–1,587 Blanchard (US Census for all States except for NY.)

–1,355 US Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I. 1927, p. 140 (List No. 194)

— 15 Alabama Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 145.[1]

— ? Alaska (not listed)

— ? Arizona (not listed)

— ? Arkansas (not listed)

— 69 California Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 148.

— 1 Colorado Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 151.

— 31 Connecticut Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 154.

— 9 Delaware Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 156.

— 10 District of Columbia Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 161.

–2 July 7. Cattaraugus Republican, NY. “Two Die from Heat.” 7-8-1925, p. 6, col. 6.

— 6 Florida Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 165.

— ? Georgia (not listed)

— 0 Hawaii Census. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, Table 5, p. 382.

— 1 Idaho Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 168.

— 52 Illinois Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 171.

— 21 Indiana Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 174.

— 30 Iowa Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 177.

— 17 Kansas Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 180.

— 21 Kentucky Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 185.

— 11 Louisiana Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 190.

— 5 Maine Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 193.

— 51 Maryland Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 198.

— 65 Massachusetts Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 201.

— 42 Michigan Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 204.

— 12 Minnesota Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 207.

— 7 Mississippi Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 212.

— 52 Missouri Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 215.

— 2 Montana Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 218.

— 22 Nebraska Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 221.

— ? Nevada (not listed)

— 6 New Hampshire Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 224.

–112 New Jersey Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 227.

— ? New Mexico (not listed)

–439 New York NY State Dept. of Health.[2]

–>300 New York City NY State Dept. of Health, noted by press reporting.

— 290 NYC area, May 31-June 7. Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Heat Waves.” 7-29-1931, 12.

–207 New York Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 230.[3]

— 13 North Carolina Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 235.

— 3 North Dakota Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 237.

— 52 Ohio Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 240.

— ? Oklahoma (not listed)

— 0 Oregon Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 243.

–299 Pennsylvania Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 246.

— 5 Rhode Island Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 249.

— 16 South Carolina Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 254.

— 2 South Dakota (not listed)

— 25 Tennessee Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 258.

— ? Texas (not listed)

— 1 Utah Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 261.

— 2 Vermont Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 264.

— 17 Virginia Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 269.

— 4 Washington Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 272.

— 8 West Virginia Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 275.

— 6 Wisconsin Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 278.

— 1 Wyoming Census Bureau. Mortality Statistics 1925…Part I, p. 281.

Narrative Information

Charleston Daily Mail, WV: “….According to James H. Scarr, chief of the New York weather bureau, the city suffered its worst early hot spell of nearly a century from May 31 to June 7, 1925, when the temperature was 96 on two successive days, and above 90 on three others.

“This period in 1925 was remarkable for several reasons. Four hundred and seventy-five persons died from heat prostration on the Atlantic seaboard and in the Middle West; of these 290 were in the New York area. The unseasonable heat was followed by a sudden drop from 94 degrees late in the afternoon of June 7 to 60 degrees at midnight. At the crest of the heat, traffic policemen and pedestrians flopped about in melted asphalt, and in the Delaware river at Philadelphia a diver was reported to have been overcome by heat 10 feet [unclear] below the surface.” (Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Heat Waves.” 7-29-1931, 12.)

July 7: “Washington, July 7. — Two persons were killed and eight prostrated today by the heat wave which has gripped the capital for several days. Officially the mercury touched the 97 mark, but thermometers on Pennsylvania Avenue registered as high as 105 degrees at 1 P.M.” (Cattaraugus Republican, NY. “Two Die from Heat.” 7-8-1925, p. 6, col. 6.)

July 8: “New York, July 8 (AP) — The second day of the heat wave which swept down upon the East from the Middle West has caused at least nine deaths, directly and indirectly, and dozens of prostrations….In New York City a temperature of 90 degrees with high humidity killed one man and prostrated nine other persons….” (Syracuse Herald, NY. “Heat and Violent Storms in East Kill Nine, Injure Scores.” 7-8-1925, p. 1.)

July 13: “Chicago, July 13 (AP) — More than three score persons were killed throughout the country yesterday as the result of the heat wave, lightning, automobile, flying and bathing mishaps and other causes. Three of the heat deaths were recorded in New York City where the second hottest Sunday of the year was reported. The mercury there rose to 91 degrees with a high humidity. In the middlewest the highest temperature was at Des Moines 100 degrees — while the 98 point was reached at Lincoln, Neb. With 97 the record at Omaha. Chicago contributed two to the heat death total and Sioux City, Iowa, one….” (Orange County Times, Middletown, NY. “Week-end Deaths in Accidents and Heat Reach Sixty.” 7-14-1925, p. 1.)

Aug 21: “Albany, Aug. 21 – The excessive heat, which held the entire country in its grip for a week during the early part of June, caused 439 deaths in New York State, the state health department announced today. Over three hundred of these were in New York city.” (Naugatuck Daily News, CT. “Heat Caused 439 Deaths in New York Officials Report.” August 21, 1925.)

Sources

Cattaraugus Republican, NY. “Two Die from Heat.” 7-8-1925, p. 6, col. 6. Accessed 7-3-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salamanca-cattaraugus-republican-jul-08-1925-p-6/

Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Heat Waves.” 7-29-1931, p. 12. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=39924158

Murray, Bill. “The 1925 Heat Wave.” AlabamaWx Weather Blog, 9-3-2011. Accessed 7-4-2018 at: https://www.alabamawx.com/?p=52304

Naugatuck Daily News, CT. “Heat Caused 439 Deaths in New York Officials Report.” Aug. 21, 1925, p. 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=65578477

Orange County Times, Middletown, NY. “Week-end Deaths in Accidents and Heat Reach Sixty.” 7-14-1925, p. 1. Accessed 7-3-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-orange-county-times-press-jul-14-1925-p-1/

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Heat and Violent Storms in East Kill Nine, Injure Scores.” 7-8-1925, p. 1. Accessed 7-3-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-jul-08-1925-p-1/

United States Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1925 – Twenty-Sixth Annual Report: Part I, Summary and Rate Tables and General Tables for the Death Registration Area in Continental United States, with Supplemental Statistics for Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. Washington: GPO, 1927. Accessed 11-18-2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1925.pdf

United States Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1931 (Thirty-Second Annual Report). Washington: GPO, 1935. Accessed 10-24-2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1931.pdf

United States Census Bureau. Historical National Population Estimates: July 1, 1900 to July 1, 1999. Internet release date: 4-11-2000. Accessed 10-29-2013 at:

http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt

[1] Bill Murray notes in “The 1925 Heat Wave” (AlabamaWx Weather Blog, 9-3-2011) that “there were 15 100F+ days in 1925, the most ever in Birmingham [AL] weather history.”

[2] “Albany, Aug. 21 — The excessive heat, which held the entire country in its grip for a week during the early part of June, caused 439 deaths in New York State, the state health department announced today. Over three hundred of these were in New York city.” (Naugatuck Daily News, CT. “Heat Caused 439 Deaths in New York Officials Report.” 8-21-1925.) We choose to accept State government number in preference to US Census Bureau.

[3] As noted in previous footnote, we prefer to rely on New York State Health Department numbers.

1925 — Excessive Heat, especially NY (439), PA (299), NJ (112), CA (69), MA (65) –1,587