Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-18
WIND OF 120 DAYS.
How Men and Cattle Are Protected
Against Scourge of the Middle East.

The "Bad-i-sad-o bist-roz," the ia
nous wind of 120 days of Seistan, is
the one feature of the country lying at
the junction of Persia, Afghanistan and
Beluchistan. This appalling wind
dominates life from May to September.
1t prevails over a stretch of country a
hundred miles wide and renders exist
ence almost unbearable. 1t may vary
slightly from year to year in strength
and duration, but invariably comes
from north h-northwest, 334 degrees west
and degrees on either side Of that is
its greatest variation.
In quiet years the wind may not eX
ceed 65 miles an hour and is seldom
less than 40. In bad years it reaches
120 miles an hour. The country is
dominated by it. Houses have to be
built with a strong wall on the north
northwest side, blank except for one
window, generally divided up into
small holes, which are stopped up with
dabs of mud as the wind increases, and
which are removed as it falls. No gar
den can exist without it's wind wall.
Tents have to be arranged as to trunks
and furniture.
table placed close enough to be
within reach of the canvas walls as
they sway and sag to the blast wears
hole in the canvas in a day or two,
even d walking stick or cane does the
same by the mere friction of the end
against the stout cloth. The surface
of the land is profoundly modified by
this persistent force. Driving before
it great clouds of dust and gravel, it
acts as a perfect sand blast and de-
stroyS even the strongest buildings.
Loose baked brick take on an edge like
saw with deeply cut teeth. Walls at
right angles to its direction are COM
pletely removed. and the ends left are
ground and pared away. The wind of
Seistan wears away the walls of build
ings as the milestone wears away
steel"
From the SUBMITS of the low plateau
at the commencement of the wind,
when frost has disintcgrated the rock
and soil drifts hundreds of yards long
and twenty feet deep are formed. Cat
tie as well as men need shelter from
the fierce north -nOrthwester, the enc
my to life in the country. They are
penned in chambers dug out of the soil
and rooted over for protection, slop-
ing ramp affording means of eSress.
Cattle and donkeys have pieces of
felt placed on their backs to protect
them but sheep and goats, being much
better provided by nature with protec-
ton against the wind. are hcrded in
pens surrounded b. Il fence.
Touching the speed of l2O miles an
hour. it is interesting To note that 40
miles represents gale 60 miles a
heavy storm and 80 to $50 miles hur-
ricane sweeping everything before it.
The wind Of 12O days has every right
to be classcd with those better known
classic brcczes dignitied by special
ndllltS, the Slll''ll' IiI' "Ii'I|'' 'iiS ~
lanu. the harmattan. the puma winds of
Peru. the mistral of MarSCilles, the
pampcro of BuenOS Ayres. on the willy
willy of west Australia.
The wind of l20 days is generally
hot. the desert of Sc0rchinS furnace.
SciStan is in the latitude of Cairo and
the. temperature in the shade rises to
ll5 degrees. ON tn" sun setting the
temperature falls rapidly and in the
small hours of the morning a blanket
is Singapore Free Press.