Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-27
A DEATHrRAP OH SHIFTING SAND.
Curious Heaps iu the Central Kansas
Prairie whose Origin Is "a Mystery.


a Lawrence C<auJ special says. Tho
broad eNpause of level prairie which
makes uD the greater portion of Central
Kansas ls broken .l one place by range
1i n.la whose origin d. a question that
has puzzled scientists. The prairlcs are
easily explained; they are simply tle
bed Of vast ocean. The surface con-
-ains usually limited amount OF sand
evenly distributed. This also d. ~ he
expected. Tor Che acaon of waves would
predd unf0rgiy over the eeabed tho
sand washed aOWn from the bordering
mountains. But iere 800 the miod.s OF
.his vast ocean, is miniature mountain
chain, as distinct from tho surrounding
Iarl ~ u 10 had dropped from tLs skies.
Il1 hills s-getcn from near Lyons.
KAN. 90 Hutchinson, "a dl lance Of about
twenty-five miles They form the arc
ot circle and are on the average Jour
miles n width. The curious feature OF
hem i5 that they are made up wholly OF
sand without the slightest ilternlxture
~ amy foreign element The sand Is COM
posed of fine. dlamond-slapel particles.
light that theg seek a new position at
every br exc. and breeZes in Kansas are
100 conn Jn 20 be motto able.
These beds Of sand are much given
10 shftir g. a heavy wind VIII move
whole acres " them. HIS Gu feet IN
height wll be transferred LITTLE b. little
a distance OF "a hundred yards, and . road
between two mounds viii be found next
day entering the very bowels OF q single
bin. There is no limit 20 tho curious
tricks the ediying storms will play with
The sand. The elart can DO compared
only 90 that produced by a high wind on
very fine snow.
I'm many places, however. n long period
or quiet weather has permitted a turf 10
form Dat can withstand the action OF
The elements. In these spots much fruit
is raised. the best OF which is wild
plum renowned throughout the whole
state BUT IL ono dlss through this TURF
the sand d. found beneath and extends
downward 20 the old prairie level. Al
this point begin the soil. limestone strata.
ana congiomerate, exactly the same Qs ln
an the rest OF the region
This fact proves that the hills were
placed here after the surface formation
had been completed. and further corrobo-
ration IS found In the substances buried
beneath the hills. Behring'S have uuc0y-
cred great cottonwood trees with the
branches am intact and bones Of antelope
ana sanlhil .ranc-tw0 animals which
still linger In this unfreluented region
though otherwise almost driven from the
State. Even human bones have been dug
up, the remains probably OF early travel
lers caught In tho dangerous sands during
some unrocOrded storm Under these con-
diti0ns especially II the storm IS rota-
tory. Ike the famous tornado. this re-
gi0n forms q natural Geath-trap.
80 satisfactory explanation OF the hills
has ever been advanced. Early and less
woll-informcd Investigators thought they
might Doe the remnant OF some heavenly
body which by chance had encountered
tho earth after the surface formation was
practically finished. Some even went 80
FAR as 10 declare them 20 Doe the remnant
OF the nucleus OF comet. Later on.
when the cataclysmic school OF biologists
was I'm the ascendant. they suggested that
some mighty prehistoric cyclone, as II
swept through the country had collected
tho sand and had deposited II here. where
the force OF the storm was expended
Scientists OF the present day are dis
posed 20 find q more simple explanation.
They say that as the inland sea subsidized
this stretch OF land may have be0n up
lifted somewhat SO that it formed an
island. and the action Of tho waves coll
lected and deposited tho sand about its
borders Then, after the water bad dis
appeared. the land sank 10 a level with
the surrounding territory thus leaving
behind 10 the heaps of sand IN the form
OF Mills This theory. although u does not
account for all the phenomena, Is. per-
haps. the most rational yet proposed and
IL win probably be found 10 have con-
siderable truth when the complete history
OF these hills shall be discovered