The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-28
PUzzLERs ron SCIENTISTS.
Whole Acres of Sand Moved by the
Wind.

Kansas Cor. Chicago Chronicle.
The broad expanse of level prairie which
makes up the greater portion of Central
Kansas is broken in one place by a range
of hills whose origin is a question that
has puzzled scientists. The prairies are
easily explained; they are simply the bed
of a vast ocean. The surface contains US
ually a limited amount Of sand evenly dis
tributed This also is to be expected, for
the action of waves would spread uni
formly over the seabed the sand washed
down from the bordering mountains. But
here, in the middle of this vast ocean, is
a miniature mountain chain, as distinct
from the surrounding land as If it had
dropped from the skies.
The hills stretch from near Lyons, Kan,
to Hutchinson, a distance of about twenty
five mics. They form the arc of circle,
and are on the average four mics in width.
The curious feature Of them is that they
are made up wholly of sand without the
slightest intermixture Of any foreign ee-
ment. The sand is composed of fine, dia-
mond-shaped particles, so light that they
seek a new position at every breeze, and
breezes in Kansas are too numerous to be
noticeable.
These beds of sand are much given to
shifting. A heavy wind will move whole
acres of them Hills fifty feet In hight
will be transferred little by little a dis
tance of 100 yards, and road between
two mounds will be found next day enter
ing the very bowels OF a single hill. The
effect can be compared only to that pro-
duced by high wind on very fine snow.
In many places, however a long period
of quiet weather has permitted a turf to
form that can Withstand the action of the
elements. In these spots much fruit is
raised, the best of which is a wild plum
renowned throughout the whole state. But
IL one digs through this turf the sand is
found beneath and extends downward TO
the old prairie level. At this point begin
the soil, limestone strata and conglomer-
ate, exactly the same as in all the rest
of the region.
placed here after the surface formation
had been completed, and further corrob-
Grafton is found in the substances buried
beneath the hills. Behring'S have uncover
ed great cottonwood trees, with the
branches all intact, and bones Of antelope
and sandhill crane-two animals which
still linger in this unfrequented region,
though otherwise almost driven from the
state oven human bones have been dug
up. the remains probably of early travel
ers caught In the dangerous sands during
ditions, especially II the storm is rotary.
like the famous tornado, this region forms
a natural death trap.
No satisfactory explanation OF the hills
has ever been advanced Early and less
well informed investigators though they
might be the remnant OF some heavenly
body which by chance had encountered The
earth after the surface formation was
practically finished. Some even went 30
lar as 20 declare them 20 be the remnant
OF the nucleus OF a comet Later on.
when the cataclysmic school Of geOloglsth
was in the ascendant. they suggested that
some mighty prehistoric cyclone, az IL
swept through The county nad collected
the sand and had dep0slicd II here, where
The force OF the storm was expended.
sfieuflafF of the pfesfni day are dis
i,osrf TO md "a more simple explanation.
They Say that ~ che inland sea ouDfldnd