Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-04
All Records for Past Ten
Years Broken Before
Noon; Sunday Maximum
Heat Was LOG Degrees.
ENTIRE COUNTRY
BLISTERING TODAY
Reports From All Parts Of
East and Middle West
Show Today's Heat Broke
Seasons Record.

snow IOday,S Heat Broke
Seasons Record.
Today is the hottest day Ottum.
wa has experienced for ten years.
About IL o'clock this morning the
maximum thermometer at the central
fire station In charge of Voluntary
Weather Observer Charles Sloan show
cd the mercury to stand at 108 de-
grees, three degrees hotter than the
most torpid day of the summer. Yes
terday the thermometer showed 106
degrees.
Within past ten years only ono day
has approached the heat OF today. That
was eight years ago when the mercury
topped the figure Of 107 degrees. Many
will remember that ten years ago for
about fifteen consecutive days the mer
curry reached 100 degrees or above,
All will admit that old Sol has started
the new month on very torpid course
and many are wondering how far the
latter part Of July will send the mer
curry.
This mark OF 10S is Of course the
temperature In the shade. The ther.
mometers that stand in tho sun ran
the mercury to the top of the tubes
where 1t necessarily stopped. Per.
haps the humidity was felt more yes.
terday that It has been today 10
most Ottumwans had nothing
to do but think how hot 1t was
and Imagination can send the mercury
soaring. There was no place that
seemed to be cool enough to stop
perspiration. The city park Is usual.
ly comfortable spot but yesterday
found it sparsely inhabited. People
would wend their way thither, think
ing that they surely had found cool
place but they remained but q short
time. The benches were too hot and
all felt more comfortable alnbling
about. Thirst parlors found the dis
pensers working their limit, handing
out the cooling drinks overfowing
with Clipped Ice. Houses were de-
serted, their occupants flown to the
cellar or the cave. And the "old
swimmin' holes found not only boys
but many men driving away the heat
with the cooling water.
The slight shower at 6 o'clock last
night and the one this noon served
to lessen the heat slightly.
Sunday Hottest In Des Molnes.
Des Moines, July 3.--With slightly
lowered temperatures, Des Moines
was still in the grip of the heat wave
today. Reports from all over Iowa In
dicate higher temperatures than
usual for this period Of the year. At
noon the government thermometer
registered 81, and weather officials
said 1t would be around the 100 mark
before the afternoon waned.
The temperature yesterday was
the highest recorded in Des Moines In
ten years. At one time during the at
ternoon the thermometer registered
102 degrees.
Chicagoans Leave For Lakes.
Chicago, July 3.-Chicago sweltered
today as the torrid wave which has
held the city In Its grasp since Friday
continued unabated. At o'clock one
death from heat and half dozen pros
trations has been reported with no re-
lief in sight. At 8 o'clock the tenn
perature registered SO compared with
86 at the same hour Sunday. At 9
o'clock the mercury reached 80 and
was still climbing. People focked to
the bathing beaches for relief by the
thousands. Trains and lake steamers
bound for nearby summer resorts
were crowded throughout the day. It
is estimated that 100000 have left the
city during the last 48 hours.
Suffering among the poor In the
tenament house district continues.
There were seven deaths from heat
and eight prostrations Sunday. The
death rate among the babies is ex-
tremely high since the beginning OF
the hot wave.
At o'clock this afternoon the gov
ernment thermometer at the street
level indicated 102 degrees while in
the tower Of one of the highest build
ings in the city it was but four de-
grees lower Last night was the hot.
test In forty-one years.
Many Deaths In New York.
New York, July 3-The thermometer
at o'clock this morning registered
15 degrees higher than at the same
hour yesterday, which was good
enough indication that Monday would
beat Sunday for the high temperature
record. Yesterday, with maximum
OF 9415 degrees. was the hottest day
here for twelve years, but it showed
at 8 o'clock temperature OF only 72
compared with 81 at eight this morn
ing.
The heat has caused ten deaths and
over sixty prostrations. The rush OF
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