PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20656, 30 August 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS.

TWO GOODS TRAINS STOPPED. LONG BATTLE WITH INSECTS. An army of small locusts invaded Ober-Kggendorf, near Wiener- Nousladt, in Lower Austria, recently, and stopped two goods trains. Other trains had to be diverted while the fire brigade from Wienor-Neustadt joined liattlo with the enemy.

After an engagement lasting all night and tho next day, it was reported at six that evening that tho linos wero clear of the invaders and the bodies of tho slain had been removed.

The invasion began suddenly at seven p.m. Tho swarm of locusts descended without warning on tho railway lino and surrounding fields in a column ovor 300 ft. long, 15ft. broad, and 16ft. high. In two hours tho invaders had devastated a number of clover and potato fields, leaving only baro soil behind them. Tho goods trains crushed tho insects in thousands, but, their bodies clogged tho wheels and' brought tho trains to a standstill for over an hour.

The local fire brigade marched out with torches of tarred rope and set fire to tho grass and the embankment, while 100 unemployed were recruited and sent to tho battle area. They kept up a " drum firo " all day with carbolic acid dissolved in water against tho insects. By evening they had clearod tho tracks, but the fields were still being ravaged by the survivors.