Did people not have electricity in their homes in the 20's? Fans and water[swamp] coolers make a lot of difference. I know water coolers don't work well in humid areas but they would be better than nothing at all. I live in central CA, hello 110', with no AC. Yes we suffer, but this article sounds like hell on earth. People must have dropped like flies. Ah, city life.

Now that is enough to give you nightmares!