Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21
Unprecedented Heat Breaks Down
Many Social Customs.
SUFFERING AMONG TIE POOR
Affecting Scene at the Decoration
of Captain Towse.
IN EN- GIL A N D
Copyright, 1900, by the Associated rress.)

LONDON. July 2l-"We are requested to
state" said the Times on Thursday. that
the tall hat and frock coat. which had
hitherto been recognized the costume
for Sandown Park. on the occasion of the
royal visit, may be dispensed with tomor-
row and Saturday. in favor of the straw
hat and other costume more suited to the
present tropical weather.
A few days of intense heat have done
more to break down the established tradi-
items of England than would dozen reform
bills. Long-established rules of state, so
cial business and political etiquette have
been swept to the winds. or rather into the
humidity which the lack of wind produces.
In land where a few years ago sunstroke
was almost unknown, the hospitals are now
crowded with cases of that description.
For the first time in the history of parlia-
ment one of the front-bench members Mr..
Herbert Gladstone, has appeared at ST.
Stephens wearing a straw hat. to the
amaZement of the members of the house.
Royalty. driven to desperation by the hot
test weather England has ever known. and
obliged to appear at public functions. has
completely discarded the usual forms OF
dress
Tirade Against the Tall Hat.
Lord Ronald Covers annual letter to the
Times inveghing against the tall hat. in
Stedu VI DtlIS Il uStteSS plottol, tiiio WEN
voices public opinion with remarkable una
nimity. Well-known men of fashion are
frequently to be seen at the West End
wearing white duck flannel trousers with
immaculate frock coats and silk hats. This
latitude of dress extends also to servants.
Bepowdered funkeys thick with gold lace
may be seen gravely sitting upon the boxes
wearing sailor hats of varying pattern, and
fashionable nurses have given up the hot
veil and bonnet in favor of light straw
headgear. In brief. this metropolis Of the
world, with its countless arbitrary forms Of
dress and procedure, has. in the short
space of a week. been turned topsy-turvy
and has become as free and easy as Hal
tan village at the height of summer.
The serious phase of the matter is the
rapidly increasing death rate and the proph-
esied continuation of the heat wave. The
papers never tire of pointing out how ut
terly inadequate are the provisions to deal
with the present conditions Ice is a luxury
obtainable by the richNnly and by them In
limited quantities. For the poor there Is no
alienation. not even the opportunity to
battle The idea of flooding the heated
streets has not yet dawned upon England's
municipality
The supply OF facilities at the London
Hospital to deal with heat prostrations is
absurdly Inadequate Hence. 1t is small
wonder that business Is practically sus-
pended and social functions are cut short
and made as informal as possible. to say
nothing of all the military maneuvers at
Aldershot being postponed.
Too Hot to Think of China.
Even the CHASTITY news from China ELECTS
but half-hearted interest in "a nation which
finds itself suddenly transferred from a
temperate to a tropical zone, with all the
disabilities Of subarctic clothes and insti-
tutions. Londons method of transit-un-
foreground trains. inside buses. etc.-never
well ventilated. can now only be described
sweat boxes.
What with the Christian Endeavor thou
sands permeating London this week, the
American invasion may be said to have
reached its zenith. Scarcely any event con-
nected with American enterprise has ere
ated such general interest in England as
the proceedings at Alexandra Park. The
bishop of London, Right Rev Mandell
Creighton D., while facing the thousands
that waited to hear him speak, turned to
one of the Americans that were on the plat
form and said: "How wonderfully you do
these things in America" The transporta-
ton of such immense contingent 80
many thousands of miles has tremendously
impressed all prominent Englishmen who
have come into contact with the delegates
Compliment to American Tars.
Another class of visitors to London at
tracing attention on the streets is the men
of the United States training ship Sara
toga. who have come up on leave from
Southampton. Commenting on these the
Chronicle says:
'They go about in twos and threes and
conduct themselves to the admiration of
all. although there is no officer In charge"
This Is in striking contrast with the be-
havior of many English jackies. The Sara
toga goes to Calais. when the apprentices
will have a chance to see Paris.
English harbors are dotted with Ameri-
can yachts. At Southampton alone there
are the Josephine, Enterprise. Calanthe and
Prominent Americans are here in such
large numbers as almost to cease to at
tract attention. Mr.. William c. Whitney
spent the week watching his horses run at
Newmarket. He goes to Paris later Mr..
Henry Phipps. Mr.. Andrew Carnegies
partner. has taken Beaufort Castle, Lord
Lovats splendid place In Scotland until
October, when Lord Lovat. who Is in South
Africa, expects to return. Beaufort is noted
as one of the finest Devastating grounds
in the united kingdom.
With reference to the published hint that
he had become naturalized a subject of
Great Britain. Mr. Phipps said to the cor
respondent of the Associated Press:
Il have not the least intention Of becom-
ing British subject. 1 simply want a nice
place to stay until the end Of the sum
mer."
In view Of the wars In which the world
is engaged, curious and almost pathetic
Interest attached to the meeting this week
of the Parliamentary Union for the Promo
ton OF International Arbitration. Mr.
Philip James Stanhopc member of DarIta-
bers Of the British legislature expressed a
willingness to attend the international arbi-
tration conference In the hall Of the French
Senate. July 81. Between 400 and 500 mem
bers of various European parliaments will,
on that occasion, be received by President
Loubet The English delegation includes
Lord kinnaird and Sir Albert ROLLS.
Touching Incidents of the War.
One Of the most touching incidents of the
war in South Africa occurred this week,
when Capt. Towse received the first Vic
toria Cross bestowed by the queen for yalor
in the veldt. Capt. Towse earned the dis
tinction by attempting to carry off Colonel
bowman. who had been wounded, under
a hail of bullets. He was unable to do
so, and lay beside him and kept Off the
Beers all night till help came. BY that
time Colonel bowman was dead. Capt
Towse was blinded in both eyes by a bullet
wound. On Wednesday Capt. Towse was
taken to Windsor and led into the royal
presence by his wife. where he knelt at
the feet of his sovereign, who was so much
overcome at the sight of the blind hero
that her aged hands cOud Scs roe mir on ,ho