GREAT DUST STORM

Opunake Times, 20 July 1934, Page 1

GREAT DUST STORM

ABOUT 300 MILLION TONS BLACK BLIZZARD The residents of New York are breathing freely again. The "Black Blizzard" with its pall of dust 1500 miles lon* and 1000 miles wide, passed slowly from the Eastern States on May 12 over the Atlantic. Scientists estimate that fully 300,000,000 tons of soil and "other orcranic matter' were re-distributed in a few days. Meteorological experts described this strange visitation, which originated in the grain belt of the Middle West States, as "the greatest dust storm ever seen on the American continent." They said that it affected nearly threequarters of the country. They added: "AVe are lucky to escape rain and a mud storm similar to the 'rain of blood' that terrifies peasants iu Southern France when dust from the Sahara is precipitated there."

The loss of crops could not be definitely estimated, but officials of the Department of Agriculture asserted that the dust cloud, following the great drought, had whittled another 20,000,000 bushels of wheat from their previous crop estimate. The dust chiefly affected* North and South Dakota, Indiana, Minnesota, lowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. The volume of grit carried by high winds, became perceptibly less as it travelled eastward to the sea and puzzled captains of ships. Irritation of eyes, nose and throat were reported on all sides. In many places residents were advised to wear moist cloths over their mouths. Chicago was the great dumping ground of the dust each resident, it was humorously calculated, being allotted about four pounds. Next day ideal weather prevailed over the greater part of the United States. It was the last traces of the dust cloud, meteorologists declare, which made the skies so blue.. The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York was turned brown by the vast quantities of dust falling into the sea.