The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-24
CURIOUS WIND PHENOMENA.
The send Augers' Of the Plsins-Iric0
of Baby Cycioues-A Collapse.

Of Baby Cycioues-A Collapse.
"a curious phenomenon, said Pro
lessor +. T.. Clarke to a reporter. lis some
times observed on wide plains where the
atmosphere Is hot and dry. 1t il the
forming of miniature cyclones, or rotary
storms. which. when occurring on grand
scale. as they do in the western states, are
known IA tornadoes.
"Whcn the Union Pacific railway was
being constructed the workmen had fire.
onent opportunities OF witnessing the
formation and progress OF such whirl-
winds, which, on account OF the peculiar
action they had on dry soil, were called
.sand augers. They were especially fire.
ouent 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 mar
row-averaging about mile in width
and is bounded on either side by a range
OF low, uneven hills.
THE first indication OF the approach OF
one of these sand augers' would be the
formation, here and there In the valley
Of little whirligigs of dusty winds, picking
ND bits of straw, paper and other uncon-
camp aud flirting with the canvas tents or
scattering the embers and ashes OF out
door cooking places.
"These baby cyclones would increase in
number quite rapidly, ana 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 waterspouts forming
at sea.
From the under surface OF this low
living cloud swaying tongue OF lead
colored vapor would prolonS itself toward
the earth, from which, to meet It, would
rise n cloud of dirt and sand This earth
column would rise higher and higher,
with a whrling motion, becoming more
compact all the while, until the blue
black vapOr aud the brown mass from
below would unite above, and the COM
pleted, swiftly whirling column commence
moving slowly down from above on its
way across the valley
''Whieits forward progress was usually
slow. its rotary motion about its vertical
axis would be very rapid, and so dense
it that when the column touched the earth
it would scoop ont shallow channel like
the dry bed OF a small stream. Hence It's
name Of sand auger.
1.-The diameter Of these augers seldom
exceeded 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
yapor from the cloud above, from which
electric flashes frequently played. When
this occurred large hailstones would be
formed which would be thrown, by cen.
trifngal force, apparently out from the re-
yolving storm. They would be found TO
be. almost invariably, in the shape of fiat
disks. sometimes ;hree inches in diameter
and an inch thick, and made up Of layers
Of ice and sand.
One such sand anger passed near on
engineers camp where was nj work and
carried off tent or two. IL then grazed
the edge of n corral near by, cutting away
one angle OF an adobe wall, and. sweeping
10y the house itself, left every pane OF
glass in the one window as neatly ground
us il done by a sand blast machine.
Passing on. the tents the 'auger' was
carrying off became entangled in the tele
graph wires running through the valley
aud after dragging down two poles the
cyclone collapsed, leaving beneath, when
it broke up, mound made up OF sand,
bits OF adobe, some old boots, q sprinkling
Of empty tins, part of a bale OF hay and q
dog cared poker deck of cards. The lat
ter were afterward carefully gathered up
by their owner, genius called Slim jim,
who always deplored the fact that the re-
covered pack was imperfect there being
but four aces left in it by the sand auger.'
San Francisco Examiner.