Too Hot for Crime in 1918?

From the August 15, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"There is little to do, day or night at the police station these days, it being either too hot for violations of the city's laws, or else those fellows who are in the habit of getting arrested occasionally have left the city or have turned over a new leaf.

"For the last two nights, the desk sergeant has had nothing to do but sit and read the paper, and try to keep cool, and he said that he wished there was a little work now and then to break the monotony."

Hey, Bad Guys,  Bored Cops.  --Cooter

Looking Back to 1941: Heat Wave Strikes

From the August 17, 2016, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1941, 75 Years Ago.

"The crew cleaning the interior and exterior of the Sycamore city water tower were stopped by the heat yesterday.  Early hours were not so bad, but the mid-day sun which bounced its heat waves off the steel on the tower tank was too much for the workmen.

"They had to give up."

A Hot Time In the Old Town Today.  --Coothot

Looking Back to 1941: Hot for Factory Workers Too

From the August 17, 2016, MidWeek "DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1941, 75 Years Ago.

"On account of the high temperature here today the management of the Wurlitzer piano factory closed the plant at noon today.

"Employees were finding it difficult to continue with the regular operations on account of the high temperatures that could not b contained with forced ventilation."

I imagine forced ventilation would refer to fans all those years ago.

What, No Air Conditioning?  --Cooter

Looking Back to 1916: Extreme Heat the Last Several Days

From the August 17, 2016, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"The extreme heat of the past several days has taken a heavy toll amongst the farm horses in this section of the state as well as elsewhere.  The farmers are now at the height of their out cutting and the horses are required to pull heavy binders through the hot fields all day and in many cases the animals have dropped dead."

DeKalb County Farmers Were Still Mostly using Animals On Their Farms.  --Cooter

So Hot, You Can Fry An Egg On the Sidewalk?

From the July 6th Chicago Tribune "So hot, you can fry an egg on sidewalk? Whose idea was that? "by Bob Manker.

The Chicagoland area has really been hit up with a bit of a heatwave: three straight days of 100+ and today in the mid-90s.  And, it was in the 90s most of last week.  It has bothered me, even though it usually doesn't.  And poor Liz is about to dab her head off.

The earliest-known reference to the above cliche appeared in the June 11, 1899, edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Later, the October 5, 1933 Los Angeles Times mentioned it.  There is a June 14, 1929, of two women with one holding what appears to be a fried egg in a skillet on a concrete wall in Washington, D.C. with the caption "Women frying eggs near US Capitol."

Sadly, however, it would have to be really, really hot to cook an egg, even more than Chicago's record 103 degrees this past Thursday.  An egg needs a temperature of 158 degrees F. to become firm.

And, a bit of Route 66 connection.  The organizers of the Sidewalk Egg Frying Contest in the venerable old one-horse, many burros, town of Oatman, Arizona, have been running the even every July 4th since 1991 did not have a winner from among the 15 contestants Wednesday, even though they were allowed to use aids such as foil, mirrors and magnifying glasses (no blowtorches though).

A YouTube serach of "fry egg on sidewalk" tuened up 200 attempts.

How Hot Was It?  --DaCoot