Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-23
HOT WAVE PASSING;
SHOWERS TONIGHT
WILL BRING RELIEF
Mercury to Hit 80 This After
noon as Parting Shot for
Several Days.

The tenacious grip of the torrid
spell. which has so far claimed four
lives and caused extensive suffering
here, was being loosened slowly but
surely today under the pressure Of
shifting breezes from the northeast
and impending thundershowers.
The sun was expected, as a parting
shot, to send the mercury to 80 or
above this afternoon before retiring
for an indefinfte period Behind a cur
tain of clouds, heralded by heavenly
ryrotechnics.
Thundershowers this evening, Fore
caster Mitchell declared, would mark
the final collapse Of the heat wave
and cooling breezes from the north
ern regions then will hold sway for
several days.
Tonight to Be Pleasant.
The forecast for tomorrow was
cooler and cloudy, with posslble
showers and northeast winds. The
temperature beginning tonight. he
said, should be very pleasant" and
this condition will prevail tomorrow
and probably Sunday.
Mr.. Mitchell explained that by
very pleasant" he meant a tempera-
ture around 80 degrees.
Washington, he added, is one of the
last cities to shake loose the hot
spell, Baltimore and other cities
farther north having been greeted by
cooler weather last night, in the
wake of thunderstorms. The condi-
tions overhead are changing rapidly,
| L. I~rS 49, trrfaf no
breaking "sizzler," with successive
high marks of 104 and 103 to its
credit, will pass into weather history.
Yesterdays Highest 1O3.
Yesterdays maximum of 1913 de-
grees was registered on the official
Instruments at the Weather Bureau
at $50 pm. This figure equaled the
highest mark ever recorded In this
locality for July prior to the present
warm period. The thermometer
reached 103 on July 18, 1887.
The death toll reached four yester-
day when Thomas Brown, colored, 30,
9O7 Half street southwest, suffered a
sunstroke at Fourth and E streets
northeast and died three hours later
at Casualty Hospital. The day before
another colored man died from sun
stroke and two persons were drowned
while seeking relief in the water.
Jefferson Hailstone, colored, 62
years old, of 230 G street southwest.
suffered an attack of heat prostra-
| ton about noon today while in front
| of BAL G street southwest. He was
| taken to Gallinger Hospital, where
physicians say he will recover.
Two other negroes were overcome
by the heat yesterday, according to the
| police records. Richard Hagie, of
| 2816 T street southeast, collapsed in
| front of 20O2 Georgia avenue and was
| treated at Freedmen's Hospital, and
| Grady Mitchell, fireman on the
steamer District Of Columbia of the
Norfolk & Washington line, was
| stricken while at work on the ship.
| Mitchell, a resident of Norfolk, Va,
was treated at Emergency Hospital.
Federal Offices Close.
Most of the Government depart
ments were affected by lay-offs neces'
STATED by the extreme heat yesterday
District Building employees were re
leased at 8 o'clock this afternoon, bu
no plans had been made In any o.
the large Government department:
for an early closing hour today. Th'
chief clerks of the various branches
said they had received no complaints
about the heat today.
However, recognizing the emergency
nature of such weather situations
the acting Secretary of War today
issued standing orders authorizing the
chiefs of bureau and services In thai
department to excuse employees when
in the Judgment Of the chief. the
| excessive heat renders it dangerous t
the employees health to remain OF
duty" Action taken under this au
thority will be reported to the assist
ant and chief clerk, it was stated.
This order superseded one ISSUED
Wednesday ito close the department
at 4 o'clock pm. until further notice,
| placing entire responsibility for clos
/ ing upon the Judgment of the respac
tive bureau chiefs.
Shower Forecast Misses.
Failure Of thundershowers to mate
rialize in this vicinity last night re
suited in another hot night for tn
perspiring residents, who sough
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