Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1891 — Sand Augurs. [ARTICLE]

Sand Augurs.

One of the most curious wind phenomena is the “sand-augurs” which are observed on wide plains where the atmosphere is hot and dry, says the St. Louis Republican. When the Union Pacific railway was being constructed the workmen had frequent opportunities of witnessing the formation and progress of these “sandaugur” whirlwinds. They were especially frequent in the Lodge Pole creek valley, through which the railway, leaving the Platte river, runs in a northerly direction. The first indications of the near approach of one of these “augurs” would be the formation here and there iu the valley of little dust whirlwinds or baby cyclones. These would be whisked away by strong currents of cool air, coming from no one knows where, but all drawing across the vallev toward the eastern range of hills, their places being almost instantly occupied by a fastadvancing funnel-shaped cloud, like that observed hanging over waterspouts which are forming at sea. From under tfie surface of this low-lying cloud a swaying tongue of lead-colored vapor would prolong itself toward the earth, from which, as if to meet the monster of the aii. would rise a cloud of dirt and sand. This earth column would rise higher and higher with a swift, whirling motion, becoming more compact all the while, until the blue-black vapor from above and the brown mass from be low would unite and form the typical “sand augur of the plains.” The diameter of these augui’s seldom exceeded fifteen or twenty feet at the ground, but their bulk increased with their height until they were merged into the broad surface of the thick, murky vapor of the cloud above. When this occurred lightning flashes would sport about the upper stratum of the cloud, and immense hailstones be formed in the dark point beneath. When all conditions were favorable these hailstones were thrown by centrifugal force out from the revolving cloud. These hailstones were almost invariably of a flat disk shape, from three to six inches in diameter, an inch to an inch and a half thick, and made up of alternate layers Qf sand and ice.