Year: 1878

From our SPECIAL Correspondent1


WASHINGTON, d. c., July %. 76.


Our denizens, old and young, black
and white, patrician and plebian, all
seem equally and unreservedly thankful
for the change of temperature wrought
during the night which has brought the
mercury which was high up in the
nineties yesterday, down almost to the
30 level with promises of a still further
reduction. Our experience has not been
unlike that of other cities as regards the
intense heat endured the past ten days.
The armament was IS molten brass
above our heads, the earth like redh hot
iron beneath our feet, (pardon natural
exaggerations.) The sun stared at us
remorselessly all day long, burning up
and consuming in hot wrath the pitiable
apologies for clouds which 4 pitying
nature sought to interpose between it
and us to mitigate the fierce rays that
seemed to penetrate the brain down TO
very seat of life. In the morning we
wished it we're night; at night we longed
for the morning. But in proportion TO
our population few towns will be found
to have suffered less. The number of
cases of coup de so leI "a stroke of sun)
will not, i believe, exceed half a dozen
certainly not 10 at most. Undoubtedly
death has been fastened by the furnace
like heat to which the chrome invalid,
the old, and those suffering from acute
diseases, have been subjected: but the
lessons taught are uniform with those
of preceding seasons. They are to the
effect that the tolerably vigorous who
give alcohol the go-by in ali its forms,
are sofe from sun stroke if they observe
Il lar degree of caution III keeping
cool' and avoid unnecessary exposure
to the solar rays,which are as competent
to kill as to make alive. But all extreme
vicissitude of climate and all sudden
alterations of temperature are to be
dreaded by the victim Of alcohol. An
instance occurring here few years ago,
will be more impressive than hackneyed
generalities. A well known stable
keeper in the prime of life, apparently
healthy but with blood, soft tissues and
bone all charged and saturated with the
latent fires Of alcohol, only needed one
more drink with the hot dog day sun to
send him headlong to the fate he had
tempted by his long continued debauch.
He took it on a very hot day and fell
before the last drop fairly reached the
stomach, dead probably, before he struck
the pavement. But 1 have digressed.
The number of minor casualties from
the heal have been correspondingly few.
The wide streets, large number Of little
parks, Government reservations, usually
the apex of the acute angles formed by
the junction of the avenues with the
streets and containing from one-half 10
an acre. and the cleanly condition Of
our streets, all end to the preservation
of the general health. Here let me say
of our Board of Health Gust legislated
out of existence by the adoption of n
new form of GovernmenD that its
members were thoroughly competent,
enforcing an exceptional degree Of
cleanliness and otherwise instituting
such reforms that Washington under
their reign was one Of the most healthy
Of American cities. Excluding the col
ored population, no city of its size could
show such low rate of average mortal
ity. Contrary results among the colored
ed people are explained by extreme
poverty, ignorance and total disregard
Of their hygienic surroundings. We
are not even subject to the terrible tor
nadoes that seem peculiar to no section
but are common West. The report Of
yellow fever in Brookly leads US to scan
reports from Norfolk, Portsmouth and
Fortress Monroe with unwonted par
ticularity. We are in every day COM
munication with all of them, and the
memory of the awful visitation of @yel-
low Jack" to the two former in 1853,
believe, ia vividly remembered here.


Although Fitz John Porter has made
out the best case possible by aid Of his
Ex Confederate sympathizers, no one
here save those sympathizlng with the
Hlost cause" seem to doubt that John
will get his props knocked from under
him at the re-opening of his case in
September, and that the suffciency Of
the proofs on which he was cashiered;
will be made so manifest that all who
run may read. Back pay as a Major
General from 1s3 to the present time


would make a handsome nest egg for


Fitz-


The latest political intimations afe to


the effect that the President despairing
Of much Of following in the party that
elected him or among the conciliated,


viii start in anew, striving to bring to
his aid the Grand Army ofthe Republic.


While Webber is doing his appointed


work in the subordination of witnesses
as reported in New Orleans, Potters


burlesque troupe will give their first
matinee at Atlantic City this 2 NJ Potter


and Butler-end men. Maxwell