The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-06-30
A sandspoui 1000 Feet High.

A Del Norte (Cal-) correspondent Il
the Cincinnati GG-csrc SAYS. The san
Luis VALLEY i a very lovely plain, 50
By 20 miles in extent, and bounded by
high mountains on every side, that rise
abruptly from the plain 20 = height II
5000 to 5000 feet, the tops Of the high
est peaks being covered by perpetual
snow. At least ihree-fourihs OF the
valley l. a sterile, worthless alkali des-
ert, in large areas, bearing nothing but
horn bushes Even the prickly pear
here finds the contest for existence too
severe The ground is covered in
places with drifting sands and large de-
posts u alkali. The san Luis Lake i
hardly more than \ pond, whose fiat
margins extend away. forming treach-
rou boys that swallow up the thirsty
cattle thai come there TO drink Al
about the margin their bones gilsten in
the sun, and add 3 ghastly tone 70 the
d~esolation around. As we passed by
two teers were flOundering in the mire.
and, in the vain attempt 10 extricate
themselves, were sinking deeper into
what was 10 he their place u death.
About noon Of the day that we cross
ed the valley we had the opportunity 10
witness a striking phenomenon Of IN
usual character. Ten miles Of TO the
southeast ros = fearful sandspout.
Our driver, who Is an old plainsman,
said il was the largest be had ever wit
messed Il could not have been less
than 1900 feet high, and looked, at the
distance mentioned. not less than ten
feet in diameter and Of a uniform and
dense body ID near the top. where il
fared out in funnel shape and lost Itself
IN the clouds Il maintained is COM
pleie outline nearly perpendicular for
the space Of five minutes. then bent in
10 the segment Of a circle; the upper
end, presently turned back By a con-
fiicting current, was cCrled into a SER
pentine outline. Now the drawing
power began TO lessen, until the body
dwindled TO = mere thread, extending
upward, however, into the very clouds.
The whole time 0f its continuance was
more than IL minutes, during which il
was nearly stationary. The quantity Of
sand drawn up in this time must have
been very considerable. and the ques-
ton Of its disposition j. an in
teresting one One Of the party Z
gesied that il might be con-
densed in the moisture Of the
clouds, and we should probably soon
hear Of a rain Of brickbafs in Kentucky.
We saw some smaller ones during the
afternoon, but lone that could approach
this in magnitude. They were but
harbingers Of what was 10 m The
gust Of wind widened and caught upthe
sand from among the thorn bushes.
whirling il into our eyes, and covering
us with q thick coat Of dirt and alkali
powder, from which there was no escape.
When, about shutdown. we reached the
first station of adobe quarters. where a
fine spring Of good water dubbed from
the sand, We hailed the place as a haven
Of rest and security.
On the east side Of the valley. at the
base Of the mountains, is an extensive
deposit Of sand that has been ground up
and washed down from above. Ii Is
very fine, and any attempt { o cross il
ends in failure. I am told that a few
years ago 5000 sheep were caught in a
storm near these sand hills, md were
overwhelmed and wholly destroyed in
two hours time.