New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-17
HUMIDITY AIDS HEAT
Combination Continues to 0p-
press New York.
THREE DIE, 10 FRUSTRATED
Afternoon Clouds Hold Out
False Hopes, but Night
Shower Brings Relief.

The pail of almost continuous heat I'M
der which New York has simmered for
many days maintained its high average
yesterday. accompanied by an unusual
amount Of humidity. The temperature,
starting at s o'clock in the morning at
u degrees. gained steadily all through the
day, until at o'clock in the afternoon
it had recorded 20 degrees.
This combination OF heat and humidity
was responsible for the death OF three
men and the prostration of eighteen per-
sons Many horses were stricken 10y The
torrld blasts beating down on the streets
and many died.
The dead:
MERRIAM, William. engineer on Long Island
railroad: overcome while walking in street
In Jamaica. and died In few minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED Man. about sixty FEARS ola,
black; died In the subway station a,
Fourth avenue and 18th street,
street rt,' Rrookiyn: overcome while on thG
roof Of his home. and died before the ar
rival Of nm ambulance from the Holy ram
lily Hospital.
nc lDIttdSl lot lO-uGy anu lO-ilOI'O"
contains no hope OF immediate relief.
Generally fair weather IS promised for
to-day and Thursday. with moderate
northeast TO southeast winds. No hint Is
given OF lowering OF temperature or
lessening OF the deadening humidity-and
generally fair has come to mean gem
orally hot 10 New Workers. \ heavy
shower struck Manhattan about II
o'clock. affording some slight relief.
What made the day a particularly op-
pressiyc one was the fact that there was
practically no breeze TO temper the edge
Of the relentless beat OF the suns rays.
Manhattan and it's enyrons fairly sizzled
all day. and the only manner in which
sufferers could obtain temporary relief
was by boarding trolley cars, elevated
trains or eulbarking on the numerous
ferrybOats plying the North and East
rivers In such retreats the artificial
breezes created helped to cool many
feyered brow and to ward of sunstroke.
The humidity was at its highest point at
o'clock in the morning, when II reached
/ ST. BY > o'clock It had rcceded to 10, and
II was because Of this merciful lowering
/ OF the humidity that many lives were
saved and prostratlons prevented. Had
the humidity kept pace with the temper
allure il IS probable that the number OF
deaths would have reached dozen.
Although yesterday was hot, uncomfort-
ably so. il was not the hottest July 10
ever recorded BY the Weather Bureau. On
| three different occasions, notably In 1879,
! 1857 and 1850. the thermometer recorded
temperatures OF 81 degrees. There ought
/ TO be a little cold comfort in that.
| one man at least seemed perfectly cool
! and comfortable yesterday. No, not the
| lceman. nor yet the man In swimming IN
the river Those persons had no more
breeze TO fan their heated brows than
any OF the rest OF Manhattans millions.
| This particular man wasn't in Manhattan
| he was over II.
/ Persons walking down Park Row. in
| CITY Hall Park. on lower Broadway ana
! on the numerous side streets Of the imam
/ cial and business sections kept fitting
I their heads backward, shielding their eyes
| from the suns brass rays and looking
! toward a single point-the crest OF tho
mighty Woolvorth Building, at PARK
| Place and Broadway
There. almost indiscernible midst the
network Of red steel beams and cross
! pieces. sat lone man. lie was a paltry
eight hundred feet above swelterins
/ Broadvay, which he could dimly see
through the haze OF heat Perhaps he
| laughed cynically, certainly he must
! have appreciated the fate which perchea
! him hundreds Of feet above the suter-
! INK thousands below him. He was an
| ironworkcr by trade, yet many man
worth millions must have enyied him
| his lofty aerie in the clouds.
! Toward noon. when the sun vas al
most perpendicularly overhead, It's rays
! beat down on Manhattan as though shih-
| irz through an immense burning glass.
| All plant life. even animals and humans
seemed TO shrlvel beneath them. and the
| mercury rose from SIS degrees TO ~
| within the next two hours.