Real Climate Records

the ghetto and other congested districts babies died like flies.” Some 101 deaths in Chicago

were attributed to the excessive heat during the five days the spell covered. But during the following cooler days persons whose strength had been broken down by the unusual length of the wave, succumbed in large numbers.

There were 68 additional deaths on the two days after the great heat had abated.

The area affected consisted of the eastern and New England States and the middle western States almost as far west as the Rocky Mountains, in fact, all America felt the heat spell except the Pacific Coast States and the Southern States.

In New York City the suffering was only second to that of Chicago. Twenty-six deaths occurred there one day, 36 another, and 25 on the third. Philadelphia, Cincinatti, Boston, Pittsburg, St. Louis were amongst other big cities that suffered heavily.

At the apex of the wave the official temperature In Chicago reached 102 in the shade, which

is within 1 point of the highest mark reached in that city since the observatory was opened

in 1877.

The official thermometer is in a cool place, and in the streets the mercury rose much higher. In the slums the afflicted dwellers were in pitiable plight. Residents of the tenement districts of Chicago slept on roofs, side walks, and alleyways. Every street stairway was occupied, with adults stripped to the limits of seemliness, and all but naked babies wailing or silent from illness.

On July 4, the national holiday, the country reported more than fifty drownings, which properly belonged to heat casualties, as the victims were slain while trying to escape from the torriditty.

Morgues in the large cities were swamped beyond their capacity, and in Chicago the coron-

er stated he was unable to keep pace with the demand for inquests on unexplained deaths.

Some very excited reports were sent out from afflicted cities during the height of the visita-

tion. Rockford, Ill., announced that its cement sidewalks grew so hot that they exploded. The

same day. July 3, a newspaper telegram from Chicago asserted:— “Deaths, suicides, insanity,

and deeds of violence to-day followed in the wake of one of the most terrific heat blasts

experienced in a generation.”

The disastrous wave of heat subsided on July 6, cooling rains falling throughout a con-

siderable portion of the country. This saved the corn crop from utter annihilation. As it

was, very serious damage was caused on the farms, products of all kinds suffering. The

Illinois State Board of Agriculture, in a special report, says the heat spell has badly damaged all the crop in that State, some of them irreparably. Official reports show that the fruit

crop of Iowa fell off 10 per cent in five days.

A Chicago theorist has advanced the idea that the heat generated by the great cities at the present day is changing their climates to a marked degree.

Observations covering many years, he says, demonstrate that the climate of New York has become both warmer and drier with the growth of the city. The rainfall has dropped in recent years from an average of 45in to 40in.

While the rest of the country was suffering, from unprecedented heat, the Pacific Coast on

July 1 experienced a sharp shock of earthquake. It effected some little damage, but no buildings were wrecked.