The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-07-18
MILLIONS OF hoPPERS.

Tbs Southwest being Devastated by
Countless swarms OF Gfnssiioppers. sew.
| enteen-Year Locusts and Chinclibugs-
Utah, Arizona, E1stefn Colorado and
Western Kansas the Present Fields Of
Their Depredations, But They are Adj
vLncing.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-The arrival
of the much-dreaded grasshoppers in
the far southwest has already been
called to the attention of the depart
ment of agriculture, together with the
information that they have already
spread from Arizona and Utah rs far
north as South Dakota. AS yet, it is
not known whether these migratory
huisanees are the old reliable seven
teen-yeaf locusts or simply the or.
binary grasshopper Of the plains in IN;
usual number. The return of the for
mer and more unwelcome visitor has
been prophesied for about this time
and there is considerable apprehension
felt that perhaps he really has mate
rialized. a specialist from the agricul-
ural department, an eutomOlOgist, will
be sent west directly to examine into
the situation and decide as to how Sc
rious the pest is likely to prove this
year. The department issued bulle-
tin some time ago telling how to dis
tinguish between the two classes, the
grasshopper and the scventecn-ycar To-
Gust. and also giving directions as to
how best TO fight them.
Most Startling Report of the Move.
mcnts Of the Pest.
TGrEKA, Kas:, July IA corre-
spondent of the Topeka Democrat sent
from here to investigate the reported
invasion of gra5shoppers in eastern
Colorado and western Kansas, yester-
lay sent most startling report of the
ravagcs being made by the pests and
their progress toward the eastern part
of this state. Grasshoppers cover an
area of 400 square miles where the
Santa Fe railroad crosses the Colorado
line. They are Young and not yet able
to fly, but are hopping eastward at the
rate of two miles per day. They will
have matured sufficiently within two
weeks to enable them to fly. and as it
is certain that they will move in an
HluCli II an
ticipated. The hoppers are n brownish
yellow color and are not readily seen
from passing trains because of
their resemblance in color to the
soil and grass. Little damage
has been done in the region
Infested by the hoppers, because few
crops are there, but pasturage has been
10. ,,,,,T E., Il
swept clean. Every wcst-botind train
that passes through the swarm
during the night is stopped. for in the
night, when it is cold, the rails are
warm and they cluster about the track,
almost hiding the rails from view, and
when n train attempts to climb an up
grade it is like trying to climb Il creased
pole, the wheels revolving but remain
ing helplessly stationary upon the
rails. This vast area of grasshoppers
is the young of those that were in the
region last year, and great anxiety is
felt because of the large increase which
is certain to be Matched next wear.
The Reports Coniirmed-Swarms of Hop
pers In Eastern Colorado.
TOPEKA, HAS, July 12.-The reports
of grasshoppers in eastern Colorado
have been confirmed by an agent
of the Democrat who just arrived from
that region. lie found the first grass
hOppcrs at Arriba, Col, where they
were 81 thick that man could
not step without crushing many of
them. The grass was eaten down and
all gardens and fields in the vicinity
Were ruined. But little corn or wheat
had been planted. but there was some
sugar-canc. which was stripped. Bo-
vina, Ii miles east of Lincoln junction,
seemed to be the center of the column,
which now extends southwark to Hugo,
on the Union Pacific, and from 4 miles
east TO II miles west How far north
they extend could not be ascertained.