It is getting hot. Depending on where you are in the world, it could be as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit — the same temperature it got to in New York City in 1911. These historic photographs held by the Library of Congress show how people dealt with the deadly heatwave that hit the Northeastern United States over 100 years ago. The intense heat lasted for 12 days — from July 3 to July 15 — with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 2,000 people.
Nighttime gave no respite with the temperature remaining at an oppressive 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The intense heat caused widespread health issues, exacerbating conditions like heart problems and respiratory diseases. The lack of modern air conditioning and other cooling methods made the situation worse, particularly for the elderly and those in poor health. People flocked to parks, rivers, and public fountains seeking relief from the heat. It gave photographers an opportunity for unusual pictures. The relentless Sun melted the city’s asphalt streets. Horses, which were the primary mode of transportation at the time, collapsed from exhaustion and heatstroke with animal welfare groups trying to provide water for them.
The heatwave disrupted daily routines and business operations. Factories had to adjust their hours, and the ice supply — essential for preserving food and keeping cool — ran dangerously low. The city’s poor suffered the most, as tenement buildings turned into suffocating ovens with little to no ventilation. Some tried to escape to Coney Island. A newspaper cutting highlighting the heatwave. “Everyone who could get out of the city, as far away as possible from the pavements, which in the morning shone white, but in the heat of midday succumbed to the attacks of the Sun and looked like nothing as much as rivulets of melted tar,” wrote the New York Tribune at the time. People gathered around thermometers so they could actually watch the mercury rising. There were reports of pedestrians collapsing in these crowds as it got hotter and hotter.
Many people died by drowning as some jumped into the water to escape the heat. Sleeping indoors became intolerable and in Massachusetts, at least 5,000 people slept on Boston Common. One elderly man in Boston named Jacob Seegar killed himself with a revolver as he became overwhelmed in the heat.
The death toll continued to rise until a sudden thunderstorm brought a wave of relief, soon after which temperatures returned to their normal levels. Image credits: Library of Congress.
