Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-24

The storms Of the desert, from the
eloudbursts OF August to the SHOWS Of
December, are totally unlike the ele-
mentary disturbances Of any other part
Of the world. In the vast sinks Of the
Mojave desert, the proverb-maker
might truly have said 1T never rains,
but il pours. There is none of the soft
steady downpour known to less siren
uous climates the iioodgates OF heaven
simply open wide, the bottom falls out
Of a cloud, and where once was a re-
spectacle hill is In five minutes a SAN
day plain. But the storms Of midsum-
mer-and that is the rainy season In
the larger part Of the Great Basin-are
as nothing TO the sandst0rms Of Octo-
Der and November The Waterspout
breaks against the wall Of the sur
rounding mountains, and so does very
little damage, but the sandstorm
sweeps the level plain, binding, en-
cutting. sitting every living thing that
crosses It's path. Even the gaunt cactl,
iingerboards on the broad highway 10
desert death seem to shrink and
shriyel UP as the dull gray cloud OF
shifting sand bursts over them. The
lizards and chipmunks and tortOises,
wary creatures OF this lonely world
bury themselves IN the close packed
sand Of the desert floor. and 80 escape
the fury Of the storm. while the coyotes
and antelope aud wild burros Zee from
II like things possessed. Man and the
horses which he controls face 10 out
because they have neither the fore
knowledge 20 avoid. nor the speed 10
escape which the lower forms OF life
possess.
The general idea Of desert sand
storm is gathered from rather heroic
pictures 0f bands OF Beduun Arabs en-
deayoring 60 escape from rapidly-ad-
vancing pillars Of sand--supposedly ON
the Great Sahara At least this was
my idea of IL until | went into the des.
ert year ago. IN the American des-
ert a saudstorm. while not less danger
Gus than the Saharan or Arabian va
tiety IS totally different 90 form and
I'm the manifestation OF It's power
The first iutimatiou one has OF an
impending saDdstorm ON our desert IS
% general deadaninf of the colors Of
me sky IN The direction from which the
torn Is 90 come The atmosphere. us
Tally so clear and Transparent. becomes
livery gray-if 10 Doe evening. the glor-
'pgs SLOW which llushes the western sky
'1et az ovenu3e. Is lost ana The air be-
elmos oppressive with the prem0nition
Of unknown danger This condition
persists sometimes for many days. bat
usually only FOR a few. Then comes
the wind
with ior-heard whisper" as Cole
ridge would have said an imnalpable
presence IS upon us The world Is shut
out with q curtain az thick deadly dust
The whisper has become rOar-ihe
dust cloud q seettng cutting wave.
whose solid front ilis me whole lanl-
scopc 70 moves slowly hut iucsistl-
bly,. What 1t cannot carry before "a Il
buries under a white mantle of sand.
Men have gone to sleep on The 'eD side
of little sand ridge never 90 awake
The Wind-blown sand has covered them
silently. relentlesslv. romorscless.y. yet
lovingly AS a mother would cover her
babes from an the world.
Sometimes the contour ~ q whole
valley Is changed DIV one such storm.
while the effect ~ The crodlng sand
l7len wind ON ,he lava walls Of the
hills Is astonishing Weird shapes loom
un az every turn OF the low ridges
which have BEEN thrown mp hv volcan-
'r action IN ages past and these cfi-
,ies have one and an been carved by the
cction Of wind and sand. Such an exc
ample may be- seen az n polnt midway
between Death valley and the Nevada
line Il s. a perfect chair carved from
conglomcrate OF an adamantine hard
ness SOLELY BY the winds which horo
blow through o narrow valley az a ter
rife rate % speed
on the afternoon Of ihe dav on which
7 made the acquaintance ~ desert
sandstorm. the party Of which was a
member was passing slowly through a
valley a few miles east OF Blackwater
Wells Walls Of black lava surround
this valley on all sides. and Il bears ev-
cry evidence Of being the burned-out
crater OF a long.dead volcano. II was