Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-31
SAND AUGERS.
A Curious Wind Phenomenon OF the
Western Plains.

Western Plains.
. "A curious phenomenon" said Prof.
Il. f.. Clarke to n San Francisco Exam
iner reporter, lis sometimes observed
on wide plains where the atmosphere is
hot and dry. 1t is the forming Of minia-
turc cyclones, or rotary storms, which,
when occurring on grand scale, which
they do in the western states,aro known
as tornadoes.
when the Union Pacific railway
was being constructed the workmcn
had frequent opportunities of witness
ing the formation and progress OF such
whirlwinds, which, on account of the
peculiar action they had on dry soil
were called sand augcrs.' They were
especially frequent in Lodge Pole Creek
valley, through which the railway.
leaving the Platte river, runs northerly
to near the base OF the Black hills.
This valley is quite narrow--averaging d
about a mile in width-and is bounded
on either side by n range of low, uneven
hills.
1.-The first indication Of the approach
Of one of these sand augcrs' would be
the formation, here and there in the
valley, Of little whirligigs Of dusty wind,
picking up bits of straw, paper, and
other considered triilos, sometimes
waltzing into camp and flirting with the
CuuNuS tcUUS VI SCutltTlUS VIC ctllDtTS
and ashes of outdoor cooking places.
"These baby cyclones would increase
in number quite rapidly, and then be
whisked 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 funnel-shaped
cloud. like that seen over watcrspout
forming at sea.
"From the under surface Of this low
lying cloud II swaying tongue OF lead
colored vapor would prolong itself
toward the earth from which, to meet
it, would rise cloud of dirt and sand
sand. This earth column would rise
higher and higher, with II whirlng mo-
tion, becoming more and more compact
all the while, until the blueblack vapor
and the brown mass from below would
unite above, and the completed, swiftly
whirling motion. becoming more and
more compact all the while. until the
blue-black vapor and the brown mass
from below would unite above, and the
completed, swiftly whirling column
mence moving slowly down from above
on its way across the valley.
"While its forward progress was
usually slow, its 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 column
! touched the earth it would scoop out
shallow channel like the dry bed of a
small stream. Hence its name of sand
| auger.
"The diameter OF these augers sell
| dom exceeds fifteen or twenty feet at
the ground, but their bulk Increased
with their height, until they were
merged into the broad surface of the
thick, murky vapor from the clouds
above. from which electric flashes fre-
quently played. When this occurred
| large hailstones would be formed which
would be thrown, be thrown, by CEN
trifugal foroe, apparently, out from the
| revolving storm. They would be found
to be almost invariably in the shape of
fiat disks sometimes three inches inches
in diameter and an inch thich, and
made of layers of ice and sand.
| lone such sand augur' passed near
an engineers camp whore | was at work
and carried off tent or two. 1t then
grazed the edge of a corral near by, cut
ting away one angle of an adobe wall,
and sweeping by the house itself, left
every pane of glass in the one window
as neatly done us if done by sand-blast
machine.
Passing on, the tents the 'augur' was
carrying Off became entangled in the
| telegraph wire running through the
valley, and after dragging down two
poles the cyclone collapsed, leaving be-
meath, when it broke up, n mound made
UP of sand, bits of adobe, some old boots,
sprinkling of empty tins, part of a
bale of hay and a dog-eared poker deck
cards. The latter were afterward care
fully gathered up by their owner, gem
ius called slim Jim,' who always de-
plored the fact the recovered pack was
imyerfect, there being but four aces
left in it by the sand 'augur." .