Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-11-11
DUSTY OLD MISSISSIPPI
Theory as to a Concomitant of Travel
on Father of Waters.

Theory as to a Concomitant Of Travel
ON Father of Waters.
"The Mississippi River is the dusti-
est road in the whole country" said
a man who travels on the river a great
deal. land If you don't believe it put
on white shirt some time and make
cruise up the river a few hundred
miles. Really, no thoughtful man
would be stupid enough to question
the statement If he had ever had any
experience on the river.
II was reading an article some time
ago about the dust on the sea and
from the description given of the fine,
dry sediment which falls from the
damp mist Of the sea. am inclined to
think that the deposit is not In 1t with
the dust of the Mississippi. The water
Of the river Is charged with fine parti-
cles. The heavy particles in the water
do not leave the surface except to sink
at some point where an obstruction d.
verts the current and causes a tenn
porary poiSe. 1t Is this condition which
forms the immense bars, or sand
banks. which we find along the river.
These formations are due altogether
to the resistance encountered by the
currents of the river. Mind you, the
heavier particles of the river figure in
these formations. The lighter parti-
cles, and the kind have in mind at
this time, form a sort Of river dust
which is waited here and there by the
winds which sweep the stream.
II have heard a great many men ad-
vance the idea that this dust was
blown from the sand bars and banks
of the river during the dry season. But
there Is nothing in this claim which
will explain satisfactorily the constant
settling of dust on the boats plying
the Mississippi. 1t blows into the cab
in, settles on the deck and other ex-
posed portions of the boat, and Is Just
like any other kind of dust which one
may find in an ordinary road during a
dry season. There is this difference.
that it is possibly not SO dry. and hence
has a greater cohesive power. It
sticks to the thing it falls on. I have
been travelling on the river for a quar-
ter of a century in the lower trade,
and have paid considerable attention
to this question Of river dust, and 1t Is
really a very interesting subject, and
one which should receive more atten-
ton. 1t may be pure or impure. In
my Judgment no kind Of dust can be
very pure. How this dust gets out of
the river 1 cannot say, but since no
scientist has explained the matter or
set up a standard of judgment in this
respect. I have q right to my opinion
on the subject
There are, In my judgment, two
ways Of getting the fine particles out
of the water. They may rise with the
mist Of the morning, and when the sun
dries and dissipates the mist these fine
particles become the sport Of the winds
and are blown hither and thither. Or
1t may be that the influence Of the sun
on the surface of the water will suffi-
ciently dry and bake these finer parti-
cles to make them an easy prey to the
winds The wind which constantly
sweeps the surface Of the river would
brush them from the water and watt
them with the direction Of the wind.
/ do not pretend to say that this Is ex-
actly what happens. but 1t seems to me
to be a reasonable explanation Of the
existence Of the strange phenomenon
we call river dust-New Orleans
Times-Democrat