The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-02-03
LIKE In BIBLE TIMES.

plagued with a locust invasion as
severe ,as that brought over Egypt by
Mosus, the law.giver, its hords of tri'
butte bringing pilgrims cut off by the
world war, and bearing the burdens
of war taxation in money and men, the
Holy Land in the year 1915. struggled
against such adverse conditions as ii
has not known throughout its modern
history" begins a bulletin just issued
by the National GeogI aphic Society
at Washington, which embodies an ac'
count of the great locust plague over
Palestine and Syria during 1915 as
told in a communication to the So
ciety by John d. Whiting.
The locusts first made their ap-
pearance during the last days of Feb
ruary, 1915. They flew over head in
such thick clouds as to obscure the
sun. However, before they were seen
a loud noise produced by the Tapping
of myriads of locust wings, was heard
described as resembling the distant
rumble of waves, or as st. John has
it, the sound Of their wings was as
the sound of chariots of many horses
running into battle
They reached Jerusalem in the
first days of March Attention was
drawn to them by the sudden darKen.
ing of the bright sunshine. They did
not cettle in Jerusalem evidently seek
ing greener and less populated dis
tricts. They departed for Bethlehem.
Quantities were now gathered by the
poorer Bethlehemites and a few ate
them roasted, describing the taste as
delicious, esDecially the females, full
of eggs. Still the main reason for
collecting them was to secure the
small bonus offered by the local gov
eminent OF Bethlehem.
Tons we're destroyed, being buried
alive until several ancient abandoned
cisterns were filed. while in surround
ing villages each family was required
to produce a stipulated weight, Like
wise IN Jaffa they we're destroyed by
being thrown into the Mediterranean
and when washed ashore dead and
dried on the beach. were collected and
used as fuel in the public Turkish
baths and ovens
The locust swarm began covering
the fields preparatory to laying eggs.
Once the alarming extent to which
these eggs were laid was realized, the
issued a proclamation, re,
each male person from 16 to
60 years to gather eleven pounds OF
the eggs. 1t is estimated by compe-
tent authorities that as many as $1,000
to $4,000 locust eggs are concentrated
in a square meter of soil, and allow
ing for loss of 30 per cent in hatch
ing, some $4,000 destrovers can
emerge from a space 80 inches square.
Locusts are not however, without
their own enemies provided by nature.
Large ttocKs Of storks flew past .~Je-
rusalem during the early days when
the adults arrived and after the lar
vac were Matched, consuming abnor-
nal quantities, for which reason the
natives have always given 'Abo Saad'
1.-THE stork) a warm welcome. ST.
Once entering a vineyard, the
sprawling vines would in the shortest
time be nothing but bare bark, the
long dark stem living fiat on the
ground, much resembling snakes. Fig.
leaves perhaps of all things best suit
ed their taste, and when once a tree
Tell a prey to them the ground about
would be literally LAYERS dee0, and
he trunk so covered with crawlers as
10 make 1t a bright yellow color. They
first ate awav the tender parts. leay-
pg a perfect SHELTON of the large broad
caves. but soon these. too. were de-
and usually after one DAYS
work the free stood naked OF any leay-
IS with nothing but the hard unripel
'ruit pretending stiffly from the
branches. When the daintier morsels
we're gone the bark was eaten of the
opmist branches. which after expos
ire to the sun b,eached snow.white.
rhen. seemingly out OF malice. they
you'd gnaw off small limbs perhaps
o get at the pith within. The effect
hus caused was weird one. resem-
ling white candles on a dries up
christmas tree.
s"In Nazareth II required several
lnndred men to sweep the locust to-
.ether and destroy them, and many
onlrey1 TO carry away to nearby
Ields the minireBre earessses. Storesl
gere closed and some houses pbandrl
ned. for there II seemed as n the ~ |
lists were 8xen more active Than ~
Their fowpS During the Egyptian
1nouo s<a fsf,.1 Afnane annnu1cfnR the