Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-12

AKA " = IsSIths August 1l.-NoW Il OrR
has Just struggled through the worst
neat wave that has hit tho city In forty
years. For i've days the sun appeared
20 be occupying a new position some
where near the back Of a mans neck.
ana the street thermometers registered
loo and LOT degrees Fahrenheit with
painful regularity. People sue
cumbed In appalling numbers-an old
lady hero. IN Infant there and factory
workers by tho dozens in various
places-until by the end Of the fourth
day STs deaths from tho heat were
recorded. Several OF these were sui
cides. Maddened by their futile at
tempts TO get cool. a few sought q
more comfortable end In the river.
while others. in delirium. lcapcd from
their windows AT least two murders.
according to the police department,
were attributable to the heat.
Accept II With Urbnntty.
For tho most part New Workers. ac-
copied the heat calamity with the same
sophisticated urbanity that they ac-
eept any and every evil. Where life
rs plentiful 1t Is not valued very highly.
The first day a slight interest was
exhibited In persons who Topped over
In the streets. a crowd usually gath
cred. and occasionally one heard q SYM
pathetic remark. II II happened to be
by the end of the second day a man
could lie face forward on the pave
ment for five minutes without attract
ing the attention or assistance OF the
hurried pedestrian. Then some one
would say: There's another poor nut
worked ambulance would arrive and
cart the victim away.
Unfortunately, at the beginning OF
the hot spell the city's supply OF cleo
trio fans ran short. and an emergency
call to the factories revealed the fact
probably the war-there were none
Hence. old-fashioned fans OF the palm
lear. Japanese and pleated feminine va
rieties were hauled out Of attics, pawn
SHOPS and department stores. In tho
wholesale districts the New York busi-
ness man carried his coat on his arm.
while with the other hand he nourIshed
O paper fan: in the trains the beach,
goers happed their violently perspir-
Ing faces with giant palm leafs. while
in the hotels elevator boys were to be
found tanning themselves with highly
sembling ladies' favors distributed at
dance halls. Instantly fans became the
fashion on Fifth Avenue, where New
fork's wealthy appeared with fans of
long brilliant feathers that did not
have much effect upon the heat. but
looked wonderfully attractive.
Few Deaths on East side.
Curiously enough. the East Side
registered fewer deaths than any of
the other crowded sections. This is
probably because most OF tho popula-
ton slept In the street, while those who
had enough energy and enough money
went to Coney Island and slept on the
sands. Here whole families were
round spread out on tho beach-tircd
fathers with Raunt haggard checks:
wan mothers with nursing babies. and
1SS
themselves beds in the sand. Most OF
these night visitors did not attempt
to cool of in the ocean. They had no
bathing suits, and the stern rule of
Conoy Island prohibits a plunge with
out clothing.
Perhaps the greatest strain OF the
hot spell was felt by the city, health
ter the health OF New Yorkers-a
problem that is 30 complicated that It
is almost impossible. Everybody has
heard those ancient statistics concern
Ing the foroign population of New
York. in which the city's German popu-
lation Ia compared to that OF tho GER
man city Of Bremen. the italian popu-
lation to that of Trieste and Vienna
combined. the Russian population to
that Of the Russian city OF Odessa. and
the Hebrew population to that OF the
whole world. but II takes n New York
health inspector really to grasp the
Significance of this bromide. You can't
teach people to DO healthy and clean
who do not speak your language. un-
less you are super-human. but. OF
course. that is what the New York
Health Department has to be.
When the hcat-wavc struck the city,
the department Immediately got our
circulars In four different languages,
telling people not to eat heating food.
such as spices and fats. A large part
OF New York cannot afford to cat much
fat-meat, for instance, or eggs and
butter-but It does consume large
quantities OF spices in the form OF
peppers. An Italian or Jewish family
has to be mighty poor before II leaves
it's hot stuff" out OF the daily menu.
yet In hot weather 1t is not tho hest
form OF nourishment. 1t Is doubtful
il the people paid much attention to
the circulars. however. for. according
to one health expert. you can exter-
inmate people quicker than you can
enterminate its eating habits.
Another portion of advice diatribu-
ted In circular form by tho Health
Department counselcd the people to
stay at home and not go to the beaches