THE HEAT IN AMERICA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 213, 7 September 1880, Page 4

THE HEAT IN AMERICA.

[Home News, July 15 ] Extraordinary heat has recently been experienced in New York. On June 25 the thermometer stood at 95 degrees

in the shade, and existence was felt by most people to be of itself a burden. Although tbe burning orb of tbe day seemed millions of miles nearer than ever before, and the day was felt to be almost insupportable soon after dawn, the suffering that was entailed came less from the direct rays of the sun then from tbe heavy condition of the atmosphere. Men who generally laugh to scorn the idea of an East Indian being obliged to take a siesta in the heat of the day paused in something akin to fear before beginning their day's work. The wise man discarded all superfluous olotbing, and started out without necktie, vest, or stiff cuffs, and carried an umbrella ; and workmen who labor in the sun went out with tbe full knowledge tbat half a day's pay was better than a sunstroke. Many of them struck work early in the day, and wisely relinquished tbe wages tbat were lees precious than health. Ab the day wore on the suffering of the people increased. Break fast was something even children were un?qual to The relaxation of nerve and muscle was too great for the ordinary demand of nature for food to be thoroughly realised. Those who like summer forbore to express their preference, feeling that for once summer bad the beet of them. People generally were disinclioed to talk on the subject, ex cept in ejaculatory and spasmodic phrases that were by no means fit to bemade public. They crowded into etagee and cars to escape the toil of walking, and thereby suffered the more, for contiguity was heat. The air, until the middle of the afternoon, seemed entirely devoid of ozone. Each breath was a gasp, end a tantalising shower of a couple dozen of drops tbat fell a little after noon only aggravated the eeneral misery. Later, however, there came a south-easterly breeze thtt brought some life on its wings. Before this came the city had experienced all (he horrors of a tropical summer day, without the preparation for heat that are made in the tropics. That the weather is worthy of record and unworthy of reapeot is shown by the single fact reported from Long Island that farmers are feeding their cattle od j bay in June. The oldest farmer has no recollection of ever doing it before, i and the' promise of a serioua' distress, il i not famine, only needs the confirmation of a further continuance of the past two or three months. Intense heat prevails in Spain, the thermometer havinj reached 128deg. Fahrenheit at Sevil c and lOOdeg. at Madrid. There have been many sudden deaths, (specially among children. In Italy also tbe weather has been very hot.