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We hear both on the news and in the papers about the recent rain falls
being the worst since 1910, the sun certainly got its own back in 1911
with devastating effects, will 2014 be the same.
Wednesday. 9th. August. 1911.
London. Hottest day in the capital for 70 years.
97 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.
Saturday. 26th. August. 1911.
London. reported that 2500 ( two thousand five hundred ) children
have died in the recent heat wave.
Monday. 28th. August. 1911.
The recent record breaking heat wave with temperatures of up to
97 degrees has set Britain's death rate soaring. With a mortality rate
for all ages of 19 per 1,000, London is the second most unhealthy city
in the world.
It is children who are most at risk. During the last week of July,
382 children up to the age of two died in the city. In the week just ended,
the figure rocketed to 855. Questions are being asked as to whether the
authorities have done all they could to counter the distressing loss of life
Question. What could they have done.? no fridges or air conditioning in those days.
F.
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For reference. Temperature of 97F = 36C (more or less).
I'm guessing lack of knowledge about the effects of, and how to counteract dehydration may have played its part.
These days we know we must drink plenty of water, and we are reminded to do so, as well as to keep out of the sun during the middle part of the day, etc, via advertising, TV reports, newspaper and magazine articles. I can't imagine too many children had the luxury of being allowed to stop indoors out of the heat in 1910/11 - they were either shoved out of the house to school. to play, or shoved out of the house to work, ie factories, or in the fields particularly at harvest time it was all hands on deck. None of which would be pleasant in a heat wave. I don't think the Shops & Offices Act was about then, allowing for a tea break every 6 hours and down tools and when temperatures exceeded a certain point.
We all have easy and constant access to clean and drinkable running water. I'm not so sure every single household did 1910-11, particularly inner city slums and tenements.
I suppose if you were anywhere near a river you would just have to jump into it!!
Just my thoughts, I could be totally wrong :-)
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I do love a bit of social history....here's an interesting article
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/long-hot-summer-the-great-british-heatwave-of-1911-408738.html
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Hi Karen thanks for that, was a year of troublesome times, apart from the
heat wave there was a dock strike which was joined by the railway workers,
which turned into riots and several people killed, at least 3 Welsh railway workers
were shot by men of the Royal Worcester Regiment, nothing seems to change.
F.
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Well, Frederick, I just thank my lucky stars for our modern times.....in such heatwaves when we feel a bit hot and sticky we at least enjoy the luxury of being able to take a shower and change into clean clothing. We can pour ourselves a glass or 3 of cool water straight from the tap before retiring to lie on our bed, on which we have just put fresh clean sheets...and which we are not about to share with the rest of the family!! We might even be lucky enough to have a/c in the room or a fan of some sort to keep us cool.
All luxuries which many of our ancestors didn't even dream about, bless them :-)
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