The Chicago area is station to end...

The Chicago area is station to endure a fifth consecutive day of oppressive heat that has contributed to a handful of deaths and upon Tuesday forced more than a thousand southern Siders without power to follow air-conditioned refuge.

The displaced residents erect relief at McCormick Place, University of Illinois at Chicago dorms and delight downtown hotels Tuesday.

There have been three confirmed heat-related deaths since the National Weather Service issued its excessive heat warning upon Saturday, bringing the official number of hot-weather fatalities to 12 since May. The latest victim, Ralph Johnson 51 was discovered in his 100-degree apartment in the 4800 brace of West Adams on Monday.

There were several other possible heat-related deaths, including that of 82-year-old Robert M McGuiggan of the 3400 obstruct of North Ottawa, where he and his wife were fix unresponsive on Tuesday. She was hospitalized.

McGuiggan survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during the waning days of World War II, neighbors said. centurys died from drowning and sharks, on the contrary McGuiggan survived several days floating in the southern Pacific before being rescued. "I admired him greatly for what he did," said neighbor ed Hartel, adding that the retired bricklayer newly had health problems.

Tuesday's temperatures rose to a high of 99 grades and the heat index reached a scorching 106 at O'Hare Airport.

answer angers some

The weather service announced it would be extending its excessive heat warning in tamper with County to 7 p.m. today, when the hermes is expected to soar to 92 classs but will feel like 100 to 105 steps with the heat index.

Early Tuesday, city officials scrambled to transport those affected by dint of a South Side outage that hit late Monday and was limited by 31st Street, Hyde Park Boulevard, Lake Shore Drive and King Drive. About 1200 the public were taken to McCormick Place or inns such as the Chicago Hilton & Towers, Palmer House Hilton, Crowne Plaza and Congres Plaza.

Officials at the utility, which is footing the bill for those customers' accommodations and meals, said heat may have been a factor in the failure of sum of two units underground power distribution lines that temporarily knocked gone out electricity to 3,500 customers. Other outages occurr elsewhere Tuesday.

"When it's almost 100 standings the electrical system is boisterousnessed just like the human material part is stressed so heat clearly had a certain impact. It certainly didn't make things better," Com Chairman and CEO Frank Clark said.

While many displaced residents were pleased with the manner the city and Com handled the southern Side evacuation early Tuesday, others complained that bring off workers were too slow and did not provide enough cheer or amenities. A few were angry that doors were hesitating down in one evacuated high-rise and that police dogs were brought in.

Elzie Higginbottom, whose company manages that building at 4048 s Lake Park, said 20 doors had to be forced make open by emergency workers because the maintenance man who had lock openers wasn't there to let them in to check for anyone sweltering.

"That's not a valid excuse," said five-year resident Maple Hardy, adding the maintenance man with the first note of the scale lives nearby. "They should have waited."

Resident Tatanisha Phillips, 32 didn't find abroad her door was broken until she was shuttl to a downtown inn

"Here I am hopping in a cab to make fully convinced my stuff was secure," she said. "It was to such a degree much chaos. They just wanted to gain everything over with. It was a rush job"

McCormick Place too cold?

Residents at the building grumbl when canine units went in, at the same time residents were barred from retrieving personal items.

"You don't usually bring police in for a blackout. That's an insult," Izora Davis, 53 said.

Davis, who uses a walker, refused to be taken to McCormick Place, where 500 the bulk of mankind were initially bused in at 6:30 a.m., because she said it was too frosty for her. She stayed outside most numerous of the day, hoping to pass back into her unit in the same manner she could get a chair.

nevertheless most of the 200 remaining at a lower even McCormick Place exhibit hall later in the day musing the green cots, fried chicken, hamburgers, receptacleed lunches, movie screen and hula-hoop games for children were fine for the time being.

"I think the city mov swiftly since they were dealing with in such a manner many people," Ida B. Wells resident Luckett Troy 39 said with a gray blanket wrapped around him.

At the Congres Plaza, the evacuees were treated to a turkey dinner. Dorothy Webster, 81 read, ate and socialized -- all the things she normally does at her apartment at 4227 s Oakenwald.

"Well, no place like dwelling . . . We'll be doing better when we secure to our beds," she said.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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