The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-03
INVASION.
OF L0CU5TS
DESTROYED

Population Thrown into Panic
for Time and Women and
Children Join in Fight.
SAN JOSE. Costa RIGA. Aug g..
This country has recently completed
the destruction OF all invasion of lo-l
Gusts. It was the first appearance
OF the insect here since 1873 and was
SO extensive that it called forth the
resources of the government tol
check.
thrown into panic and even women
and children turned out to fight the
insects. Some OF the methods used
In DISCRIMINATING the pests Were not
unlike those employed In destroying
human, beings On the European bait
tlehelds, and gave to the hghting
semblance OF real warfare:
The invading army was bombarded
with cannon loaded with sand, and
with rockets. sprayed with asphy-
xiating gases and blown up with
gunpowder. The torch was also
used and there was likewise let loose
to attack the insects an army OF COCO
baeili, which has been discovered to
be mortal eenmy of the locust;
Disease among the locusts them
them as has sometimes been the case
In human armies.
Locust Plague.
The 1ocusts came over the border
from neighboring Central american
republics. The press Of the latter had
been reporting the devastating effects
OF locust plague for q year, which
were so alarming that the Costa
Rfcan government made preparations
a. No a
heartening reports reached here not
only from Guatemala and Honduras,
but also from salvador and Nicara-
qua where through neglect OF for!
other reasons no efforts to eradicate
the plague were made either by the
government or by private agriculA
tura1 Interests. The damage the IN
sects wrought on crops IN those.
countries advanced cereal prices to
such an extent that their govern
n1ents were forced to import large
shipments OF grain which were sold
at moderate prices.
This. together with the increase In
the rate OF exchange caused by the.
European war. caused dealers In this
country to- ship large quantities OF
grain to these markets. This resulted
IN considerable Increase In the
load market price and all grain un-
derwent what might be termed a
boom.
In view OF the excellent prospects
for the sale Of the next crop all
farmers In this country. nothwith-
standing the threatening plague.
were attracted to the planting OF
cereals and large tracts OF land were
prepared and cultivated.
Warning is Given.
AS warning of the Impending
peril. a small swarm of locpsts IN
yaded Costa Rican ,e7ritorv nv the
province Of Guanacaste. but owing
to the prompt action on the part of
the government with sand-ioadedl
cannon and rockets, the swarm was
easily repulsed and turned back Into
Nicaraguan territory.
After this two or three months
elapsed in which the government had /
time to make more thorough prepare
tfons and adopt special measures. A
certain quantity of coco-bacili was
imported by the ministry OF pubic
works wI1ic was cultivated In tne.
laboratory and held In readi-
ness Almost ali signs of the dan
ger seemed to have disappeared.
when about the middle OF May one
horde after another invaded Costa
Rfcan territory on the Ntcaraguanl
border.
No locusts had visited this country
for thirty-seven years ana InereIOr6i
the panic amongst the Inhabitants
was Unprecedented. The daily news
papers published columns and COLI
iifnns Of reports on the advance OF
the plague; the government sent ext
merits with thorough equipment to
fight the invasion ana Congress enS1
acted a special law by which every
CITIZEN was forced to pay . special |
and direct tax for GOVERN tne se7Ss-
penses OF extermfnating #
3: The swarms were numerou ND OF |
huge proportions. Everyhodys With
out exception. helped IN one way orI
another to destroy the insect. Pri-I
yate subscriptions were raised and
in many towns invaded the women
and children turned out with torches
lamps and other implements to aid
IN its annihilatton,
Disease Kills Them.
Although blasts OF sand from can-l
non. trains of gunpowder, asphy1ia-I
ting gases and rockets were all used
with more or less success. It waal
thought by the government ohiciA1sl
that had it not been for the appear
ance OF disea8e among the swarns.
the coco-baciN would have undoubt-l
edIy proved the most edfcient means
of getting rid of the pests. This
disease killed the locusts by mills
lions. 1t consisted In the develop-l
nent OF 3 worm IN the stomach OF the
Insect. which gradually inereaAed In
size nnti1 the Insect W5ks unable to3
fIv and fell; dead to the ground, The