The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-20
VIEWS OF C~HTCAGoANs.
Opinions Of Professors Chamberlniu,
Colbert mud GarriOtt.

VIEWS OF CHICAGOANS.
Opinions Of Professors Cbamberlain,
Colbert aud GarriOtt.
CHICAGO, Feb. l9.-Some of the local pa
pers treated last nights fall Of black snow
as a joke, but it was not so regarded by the
people whose clothes were soiled by the
"degenerated beautiful" The little ty-
phoon. or simeon, or whatever it was,
started just before 6 o'clock 1t was noticed
in West Chicago that the sky was rapidly
filling with dark. brownish clouds. A gale
had been Blowing all day. There suddenly
burst upon the startled watchers a heavy
furry of soft snow. The wind increased in
velocity. The people were surprised to feel
the stuff cutting their faces. They won
dered at the storm, and after five min
utes found their faces plastered with mud
and their clothing so thickly smeared they
could write their names on each others
backs. People who started home at 6
o'clock. were amazed at the antics of the
wind. 1t seemed to blow up and down. This
was accepted without much complaint,
since the long-suffering sous of this cli-
mate have learned to accept everything
with good grace. 1t was at least a varia-
ton from the monotony of face-peeling
horizontal Billiards to have one dance
around in circles and sail down the streets
in skirt-dance gyrations. II would blow a
fair, straightway gale for about three
minutes. and then sweep dow from the
tops of the sky-scrapers at a speed which
registered seventy miles on the instrument.
The snow followed the little whirlwinds. 1t
was the first conclusion of the crowds on
the streets that the swift gusts had gath
cred the sand from the pavements. But the
sand quickly became so dense that the
lights a block distant fickered as in a mist.
There formed little groups of people on the
corners and under the electric lamps. They
found the sand Would not brush Off, that il
was or peculiar composition and that five
minutes against the gale gave a deep,
adobe complexion. There was smudge and
CRIME on nine-telths Of the faces in the
theaters. The HITS OF the men looked as
though they hao been sprinkled and then
rolled in dirt.
The phenomenon was noticed by the
scientists of the University of Chicago. Pro-
lessor Thomas c. Chamberlin, the geologist,
started at once to discover the cause. He
caught some of the stuff and put ii under
the glass. His first conclusion was that 1t
was too dark to be OF volcanic origin. A
plausible explanation, in his opinion. is that
the recent high winds, sweepeing over some
stretch of sand, has carried the dirt into the
upper atmosphere. 1t may have been car
ried thousands of miles, to be turned down
upon this region by a colder current Of cir,
bearing snow. His microscope did not re-
N1aA tlS AdO Siid VI Xix uQSls Save
that 1t was mineral, and not of the sub
stances which make the common showers of
organic dust. This manner of storm has
fore visited Chicago. The Professor says
that they are common in Italy and southern
Europe. where the gales sweep north from
ing one of these visitations the sand fell to
a depth Of an inch over an area as large as
Illinois. This local, fall may have come
from some uncovered plain in the extreme
south of the United States. 1t has been seen
that the phenomenon happens only during a
snowstorm. 1t is known to scientists as the
red fog since the mixture bears q Gin
namon color. and when 1T is sufficiently
abundant to darken the air, as 1t was last
night, the common name is blood rain"
mitted, the substance may possibly be vol
canic dust. but its color is against it. Vol
canic dust is OF a lighter color, but this that
turned out 10 be volcanic dust the visitation
would be the result Of an eruption some
where In the Southwest, the high wind car
rying the particles miles from the scene Of
the eruption, just as the pollen of plants is
waited through space. I believe Ii is inor-
ganic or mineral dust, but my microscope is
acter. 1t is not for a swift wind
to carry mineral dust through the air for
many miles. The windstorm last night
must nave swept over a bare place In the
snow covered territory"
81 should say this could hardly be the re-
SUIT or a volcanic eruption, said Prof. Elias
Colbert. the very nearest place we have
any reason to believe there could be any vol
canlc disturbances Is the southeastern part
OF Missouri, right below Cairo. The chances
are, If there was any such eruption, we
should have felt on earthquake shock such
as there Was on Oct. 81.
The Secon1 possible way in which this
might have occurred is that during this
storm there might have been some phenom-
enon, akin to that which causes the water
spout on the ocean, licking up "A mass of
dust from some point not very far distant
TO be carried In this direction and scattered
over us. But we are too far west for the
observation OF any such phenomenon
There remains, then, nothing for 1t but
to suppose we have actually had an aerolitic
passage accompanied by or causing a fall
of meteoric dust. 1t is barely possible, how
ever, we had actually collided with the head
of a comet, not necessarily a big one"
Did you catch any OF the snow" Prof.
Garriott was asked.
Yes. I spread out my handkerchief and
1t was dotted with little blotches OF SCOT
ana sand. In a case OF this kind we cannot
do much more than theorize- There are
several ways in which such a storm could
occur. The commonly accepted idea, 1 be-
Heve, is that during a snowstorm a brisk
wind will arise and blow great masses of
dirt, SCOT and smoke across the city. The
result Is q combination of snow and dirt,
and Ii all falls together. We all know there
is very little smoke out in Austin, Oak
Park and other western suburbs, and vet
fall OF muddy snow. OF course this can be
accounted for. The wind shifted a great
many times and the clouds OF smoke might
have been blown In almost any direction"