The sun., 1919-07-05
MERCURY AT 98,
JULY 4 RECORD
Few Heat PrOstratiOns Re-
ported Here, as the Humid
ity Is Moderate.
RELIEF PROMISED TO-DAY
Boston, Philadelphia and
Washington Swelter in Tenn
peratures Of 100.

The impression OF the local meteor
ologists last night was that the heat
wave had attained its crest when 1t
put the mercury up to the 9S mark at
2:30 yesterday afternoon, making 1t
the hottest July on record here. 1t
was degrees hotter than the most
scorching July day OF last year and
one OF the sizzlers OF the calorific
month.
There have been only a few days in
the records in which the official ther-
nometer has registered higher. What
the mercury aloft tells is quite differ
en-; from the shrivelling records OF the
plain proletarian thermometers down
where the heat vibrates over subway
entrances, gratings and the parched
sidewalks in the tenement arroyos.
The big spirit thermometer in front OF
the World Building redly registered
100, while the official silver pencil was
writing 9s.
The heat fortunately was compare
lively dry. the humidity being moderate
most of the day. Thus the prostrations
were not many and no deaths directly
attributable to the heat were reported
to the police.
Among the several persons overcome
when the lances OF the sun were doing
their worst was Benjamin Simpson, en-
gineer OF the old line battleship Maine.
He was sent down at Boston road and
lS0th street, in the dusty Bronx, and
was taken to Fcrdham Hospital. He
lives at so Centre street. White Plains.
There was not much comfort in the
breeze, which sometimes got up to 10
miles. as it blew from warm quarters
the southwest and the south.
The hegira from the East Side was so
large that those who had to stay be-
hind had a little more room in which to
play and breathe and this may have
accounted to some extent for the small
list of prostrations.
At O'Clock last night the official
Thermometer registered 80, and the per
centage OF humidity was only 80. which
took much OF the oppressiveness out OF
the torridity. The mercury dropped to
Sc at 8 o'clock. but started up again an
hour later. reaching 80.
The local forecaster. after a study of
the night chart, said that the heat wave
was of unusual intensity, and longi-
tudinally extended from Maine to Vir-
ginia along the coast, but did not reach
far inland. In the South It was COM
paratlvely cool, and up in Buffalo the
maximum of the day was rs.
The hottest place on the continent was
Phoenix, Arlz.. which was indulging In
the temperature OF 102. which is moder-
ate for her. and about normal. Boston
came near TO Phoenix with 100. Phila-
delphla and Washington also achieved
that torrld height. Even Atlantic City.
with an offshore breeze. suffered from
92 degrees, which, however. was much
more bearable than 9s. which she swell
tered under the day before. beating all
her records for high temperatures.
But relief is coming to-day. accord
ing to the Washington experts, whose
cheerful guess is indorsed by the local
sky interpreters They optim ,sllcally
unite In saying that II Is going TO b.
fair and warm to-day presumably in
tine morning), followed by thunder Lhow-
ers and lower temperature this evening &
and tomorrow. with gentle to m der.
ate west winds.
There is cyclone on the chart that
| 10 supposed to have originated in the
| Gulf of Mexico, or at least gathered in
tensity there, and which swept into Ala
bGma yesterday, and on Its course north
| ward may materially change atmos-
pheric conditions hereabout.