The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-11
EIGHT STATES
SHROUDED BY
DUST STORMS
Farmers Flee From Barren
Lands; Traffic Halted
by Darkness.
CRY FOR FEDERAL AID
Wheat Crop Ruined; Worst
Silt Blizzard of Year
Covers West.
Lnitcd Press

A thick dust pail hung over eight
states today. 1t appeared to be
thinning. but with maddening slow
ness. Visibility from central Mis-
souri, to Tucumcar, N M, was zero
zero most of the way.
In the Oklahoma Panhandle the
shifting silt blotted cut the wheel
tracks Of automobiles, trucks and
wagons bearing the household goods
OF farmers fleeing from the dust.
More than 100 families have left al
ready.
In western Kansas the dust
shrouded ruined farms and blasted
hopes. From Garden City south
west the wheat crop was a COM
plete failure. Discouraged farm
ers applied for Federal funds with
which 10 leave their once fertile but
now barren farms. They learned
there was no money for that pur-
pose.
In the Texas Panhandle, the dis
integrated topsoil moved before the
wind in great slow waves. drifting
over railroad tracks and highways,
making travel hazardous.
Fear Dust Pneumonia
In Eastern Colorado, where the
dust three weeks ago claimed six
lives. the inhabitants wore masks to
prevent recurrence of the dread
dust pneumonia" The Baca Coun-
tv correspondent of the United
Press wired from Springfield that
we can not hold out much longer
without relief or rain" All traf1c
was stopped. schools were closed
lights were kept burning "a hours.
Dust from Kansas, Oklahoma,
Colorado and Texas spread east,
west. north and south over Iowa,
Nebraska. Missouri and New
Mexico
In Washington, Congressman and
Senators pleaded with President
Roosevelt for Federal money with
which to list dust breaks in the
afflicted regions. But in many coun-
ties of western Kansas, where $780,
600 already is available for supply
ing oil and gasoline for tractors,
farmers could not get 10 town to
claim their supplies.
Eastern Kansas communities ex-
perienced light rain of blood
Rain falling through the dust filled
atmosphere left reddish splotches
on pavements and the sides OF
buildings.
Dust Frozen Into Snow
Snow bringing up the rear OF the
dust storm at Goodland, in north
western Kansas, fell in muddy fakes
which Nebraska farmers had termed
"Snust."
Communities which received the
dust second hand from the areas
where it was lifted from the already
denuded farms were nalvely
alarmed.
The staccato phrases of press tele-
grams told the story:
Tulsa, Okla-Worst dust city's
history. Visibility two blocks. City
lights turned on in daytime.
Hutchinson. Kas.-Terrible dust
storm. Visibility less than block.
Cars can not drive safely.
Coffeyville. Kss.-Worst storm of
year. No sign of abatement.
St. Joseph. Mo.-DuSt arrived at S
O'CLOCK. Visibility two blocks.
Winfield. Kas. - Unprecedented
Gust storm. Visibility hundred feet.
Merchants Are Discouraged
No.. -,,o-+a-v, EopraS the OKLA :
homa Panhandle and eastern Colo
RADIO the reports contained tone
of panic, but not surprise. The series
of storms. of which the present one
is merely the latest and worst,
started March /. There had been
earlier intermittent storms.
Dodge City merchants were dis
couraged. Not for nearly two months
has there been a weekend when
farmers could get TO town to shop.
Few days of brisk. Sunshiny weather
and then the inevitable wall of dust,
first seen as a towering billowy mass
on the horizon, then experienced as
an omnipresent fog against which
neither buildings nor automobiles
could be sealed.
Before this storm came the farm
ers of the Texas and Oklahoma pan
handles and western Kansas adopted
a grin and bear it attitude. The
dust became new subject for wise
cracks Now the farmers are too
weary and discouraged to laugh.
Harry B. Cordell, president of the
Oklahoma Board of Agriculture,
said the storms were the worst I've
seen, and came to Oklahoma in
1901.
Situation Looks Bad
The situation looks bad: through
all the western area the wheat is
either drying out or blowing out"
The Kansas Board of Agriculture
and the Federal Bureau of Crop
Economics reported that the condi-
ton of the Kansas crop on April
was II per cent of normal. second
lowest ever recorded for that date
in western Kansas" the unemo-
tlonal report said. much OF the
wheat vas blown out by high winds.
covered by soil drifting from
adjacent fields or persisted from
want OF moisture.
What wheat existed on April has
since blown out. Not even heavy
rains could save more than "one
half of | per cent" Of the crop IN
the a. ca south and west of Garden
City, sccording TO the farm bureau