The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-09
A DUSTY RIVER.
Travellers on the Mississippi Find the
 Great Stream So.

From the 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 a white shirt some time and take cruise up the river a few hundred miles. Really, no thought full man would be stupid enough to ques- tion the statement if he had ever had any experience on the river. I was read ing an article 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, I am in- clined to think that the deposit is not in it with the dust of the Mississippi.
 "The water of the river is charged with fine particles. The heavy particles in the water do not leave the surface ex- cept to sink at some point where an ob- struction diverts the current and causes temporary boise. It 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 cur rents of the river. Mind you, the heav- fer particles of the river figure in these formations. The lighter particles, and the kind I 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. I have heard a great many men advance the idea that this dust was blown from the sand bars and banks of the river during he dry sea- son.
 -,ut there Is nothing in this claim which will explain satisfactorily the con stant settling of dust on the boats ply ing the Mississippi It blows into the cabin, 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 q dry season. There is tbis difference that 1t is possibly not so dry. and hence has greater cohesive power. It sticks to the thing 1t falls on. l have been traveling on the river for quarter of q century, in the lower trade and l have paid con- siderable attention to this question of river dust and it is really very inter- esting subject and one which should re- ceive more attention.
 Tt may be pure, or impure In my Judgment no kind of dust can be very pure. How this dust gets out of the river I cannot say, but since no scientist has explained the matter, or set up a standard of judgment in this respect, have right to my opinion on the sub ject There is. in my judgment, two ways of getting the fine particles out of the water. They may rise with tho 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 suf- ficiently dry and bake these finer par ticles to make them an easy prey to the wind The wind which constantly sweeps the surface of the water would brush them from the water and wait them with the direction of the wind. I do not pretend to say that this Is exactly what happens, but it seems to me to be a req sonable explanation of the existence of the strange phenomena we call river dust"