The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-07-29
SOUTH cARoLINA's
= HOTTEST WEATHER

persons have observed that it was the
hottest weather they have ever
known. Possibly so, but it is by no
means the ~arrnest that South Caro-
lima has experienced.
In May, HAS, DR.. Lining, an emf
nsnt physician who had practiced for
1naAy years in Charleston, gave to
the; Royal Medical Society of Eng
lahd an account of the weather in
that city, declaring that the heat
there in June, 1888, was probably
124 or 1926 degrees and that two men
dropped dead on the streets as re-
suit, as did several slaves at work
in the rice fields.
DIR. Lionel Chalmers, a celebrated
physician of Charleston, printed IN
Iondon in 1875. another account OF
the weather in that city during the
middle of the century, in which ne
said that the mercury in the thermom-
eter sometimes rose to 130 in the sun,
when It was only 94 in the shade.
''Nay, have seen a-:beef-steak OF the
common thickness so deprived of It's
juices when laid on cannon for the
space Of twenty minutes as to be over
done ACCORDING to the usual way OF
Speaking" Doctor Chalmers asserted.
he suspended . thermometer in his
kitchen eight feet from the floor and
fifteen feet from the fire, with all
doors and windows open, and found
that the temperature was l15. ''Not-
wfthstanding this seeming distress the
negroes assures me they preferred
this soft Of weather to the winters
cold" -
BY Juls IS, 1852, a general
drought prevailed. Plants shruhk and
witaerad.- Ali standing waters were
dried up as were many wells and
springs, so that travellers could not
find water either for themselves or
their beasts for whole day togeth
err In several settlements no water
could be found by digging ever SO
deep, so cattle were, driven out to
shift for themselves. Many of them
perished for want of pasturage and
water. '''In snort, the distresses of
men and beasts at that time are not
to be described. said Doctor Chal-
ners.
:sRefreshing sleep was not to be had.
Everybody was bathed in sweat
through the night. Many people
senght .slumber on the pavements.
oaspeedy was the; putrefaetion of
dead bodies that they required to be
quickly inferred; For in' the short
spass of five hours the body of pref
t corpulent woman who died as she
was ironing linen, burst the coffin
% violent was the putrefaction." 1t
Iss found necessary to wrap: dead
bodies in sheets that were wrung out
dtar and bind them tightly with
cords. "During this season candle
was blown out and set in a Gimme.
ae:ten o'clock at night, the wick Of
which continued to burn clearly til
next morning, and was likely to dc
So for many hours lepger."s
I During twenty successive days II
1752, except three in June and July
Tie temperature in the shade varied
from 90 to 1O1, "and sometimes j
mast have been so degrees warmer il
the open sunshine" Nevertheless
during this torrid weather, the gen
sral health Of Charleston was good.
When this violently hot weather be
San zto abate about July p, "ever!
shower was accompanied with mos
dreadful lightning and thunder
killing several people and damaging
buildings and ships in the harbor. A
father, son and four horses, ploughing
in the field, were killed by one stroke
Of lightning. Il have known it to
tighten and thunder violently, ant
with but little intermission for eighr
and ten hours together, the clouds be-
ing this while so low that in one after
noon the lightning fell on sixteen diff
ferent objects in town, among whicl
were nine dwelling houses, one
church, meeting house, and five YES
sells were zdismasted in part"
Commenting in 1903 Oh the wea
ther of South Carolina, DR.. Davit
Ramsay, the historian, said that tn,
records seem to prove that the eli
mate in the last seventy years ha'
changed for the better. 1t is certain
that the climates pf-.zold countrie!
hsve been materially improved by
clearing and cultivating the land. W.
have therefore reason to hope that {
melioration of ours will in time take