
often the mercury is boiling an the
region Of 10 degrees in the shad vt It'll
frequent ascensions to 125 degrrra. 1t
is not unusual for the temperature to
tire month in Yuma at this time of the
year. and a little later, two weeks at a
time, the temperature will vary from
1O7 to rs degrees without provoking
remark. I have known the thef-
uometer to record lii degrees in the
shade every afternoon for a week at \
time, with n descent Of about Is de-
arees at night. without unduly exciting
the 5000 persons. Greasers and Indians,
who make up Yuma's population.
'All conditions combine u make thf
town the hot place it is. To begin
with, il is situated in a low basin on
the brim Of the sluggish, dirty Colorado
river. which strdys through desert
sands and adobe soil down to the Gulf
Of California. Across this river, away
to the west and the south, stretches
the great Colorado desert, many thou
sand square miles in area. Such "a
CHASTITY wilderness is that great patch
Of sand that no one is sufficiently
dauntless or foolhardy to cross it by
wagon or on foot in the late spring or
summer, and never in the dead of win
Ter unless accompanied by companions
and supplied with an abundance Of
food and drinking water. for besides
the deadly heat there are sandstorms
Of such magnitude that whole com
panios Of Adventures and several de-
tachments Of Uncle Sans boys in blue
in pursuit Of hostile Indians have been
wiped out by them.
Rain falls in Yuma and its vicinity
not more than five times year. and
then only in the early winter months.
Some heavy floods occur in February
and March. however, when the waters
Of The Colorado rise ana overflow the
banks because Of the rapid melting Of
tine snow up in the mountains Of Colo
RADIO aHd Northern Arizona and the
helvy rainfalls in Southern California.
When the waters recadc some thou
sInds Of acres of fertile bottom lands
are uncovered along the sides of the
river. an area Of alluyill mud, and tie
Indians rush to them to plant mesquite
beans and melon seeds for their annual
crops. The richness Of these bottom
lands has attracted much attention in
The East of recent years. and many
cntcrurising Yankees have bought ex-
toEsivc tracts and are growing small
fruits ana melons. which are first in
the market. even in Southern Cali
foTnia and Los Angeles.
ALL SLEEP ON THE ROOFS.
Most Of the buildings in Yuma are
built Of adobe mud bricks. They are
ona-story high ana have walls from
two to three feet thick. Every one.
without regard 70 -o, or condition.
sleeps out of doors at r. t for nearly
ten months in the year. it is almost
Impossible to endure the heat ana
closcncss of any apartment from the
beginning Of spring until the advent of
~. 1YiA yg-i,,
an emncnce carly in the morning the
view presented by Yuma is one to be
remembered for years by one unaccus-
toned to Arizona life Hundreds and
hundreds Of men, women and children.
each prone upon a cot and sound
asleep. may be seen on the roofs m
piaz2as. or in the incloyurc In tnr a.
of their respective homes. Some 4".
Steering in their lightcst garmo@ -
others are covered by The thinncst .r
sheets. while little boys and girls ana
infants sleep the sleep DC the innocent
ana constituencies. without an. III
Cumbrancc of clothing or GOV "ing. In
thc railroad hotels MI the r TX are
made mp every day in late So! and
summer on the pi2zzas and the tests
obtain whatever sleep they cin until )
y. NJ. by which time the sun has risen
50 hich that it is impossible for even
m Old inhabitant to sleep longer.
Years ago the army garrison at
Yuma was famous among officers and
men as the most dreaded ana despised
post on the frontier. and it is probable
that no other fort in the extreme West
ever contained so many men who later
became great and distinguished mill
tary leaders. Among them We're Gen
erals Albert Sidney Johnston. Custer
Phil Kearny, Edward f. Beale, Long
street and Mcdowell. all IF whom
served a year or so of their apprentice
ship there and commented fervently in
their letters and diaries upon the in
fernal heat.
John Phenix.' whose real name was
II. y. Derby. and who was a lieutenant
II he regular army besides being the
father of his peculiar style Of Ameri-
can humor died in Yuma. To his pen
Is attributed that hoary. decrepit old
story about the soldier who had lived
and died in the garrison at Yuma. and
whose ghost came back one night for
his army blankets
TERROHS OF THE PRISON