▁heat ▁stroke ▁as ▁the ▁day ▁went ▁by . ▁By ▁night ▁time , ▁moth ers ▁walked ▁the ▁street ▁with ▁cry ing ▁inf ants ▁hoping ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁aw ake ▁in ▁fear ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁sle pt ▁in ▁their ▁c rib s ▁they ▁would ▁not ▁aw aken . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁heat ▁wave ' s ▁second ▁day ▁began , ▁ 1 7 ▁people ▁had ▁died ▁from ▁d row ning ▁alone ▁after ▁trying ▁to ▁sw im ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁heat . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁sun ▁had ▁ris en ▁on ▁July ▁ 5 , ▁industry ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁a ▁stand st ill . ▁Through out ▁the ▁region ▁fact ories ▁were ▁closed ▁and ▁mail ▁service ▁was ▁susp ended . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁temperature ▁ind o ors ▁many ▁began ▁sleep ing ▁outside ▁either ▁on ▁roof s ▁of ▁apart ments ▁or ▁on ▁side wal ks ▁with ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁sleep ing ▁on ▁the ▁Boston ▁Commons ▁alone . ▁ ▁Besides ▁death s ▁caused ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁heat , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁in ▁every ▁major ▁city ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁heat wave ▁that ▁the ▁temper atures ▁had ▁been ▁driving ▁people ▁ins ane ▁and ▁causing ▁suic ides . ▁One ▁such ▁example ▁reported ▁by ▁The ▁New ▁London ▁Day , ▁was ▁of ▁an ▁elder ly ▁Boston ▁man ▁named ▁Jacob ▁Se eg ar ▁who ▁reported ly ▁was ▁driven ▁so ▁ins ane ▁by ▁the ▁heat ▁that ▁he ▁killed ▁himself ▁with ▁a ▁revol ver ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁escape ▁it . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁excess ive ▁heat ▁rail ▁lines