Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-03-18
SAND OF THE DESERT.
The Wind sports with 1t and works
Curious Effects.

rhe Wind sports with III anu "o
Curious Effects.
As mysterious, as uncontrollable, as
treacherous and as entertaining as the
vast ocean which lies only a rev
leagues west OF its borders is the great
sea of sand which forms large por-
ton of CALIFORNIA; greatest DESERT
known. because of its proximity to the
river OF that name, as the Colorado
desert.
This desert is the winds favorite
playground. He comes over the noun
tains from plowing the mighty deep
and works strange fancies in the Pill
able sands: he duplicates the great
billows of the turbulent ocean; he imi-
tates the ripping waves Of the placid
sea. he -carves and builds and. plays
at artist. sculptor and geometrlclan.
When he becomes weary Of bis Sports
he lashes himself to fury nd tosses 3
the sand a mile high in the air and Z
flngs it broadcast over all the PLAIN
whirling and hurting the particles uli /
.be obscures the sun and brings = suf-
locating darkness TO the land
ON tie east side Of the desert ne 10
at present busy engulhng railroad.
Already he has buried many OF the
telegraph poles which stand along tne
way and he has invaded the right OF
way of the road, and the company Is
busily fighting to hold possession until
q new line. which is being built around
the intruding hills, shall be completed.
Then the rolling pillows Of sand VIII
he allowed to sweep on undisputed.
In the southwestern portion OF the
same desert Is another range OF traVei-
ing hills. These are more WONDERFUL
however, than the ones which are men
acing the railroad, for upon these hilis
the wind has practiced his skill at
carving geometrical figures. Inese
hills are known as the Crescent nliis.
Each is the shape Of true crescent
the points of which are toward tne
east. A hill which is fifty feet high Is
found to be 100 feet thick at the base
and 200 feet from point to point or tne
dunlicate horns of the crescent. IL
hill is twice that height its other ol-
mansions will be found to have dou-
bled also. Little and big, they keep
their proportions as they move slowly
across the plain.
In crossing the desert one frequently
e finds footprints Of men and anlmals,
Y not indented in the yielding SANDS, Dul
S standing above the level of the earth
=. supported by tiny sand columns SIX
: inches to one foot in height. This phe
/, nomenon is easily accounted for. Inc
Il so called sand Of the Colorado deser'
is really fine particles Of silt, for tna'
q reoion WAS at one time the bottom OF
t. the gulf of California when that BODY
!" of water extended north a couple oi
Is hundred miles farther than at the pres
IS ent time. There are certain adhesive
e, properties to this silt, and under I'M
T. weight of man or beast the particles
If cling together and become stationar.
k instead of continually drifting Defor
ot the wind. which continues its work
t, erosion upon the impressed soil apou
a the tracks, soon leaving them strande
ID in the air. Thus the footprints In ID
es sands of time" become monuments 9
lg passing events.
bit In Death valley the phenomenon
e reversed. There forty years after
OF wagon party went to its death IN ths
e. valley the course of the party was ca
g. ily traced by the tracks made rot
We decades before. Here the peculiar nj
az ture of the soil was such as to prevei
erosion Of the earth about the track
ed The winds carried continually over Il
ey soil sand brought from another part
er- the valley, often filling the ruts and
We often emptying them again. 1t WI
I'D only a few years ago that the trail
an "the Pathfinder" John c. Fremor
rth was easy to follow across portion
ws the Moiave desert in region posses
EN- ed of a similar formation. Many a.
er? many a time was the trail cover
es, inches deep beneath drifting SANDS, Q
)ne " TO be again rescued from subm'
ne. sion by the same fickle winds.
or In many places in the desert has I
her wind left his autograph in sand ritt
hly and slnuous, ripping waves, like
lou waves of a sheet Of water when
leir pentle breezes set them dancing
leir nlavful mood or like the rifles up
nat the surface Of a pebble fretted strea