Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-03
THE rENk,s.
A Singular Meteorological Phsnernenon OF
the 6hoses of the CaanAan Sea.


A Singular ~gkcal Phenomenon ON
the shores of h Caspian Sep.
The winters on the eastern shores of
che Caspian Sea are generally mild,
and even during the ~severest portions
OF the year-toward the end of Febru-
ary-the o rarely lies on tho
ground very long at a time. But
about twice a month they are apt to
have sudden and violent storms from
the westward, somewhat resembling
our Western cyclones. This Caspian
storm is called the tenkts, and is thus
by a recent traveller who
spent a winter at Gumush Tepe, where
he experienced its effects:
"Ihe first time l witnessed one Twas
excessively puzzled to understand the
movements of the inhabitants imme-
diatelJ before the storm struck the
village. 1t was about two o'clock in
the afternoon; the sun was shining
brightly. and the sky was without a
cloud. All at once 1 observed persons
pointing hurriedly toward the distant
Caspian horizon, where a thin, white,
Jagged line of flying mist was percep-
tible. which rose higher and higher at
each moment, approaching US with
rapid pace.
lin the village itself the wind was
blowing from an opposite direction,
and the mist-clouds along the Elburz
range were moving toward the west,
while the advancing scud was still so
very indistinct us to be UNDESIRABLE
by the unaccustomed eye. I saw men
and women in frantic haste, tiinging
ropes over the tops of the k5bitkas, and
flashing the opposite extremities to
stout wooden pegs firmly embedded in
the ground close to the wall of the
dwelling.
Elm the meantime, within my resi-
dence, old Dourdi, muttering prayers
in most anxious tones, was propping
his boat-hook and several other poles
of equal size against the spring of the
dome, and planting the lower one
firmly in the ground. / could make
neither head nor tail of all these prep
arations, and was still more confound-
ed and amazed by seeing all the women
OF the community rushing to the bank
OF the river, some carrying a pitcher
in each hand. others with enormous
single ones strapped upon their backs.
These, with feverish haste, they filled
with water, and hurrying with them to
their houses, again issued forth with
other vessels for q fresh supply.
every one was too busily engaged
to give me any further answer to nv
demands as to what it all meant. than
to exclaim:
"'The tenkss!! the temkis!H
"By this time the Jagged white mist
had risen high above the horizon, and
was rapidly yelling the western sky.
Flocks of sea-gulls and other aquatic
birds flew inland, screaming and
shrieking loudly. Ere long 1 saw that
the clouds along the mountain ceased
their westward movement, staggered,
reeled, and ultimately partook of the
movement of the advancing scud.
Great sand-clouds came whirling to-
ward us from the beach, and in an
other instant the storm burst upon us,
accompanied by q tremendous down
pour of rain.
1.-The ki6stko into which I rushed for
shelter quivered and shook under its
influence, and 1 thought that at each
moment it would go over bodily. The
westerly edge was lifted some inches
from the ground with each fresh gust,
and the eagerness with which ropes
were hauled taut, and storm-props
made fast by the inmates hanging
with all their weight from their upper
portions, reminded one of a scene on
board a vessel at sea during a violent
tempest.
II was gazing through a crevice in
the felt walls out over the plain in an
eastward direction. where some camels.
laden with grass and hay, were hurry
ing forward to gain shelter before
being overtaken in the open. I could
see their loads seized upon by the
:storm-gusts, and sent whirling far and
wide. and to a height of a hundred feet.
This storm continued. an hour; but
it was only when it had passed, and
the inhabitants had leisure TO speak to
me, that I could make out the mean
ing of the hurried rush to the river for
water. 1t appears that when the tenhas
blows, the sea-water is forced up into
the river, rendering it unfit for human
consumption, often for hours together,
and it is with a view of securing a
supply for household use that a rush
is made to the banks as soon as the
Jagged mist appears upon the hori-
zon."-Youth's Companion.
mann ~