Hot Time in the Old Town : The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt

One of the worst natural disasters in American history, the 1896 New York heat wave killed almost 1,500 people in ten oppressively hot days. The heat coincided with a pitched presidential contest between William McKinley and the upstart Democrat William Jennings Bryan, who arrived in New York City at the height of the catastrophe. As historian Edward P. Kohn shows, Bryans hopes for the presidency began to flag amidst the abhorrent heat just as a bright young police commissioner named Theodore Roosevelt was scrambling to mitigate the dangerously high temperatures by hosing down streets and handing out ice to the poor. A vivid narrative that captures the birth of the progressive era, Hot Time in the Old Town revives the forgotten disaster that almost destroyed a great American city. - Publisher. The 1896 New York Heat Wave That Killed Almost 1,500 People In Ten Oppressively Hot Days Coincided With A Pitched Presidential Contest Between William Mckinley And The Upstart Democrat William Jennings Bryan, Who Arrived In New York City At The Height Of The Catastrophe. As Historian Edward P. Kohn Shows, Bryan's Hopes For The Presidency Began To Flag Amidst The Abhorrent Heat Just As A Bright Young Police Commissioner Named Theodore Roosevelt Was Scrambling To Mitigate The Dangerously High Temperatures. Prologue: The Heated Term -- Introduction: Fighting For Air -- Cholera Infantium -- Slaughter Alley -- Enemy's Country -- Inferno Of Brick And Stone -- Bryan Fell With A Bang -- Strange And Pathetic Scenes -- Conclusion: A Phenomenon -- Epilogue: Hot Time In The Old Town -- Postscript -- Appendix A: Death Certificates Filed, August 4-17, 1895 And 1896 -- Appendix B: Who Died : Manhattan, Tuesday, August 11. Edward P. Kohn. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Prologue: "The heated term" Introduction: "Fighting for air" "Cholera infantium" "Slaughter Alley" "Enemy's country" "Inferno of brick and stone" "Bryan spoke and his auditors fled" "Some strange and pathetic scenes" Conclusion: "A phenomenon" Epilogue: "Hot time in the old town" Postscript Appendix A: Death certificates filed, August 4-17, 1895 and 1896 Appendix B: Who died : Manhattan, Tuesday, August 11. The New York heat wave of August 1896 was the worst of the era, killing close to 1,500 people over ten days of suffocating, unrelenting misery. Drawing together the events of the heat wave, and the rise of Theodore Roosevelt, this title tells the story of the catastrophic heat-wave that brought Gilded Age New York to its knees. The untold story of the catastrophic heat wave that brought Gilded Age New York to its knees?and kick-started Theodore Roosevelt's political career