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, 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 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.
A little choppy but good solid local history with plenty of detail. An interesting glimpse into the practices and influence of newspapers back before there was radio or TV much less smart devices and streaming. Also interesting to see Theodore Roosevelt in the muck of a major city, pursuing the earlier, healthier progressive agenda.
Also a useful reminder of just how much of our well being depends on basic infrastructure.
I enjoyed it.
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