Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-08
HEAT OF THE TROPICS
Thermometer Downtown Indi-
Gates High Altitude.
OVER 81 DEGREES IN SHADE
Official Figures Not So High - But
Quite High Enough.
RAPID ADVANCE IN FORENOON
Physicians Advise Against Use of
Alcoholic Stimulants and Make
Other observations.

1t appeared as if the fierce heat of the
tropics had been turned on in Washington
this afternoon when at o'clock the big
thermometer at Afflecks registered 9Ik de-
grees in the shade, and the mercury was
still climbing higher. 1t was the expecta-
ton of the man in charge of the large tube
that unless the unforeseen occurs the heat
wave will reach it's crest late this afternoon
with the mercury hugging the 100 mark.
The steady advance of the heat wave is
shown by the hourly readings of the Their
mometer at Affieck's pharmacy, as follows:
s am, So degrees; 0 am, 81; 10 am, 30;
II am, 90; IL noon, 90; pm, 81; 2 pm,
9711
The official temperature at o'clock this
afternoon as shown by the standard Their
| mometers at the weather bureau was ~
degrees, a rise of II degrees since am,
when the reading was 70.
Sizzling Hot
There is heat haze over Washington to-
day, and the mercury in the thermometers
has been bobbing upward since sun-up this
morning. The official instruments at the
weather bureau gave reading of 19.1 de-
grees of Fahrenheit in the shade at 8
O'Clock this morning. and between that hour
and noon the temperature went up ten de-
grees higher by leaps and bounds, reaching
the S9.1 notch.
The humidity started in this morning with
showing of II per cent, and Prof. Alfred
j. Henry stated that there had been some
rain north of the District last night, which
had served to reduce the amount of moiS-
ture in the air.
The hay atmosphere hereabouts was op-
pressive, and Neutrality-suspicious. complained
of the conditions. The shirt waist man.
was abroad in the city, and fans were worked
vigorously, both indoors and out. GuSty
breeZes from the west today gave spas
modic relief from the oppressiveness of the
tmosphere. Some persons attributed the
swetering conditions to the nearness of the
red planet Mars to the earth.
Among the heat pictures on the streets
perhaps the hottest was that presented
about the portable furnace and oven in
front of The Star building. The laborers
who are working on the improvements at
that point appeared to be near "the melt
ing point" as a perspiring pedestrian de-
scribed it. The patient horses hauling
heavily laden vehicles over the concerted
roadways suffered greatly today, and the
suggestion was made that the Humane So
ciety should get busy and send out on the
streets its placards, Bonnet your ami
mails" or words to that effect
A downtown merchant who is habitually
cool and collected in all sorts Of weather
or other conditions was talking to stout
man this forenoon who appeared to be suf-
fer1ng keenly from the heat
Had Sixteen Rules.
ct have evolved sixteen rules to be OBJ
served in torrid, sizzling weather. said
the merchant. Want to hear them?"
Yes. What are they?' replied the fat
man. putting like a porpoise.
well, rule No. 1 is keep cool under all
circumstances and do not overexert your
self Rule No. is
Hold on. there" exclaimed the stou,
not repeat the other fifteen fool rules"
Agents of the several railroads stated to-
day that the summer exodus to the noun
tains, seashore and country has commenced
in earnest, the outgoing trains carrying
many Washingtonians away from the op-
pressiveness of the city's atmosphere.
Advice of Physicians.
Real summer weather was in evidence to-
day, and physicians ADVISE against the use
of alcoholic stimulants except in cases of
eating of heavy meals the excessive use of
ice water and overexertion. Daily baths
are advised.
The temperature n Washington yester-
day was one degree higher than that regis
tered at Baltimore, and four degrees lower
than that at the Jamestown exposition
grounds The mercury at Augusta Ga,
while at Atlanta ana Savannah, Ga, and
Charlotte, n. c.. it was 96. There were
three heat prostrat,ons at Augusta.
A terrific hailsto"m was reported flom
Newburgh, n. Y, Yesterday. The storm
was preceded by a brilliant electrical dis
play, and then came hurricanelike wind
and a deluge of rain that is said to have
wrought havoc in the city and vicinity.
ground to depth of two inches The
hailstones were large and did great dam
age to trees and vegetation
Lightning Damage in New Jersey.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
PENNINGTON, n. j., July S.-Much
damage was done by lightning during a
terrific electrical storm which cca;e.'ed
about Pennington last evening. George c..
Higgins dwelling at Rowlands Mills was
struck and badly damaged. Horace Hig-
gins. his son, was seriously affected by
shock and thrown into convulsions, but
will recover. John Higgins, another son,
was slightly shock and splinters from
the shattered window casing lacerated his
nose.
The barns and outbulldngs on the farms
of Henry Leigh and William Keephart,
near Allerton, were struck and burned with
the contents, the i've stock being rescued.
Samuel Wilson's dwelling nearby was bad
ly damaged. The family escaped injury.
Luther Kings dwelling at Cherryville was
also struck. a chimney was torn off and
the building shattered. The family were
sitting upon the porch and were not af-
fected by the electrical fluid.
The spire of the Locktown Christian
Church was shattered. Tie lightning rip
ped off many weather boards and damaged
the carpet considerably. Holcombe John
sons outbuildings were struck, but did not
catch fire.