The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-08-12
SAND STORMS.
Mighty, Ghost Like Storms Which q"
reen Over Texas Plains.

and the gcologist and student Of the
great forces of nature find there vast
amount of interesting material. The
character of the landscape is wonder
fully suggestive in the reccnstructive
mind of the geologist.
There are ranges Of mountains, hills
and rounded "stools" dotting the
country everywhere whose tops are in
the distance on level and as straight
and even as planed edge. This
hilltop level is from q few yards to
several hundred feet higher than the
rest of tho surface. Ancient and trc-
mcndous floods carried away cXcavated
material. 1t is very easy to distin-
guish the margins and undulating beds
Of old rivers which carried as much
water as the Red or Missouri.
Those titantic forces Of water, volca-
no and winds arc now silent except the
winds, but their marks on the arid and
rugged features of mother earth are
scarcely dimmcd by time.
The winds blow continual requiem
to the spirits Of the past and frequent
Iy when the storm king clothes
himself in garments Of tho dust cloud
there is no more terrible phenomenon
Of nature anywhere to behold. Dust
forms like the shrouds Of ghosts may
be seen rolling across the plains, how
ering about the distant mountains, or
trailing and streaming high 10 the
sky like some lost spirit raising thin
and despairing arms toward heaven.
One my not believe in "ghosts" and
''spooks," but the weird landscape of
west Texas is decidedly gbostly and
lonesome in appearance in the fall and
winter season.
On the contrary, in the spring,
when shower Of rain happens to fail,
the whole aspect Of things changes
like magic-grass and flowers spring
up and the universal cheerfulncss is
inspiring.
I was an eyewitness Of whit was
said to have been the greatest sand
storm that had ever passed over tho
west. It had been clear, warm day,
without wind-that kind Of day that
seems to portend evil and makes some
people nervous.
About o'clock in the afternoon
there appeared on tho northeast hori-
zon o cigar.shaped object, yellow and
we'll defined in the sunlight. AS there
are no trees, the earth in February
being perfectly bare, the horizon
seems about three times as far away
as ON hilly and timbered landscapes.
This ''cigar' grew rapidly lerger and
longer, and it was soon apparent to
the stranger even, that great sand
storm was rampant. This writer had
the good fortune 20 witness the
h whole scene, which was nature magic
lantern exhibition on q mammoth
scale.
This particular exhibitions was worth
trip across the continent to witness.
! have ever aince aad mild contempt
L for those panoramic views that are
contracted TO tho dimensions OF the
sSage OF an opera house. The, sand
storm had the sky for curtain and
the great plains for q stage. The
great ssurians that battled with their
( foes on the same stage in past geologic
ages would have been stitied in q mo-
ment by this .'real estate that changes
hands without deed or record. 's = 8
The cigar.shaped sand cloud swelled
}as il s.olsed, filing the horizon right
SfAndSleftSand presenting solid front
from earth to close touch TO The SIX yas
thevault rises. sEs
On 1t came, rolling in and out, up
and down in CON nvolutions like the folds
Of yellow smoke as it rolls in vortex
rings in the sunlight. Sky and earth
disappeared at the sharp outline Of
( the sand cloud, and there was nothing
In front Of the bewildered observer
but this solid wall Of rolling sand,
which left standing room in ice front
about mile less every minute.
& Where should we go? A train would
hardly overrun the storm; we might
be suffocated in house and storm ni.al /
AS the front Of the cloud began to-
enter town. all sorts Of building went
a out Of sight as soon as the dust touch
ed them, as if they had fallen into
! muddy water. Now let the reader
pause for q moment to take in the
situation. The northeast half Of the
\ usually visible earth and sky and half
+ OF che Gown are absolutely hidden BY
the dense yellow, rolling mass which
EE left no n anann nncnvarad from the