The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-07-04
RESPITE IS BRIEF.
Thunderstorms Modify the Heat at
Many Points.

q
city from throughout the entire area
affected by the intense heat show a
continuation of very high tempera-
lures, save in few favored localities
where more moderate weather result
ed in consequence of thunderstorms
or other local atmospheric disturb
ances. No immediate relief of sub
stantial character is in sight. The rain
fall reports show that there has been
precipitation throughout the affected
area, varying from less than hun
dredth part of an inch in many places
to almost an inch. Generally speaking,
the thunderstorms which have come
have been what is known as "dry
storms" so that very little rain has
accompanied them.
Phoenix, Ariz., had the highest tenn
perature Tuesday, the thermometer
registering log, while at Philadelphia
it was again 1902; at Atlantic City. 96;
Boston, "a; at Chicago, where over half
an inch of rain fell, Sc; Cincinnati. 90;
Davenport, la, 90; Des Moines, Ia, "a;
Indianapolis, "a; Kansas City, 100; Lit
tie Rock, Ark, 90; Memphis, Tenn, "a;
New Orleans, 90; New York. 9s; North
Platte, Neb., 90; Pittsburgh, "a; Salt
Lake, %; st. Louis, 90; Springfield, ILL.,,
So; Vicksburg, "a. At Washington the
maximum was 100, but during a gust
in the afternoon the thermometer fell
Is degrees in as many minutes. Nu-
merous prostrations and deaths were
reported from the heat, and in many
places industrial plants were forced to
suspend operations.
Slight Relief in New York.
New York, July 3.-The heat, which
has worked such havoc in this CITY
since last Sunday, was somewhat miti-
gated late Tuesday afternoon by sue
cession of thunderstorms, which
cleared the atmosphere and sent the
mercury tumbling down ten degrees
between the hours of 4:30 and eight p.
m. Never did a downpour of rain re-
ceive such an enthusiastic reception as
did this one. The thunder and light
ming were heavy and many houses were
struck, causing fires, but so far as
known no person was killed or injured.
During the last downpour hail fell in
quantities. ,.--....
Hot Day.
1t was after the hottest July 2 in
the history of the local weather bu-
reau, and a day that almost reached
the city's record of September Z,
1881, that this scant relief came. The
morning opened with the tempera-
ture at 50 at six a. M, and in an hour
1T had gone to 81, and in another
hour had climbed a point higher,
jumping all the way to SO by nine
o'clock. The wind was scarcely per-
ceptible, and the humidity, which was
SO per cent, aggravated the condi-
tions. Then the mercury kept on
climbing, registering 95 at ten o'clock,
and going up point an hour until it
reached SO in the hour between ~
and one, and stayed there until after
three o'clock, the little, eight-miIes-
an-hour breeze meanwhile .dwindling
to an absolutely imperceptible move
ment of the air, that could be deter
mined only by instruments that re-
corded velocity of six miles an
hour. The humidity, however, had
fallen to Al per cent. While the Off
cial temperature up in the lofty
tower of the weather bureau re-
manned at SO, the Thermometers on
the street level ranged all the way
from 100 to 106. .s......- ~.
The suffering caused by the heat
was unprecedented. All the ambu-
lances in the city, as well as the pa
troll wagons and many other vehicles,
were kept busy answering calls. At
the rate of about one a minute the
calls came in over the police wires
throughout the day, breaking all rec
ords of demands upon the ambulance
service and providing patients enough
to crowd all the hospitals of the city
as they have never before been
crowded. ,. ... ...
The terrible fatality of the heatwas
shown in the large percentage of
deaths among those Frustrated. Out
of 32s cases of prostration reported up
to 1880 Tuesday night, 14s resulted
fatally. Among the more prominent
victims were Rev. DR.. Newland May
nard, the Episcopal clergyman and lee
turer, and Jacob S. Rogers, the famous
locomotive builder.
Many Deaths Reported.
Pittsburgh, Pa, July 3.-While the
maximum temperature Tuesday did
not reach Mondays figures, the eff
fects of the long-continued torrid
weather were more disastrous than
on any day since the hot spell began.
Up to IL p. m. so deaths had been re-
ported in Pittsburgh, Allegheny and
suburbs, with many prostrations. Be-
ginning with eight o'clock in the
morning the thermometer registered
SO degrees, and at no time during the
day did it go below that point. At
4:30 p. m. it stood at "a, the maxi
mum, and gradually receded until at
IL p. m. it registered IS. These are
the government figures, and hardly
approach the marks on reliable in
struments on the street levels.
The effect of the heat is appalling
IN the store, in the factory and in the
mill. Employees are stricken down,
many to death, others to prolonged
prostration. In one mill at the Home
stead plant SO men were Frustrated,
and finishing mills Nos. % and 80 and
open hearth mill No. had to close
down. The workmen were as busy
carrying out and caring for their
comrades who were FRUSTRATED as
they were in performing their legiti-