Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-20
GRAND AND TERRIBLE.
Graphic Description Of n sand-spout In an
African Desert.

Under the farest skies the desert is an
awesome solitude, but when a storm comes
il is terrible and appalling. l shall never
forget q scene / witnessed some forty miles
beyond the great pyramids, SAYS writer
in the New York Moi and EJprtSs. | had
gained an isolated hill0ck, some 200 feet
above the level of the surrounding
desert. Away to the east. about two
miles distant. ! deserted six or seven
lofty pillars of sand mOying swift
" over the undulating plain. The
centre one Of these was vertical, and those
surrounding il. no distance Of 200 or 300
yards leaned slightly toward Il. The sand
at the base Of the column was lasned hv
the furious whrlwind into p sureing sea.
Desert trees of the hardest wood were tom
up with their roots and hurled HUNDREDS
of yards away and high up into the air;
even the grass that grew IN the path of that
terrible storm was shOrn clean awav from
It's roots. The submits Of those columns
of sand at length joined. and then burst
forth from their united tops yellow ~
gantic cloud of sand Of such magnitude
and density as 10 darken. as IN total
eclipse the face Of the bright afternoon
sun. The sand-spout, called by the ma
tives zobahah," shortly aftcrward sub
sided, hut the cloud Of sand and grass
which had been raised high in the heavens
continued 10 darken the setting sun for
more than an hour. The smaller column
behind travelled swiftly. increasing IN
size until 10 reached the site Of the break
up of the other and then added its mite
90 the universal destruction.
With my sextart. a- | stood in security,
measured the height Of the centre column
of sand it was nearly 1000 feet. The
other columns were rising so rapidly that
they soon reached greater height than
that Of fin rItmrnn ~ hon tho
junction of them All took plnce the sudden
eruption of sand. leaves. and grass reach
ed 4 total Of over 1000 feet These 10
hahahs are not very frequent. hut when
they occur they carry widespread deyasti-
ton along with them. and woe betlde the
traveller and the tent that happen Ostand
in their way. Not more than ten yards
from the column the air Is perfectly
calm. but within the small circumscri-
bling circlctherc RACES such q tempest as vii
carry away anything, however firmly fixed
in the ground, into the regions OF the
upper air as easily as an ordinary gust of
wind will blow piece Of paper. The
camel this wonderful ship of the desert,
always knows a few hours before whether
one Of these approaching "Z0hahahs s
likely 20 come upon him and his natural
instinct will guide him TO place of safety.
where he lies down and only brrathce the
cool rcnctlNe current Nhlfh 'io~fiF t'iiN" =
the burning. almost suhOcating. hot arr
which accompanies the zobahahs.' Tie
usual movement of these saud->pouts Is N
the arc Of wide circle and the direction Of
the centre Of the circle is almost invariably
from north % south.
When these awful turm0ls are over and
the disturbing clements have resumed
their normal state the burning sand be-
comes saturated with a heavy dew. the sun
is less angry, and the African desert more
amenable 10 life in both man and beast.