The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-09-06
A Dusty River.
From the New orleans Times-Democrai.

From the New Orleans Times-Democrat
The Mississippi river is the dustiest in
the whole country, said man who travels
on the river great deal, ''and if you don t
believe it, put on white shirt some time
and take cruise up the river few hun
dred miles, Really, no thoughtful man
would be stupid enough to question the
statement if he had ever had any expert
ence on the river. / was reading an ar
ticle some time ago about the dust of the
sea. and from the description Of the fine,
dry sediment which falls from the damp
mist of the sea, am inclined to think that
the deposit is not in it with the dust of the
Mississippi.
1.-THE water of the river is charged with
fine particles. The heavy particles in the
water do not leave the surface except to
sink at some point where an obstruction
diverts the current and causes temporary
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 en-
countered by the currents of the rver.
Mind you, the heavier particles of the
river figure in these formations. The
lighter particles and the kind | have in
mind at this time, form sort of river dust
which is waited here and there by the
winds which sweep the stream. | have
heard great many men advance 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 con-
slant settling of dust on the boats plying
the Mississippi. 1t blows into the cabin,
settles on the deck and other exposed por-
tions of the boat, and is just like any other
kind of dust which one may find in an
ordinary road during dry season. There
is this difference, that it is possibly not so
dry, and, hence, has greater cohesive
power. 1t sticks to the thing it falls on.
I have been travelling on the river for a
quarter of century, in the lower trade,
and I have paid considerable attention to
this question of river dust, and it is really
very interesting subject, and Que which
should receive more attention.
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 [ can
not say, but since no scientist has explain
ed the matter, or set up standard OF
Judgment in this respect, I have right to
my own opinion on the subject. There
is, 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 it may be that the influence OF the
sun on the surface of the water will sui
fciently dry and bake these finer particles
to make them an easy prey to the WIND
The wind which constantly sweeps the sur
face of the water would brush them from
the water and watt them with the direc-
ton of the wind. | do not pretend to say
that this is exactly what happens, but II
seems to me to be reasonable explanation
of the existence Of the strange phenomenon
we call river dust. =