Back when I was a kid in IL, we had an attic fan that was 36” in diameter that sucked air our of the house. It created a gentle breeze coming in all the windows...worked pretty well.
On the really hot nights I would pull my mattress out on to the porch roof and sleep there. Others would take their blankets to the park and sleep on the ground. I especially remember that happening in St. Louis, Mo when I visited in the summer.
Sleeping on the porch roof only works if you have a breeze.
I feel bad for folks suffering this heat wave without AC.
Nobody even designs homes with breezeways any more.
My grandfather had a big 4 ft. attic fan in the center of his house.
It had 4 blades, belt driven by a big electric motor.
When he put it on high speed during the hottest part of the day, the curtains on all the windows were blowing inwards like there was a 10-15 mph breeze blowing outside.
It kept the house comfortable even in south Louisiana.