The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-26
JOHN B. DUFFEY.
WORK OF THE SAND AUGERs.
Abe Curious Whiriwind of the Western
Plains.

1he Curious Whiriwind of the Western
Plains.
From the San Francisco Examiner
When the Union Pacific railway was being
constructed the workmen had frequent oppor-
tunities for witnessing the formation and pro-
gress of whirlwinds, which, on account of the
peculiar action they had on dry soil, were call
"sand augers." Theywere especially frequent
in Lodge Pole Creek valley, through which the
railway, leaving tho Platte river, runs north
erly to near the base of tho Black Hill. This
valley is quite narrow, averaging mile in
width, and is bounded ON either side by range
OF low, uneven hills,
The first indication of the approach of one
2ftlese sand augurs would be the formation,
here and there in the valley, of little whirli-
gigs Of dusty wind, picking up bits Of straw.
paper and other inconSiderable trifes some
times Waiting into camp and flirting with the
canvas tents or scattering the cmbers and ashes
of outdoor cooking places.
These baby cyclones would increase in num-
Der quite rapidly, and then be whisled away
by strong currents of air, coming from no one
knew where but all drawing across the valley
toward the eastern range of hills, over which
would then be seen advancing a funneJ-shaped
cloud, like that seen over Watcrspouts forming
at sea.
From tho under surface Of the low-lyng
cloud swaying tongue of lead-colored vapor
would prolong itself toward the earth, from
which, to meet it, would rise g cloud of dirt
anu Sdllu. HIS etlfln CLOUD would rise higher
and higher, with a whirling motion, becoming
moro compact all the WHILE until the blue
black vapor and the brown mass from below
would unite above, and the completed, swiftly
whirling column commence to. move slowly
down from the hills on its way across the
valley.
While its forward progress was usually slow,
the rotary motion about its vertical axis would
be very rapid, and SO dense would be the mass
OF sand gathered up by it that when the col
umn touched the earth it would scoop out a
shallow channel like tho dry bed of shallow
stream. Hence its name of sand auger..
The diameter of these augers seldom ex-
ceeded fifteen or twenty feet in the ground,
but their bulk increased with their height UNI
til they were merged into the broad surface of
the thick murky yapor from the cloud above
from which electric flashes frequently played.
When this occurred large hailstones would be
formed, which would be thrown, by centrifu-
gal force, apparently, out from the revolving
storm. They would be found to be, almost in
vaTiably, in the shape of flat disks, sometimes
three inches in diameter and one inch thick,
and made up of layers of ice and sand.
One such sand-auger passed near an en-
gineer's camp where l was Mt work, and car
ried off a tent or two. 1t then grazed the edge
Of a corral near by, cutting away one angle Of
an adobe wall, and, sweeping by the house
itself, left every pane of glass in the one win
dow as nearly ground as if done by sand
blast machine.
Passing on, the tents the auger was carrying
off became entangled in tho telegraph wires
running through the valley, and after dragging
down two poles the cyclone collapsed, leaving
beneath where it broke up, mound made up
Of sand bits Of adobe, some old boots, sprink-
ling of empty tins, part of a bale Of hay, and a
dog-eared poker deck of cards. The latter
were afterward carefully gathered up by their
owner, a genius called Slim jim, who always
dep.ored the fact that the recovered pack was
imperfect, there being but four acres left in it
by tho sand-auger.