The Wild Wind of the Desert

The fireworks began early that day in July of 1896. Capt. D. D. Gaillard of the Corps of Engineers was visiting a site near Arivaca, south and west of Tucson, about 25 miles from the Mexican border. Around 4 p.m. he and his men noticed a dark brown cloud toward the south, "boiling throughout all its parts and presenting an exceedingly threatening appearance.

As they watched in amazement, the cloud increased in size and approached with great rapidity. Soon it burst upon them, filling the atmosphere with the dry, powdery soil of the valley. In less than a quarter of an hour, Gaillard reported, "it grew black as midnight; respiration became difficult and suffocation was threatened from the great quantity of sand and dust unavoidably inhaled with every breath, and it was only by holding a handkerchief in front of the mouth and breathing through it that this danger was averted.

Soon to become accustomed to these occurrences, Gaillard wrote in vivid detail about such dust storms in the October, 1896 issue of Cosmopolitan. In an article entitled "The Perils and Wonders of a True Desert," he noted that the air at these times "was charged with electricity and was full of sand, which filled every crevice, crack, and cranny of the tent and its furniture; sifted down the backs and into the hair, nostrils, eyes, and clothing of the occupants; accumulated in large quantities in any food which a sanguine cook might endeavor to prepare, and cruelly cut the unprotected faces and hands of those exposed to the full fury of the blast." Indeed, author Zane Grey, himself, in The Last of the Plainsmen, lamented that "wind, snow, sleet, and rainstorms are discomforting enough under trying circumstances, but all combined, they are nothing to the choking, stinging, blinding sandstorm.

Jeggos. Wild wind of the desert. Well did the old inhabitants of Arizona - the Pima and Papago Indians name this fantastic phenomenon. For them, however, it was not a thing to be abhorred, but to be welcomed. Their very existence depended upon summer rains to grow crops; and the rains were always heralded by tidal waves of dust. Special ceremonies were even conducted every July, in an effort to encourage the advent of the rainy season. When its arrival was finally manifest by great cumulonimbus clouds, "spreading their white breast feathers far and wide," it was a time to rejoice. Then, as their ceremonial songs recalled, The wind blew. Dust it blew along the ground and cast it upon my face. Twigs and gravel it blew along the ground and tangled them in my hair. It was my wind. Behind me it came whirling. The standing trees it went shaking. The rubbish at the foot of the trees it went piling high.

Civilization has advanced enormously since the early times when these words were first chanted by the Arizona Papago, sitting in council and drinking the fermented juice of the giant saguaro cactus fruit. It has also advanced considerably since Gaillard enthralled the inhabitants of a growing America with his descriptive accounts of adventures in a true desert. Indeed, both eras have long since passed into history. Yet the Arizona dust storm persists, in all its rugged beauty and awesome majesty, a memorial to the forces that have ruled the land for ages past, and that will continue to shape its future for years to come. What are these forces, and how do they give birth to the mighty Jeggos sovereign of the summer skies?During the summer rainy season, when a cloud has developed to the point where rain begins to fall from it, the air through which the precipitation passes is cooled, both by direct contact with the precipitation and by its partial evaporation. Since this air is cooler than the surrounding air, it is also heavier; and it descends in a downdraft with a velocity roughly proportional to the height of the cloud top. As this heavy cooled air hits the ground, it is deflected forward and moves out in front of the cloud in a large, tongueshaped pattern, flowing along the ground as a density current. If the ground is dry and dusty, much surface debris will be swept up by the turbulent, churning head of the flow. It is this wall of "solid dust" that constitutes the Jeggos.

If the parent of the Jeggos is the summer thunderstorm, its grandparent must be the summer monsoon. This is the condition that is said to exist when the state is immersed in tropical maritime air. During the second half of June, upper-level moisture from the Gulf of Mexico begins to move into Arizona. At first it alternately advances and retreats, much like an ocean tide. After the first week of July, however, it is fairly well established. Then it is augmented at lower levels by periodic surges of moist tropical air from the Pacific that push up from the Gulf ofCalifornia. These surges often gener-ate long, arcing squall lines, with den-sity currents fanning out ahead of eachcell in the line. The individual outflowsoften merge to form a formidable dustfront that stretches for hundreds ofmiles.

Satellite photographs have shownthat storm systems of this type regularly develop south and east of Tucsonfrom dense masses of clouds over theSierra Madre Occidental of northernSonora, Mexico. They often form explosively just after noon, starting out asisolated cells that move slowly north-west. Shortly thereafter, new cells develop and form an arcing squall linenear Tucson. The systems generallyintensify as they move up the SantaCruz Valley toward Phoenix, withclouds in the line often rising to 40,000feet and not infrequently to 55,000 feet.The dust stirred up by the density currents in front of them may rise all theway to the cloud base, which can rangefrom 8000 to 14,000 feet. The Jeggos generally has a meanspeed of advance of 30 miles per hour.Maximum gusts within them, however, are about 60 miles per hour. With theirarrival, relative humidity usually risesand air temperature drops. Instanta-neous temperature reductions of up to25 degrees Fahrenheit have been meas-ured in a few severe storms, as the frontof dust arrives. Ordinarily, however,the reduction is only about half thatgreat.

Although visibility can drop to zeroin such a storm, the average is a quarterof a mile. After the storm it takes aboutan hour for visibility to return to sixmiles; but following a severe storm itcan take as long as three hours. If theparent thunderstorm arrives behind thedust storm, its precipitation will effec-tively clean the air. Often, however,the trailing thunderstorm does not arrive or the precipitation evaporatesbefore it reaches the ground. Then thedust can linger for hours or even days.The leading edges of the Jeggos arealways changing in appearance. Often-times a push of cold air from within themain body of the density current willcause the formation of a bulge or lobe,which appears to grow forward at aslightly faster rate than the averagespeed of the front. This lobe will expand vertically and horizontally until, when its forward movement relative to thefront has decreased, irregularities willstart to appear in its leading edge, caus-ing any fresh surge of air moving upfrom behind to flow to one side. In thisway, new lobes are continually appear-ing out of the dying stages of previousones. In Zane Grey's words: Dark yellow clouds like smoke . . .rolling, sweeping, bearing down. . . .They expanded, blossoming out likegigantic roses, and whirled and mergedinto one another, all the time rollingon and blotting out the light.

With dust storms such as this, Ari-zona early acquired a notorious reputa-tion. Walter Hough, writing in the May,1898, issue of American Anthropolo-gist, noted that "the soil is light andsandy, each grain rounded by windaction. The greater part of the surfaceis what is known as 'lively sand, thesport of the gales. They have a sayingin Arizona that 'everything that is notnailed down blows away.'"

before them in their fury, and filling everything with sand."

How did people react to the Jeggos in those pioneer days? Again we turn to Zane Grey for a revealing portrait of a sandstorm encountered at Moen-kopi Wash: The horses turned their backs to it, and bowed their heads patiently. The Mormons covered themselves. I wrapped a blanket round my head and hid behind a sage bush. The wind, carrying the sand, made a hollow roar.

All was enveloped in a weird yellow opacity. The sand seeped through the sage bush and swept by with a soft, rustling sound, not unlike the wind in the rye.

From time to time I raised a corner of my blanket and peeped out. Where my feet had stretched was an enormous mound of sand. I felt the blanket, weighted down, slowly set-tle over me.

Suddenly as it had come, the sand-storm passed. It left a changed world for us. The trail was covered; the wheels hub-deep in sand; the horses, walking sand dunes. I could not close my teeth without grating harshly on sand.

(Far left) Dust storm building over Tempe, Arizona. On the desert to the south, left, they form explosively, containing winds gusting to 60 miles per hour, and generally move north toward Phoenix at a mean speed of 30 miles per hour.

While a harmless force on "lifeless" Mars, a dust storm on Earth's crowded surface can be a deadly, crippling menace, particularly to motorists. On May 12, 1971, for instance, two tremendous accidents occurred in a dust storm on Interstate-10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Separated by only a quarter of a mile, one involved 16 vehicles and the other 14. A total of 26 people were injured, and 8 lost their lives. The event was a grizzly reenactment of the previous June's multiple-vehicle accident that also took 8 lives; but a positive result was that it led to the development of a sophisticated Dust Warning System that now operates to alert motorists to the possible dangers of dust storm conditions.

The backbone of the Dust Warning System is a set of 40 changeable message signs on interstates 8 and 10 in south-central Arizona, each of which can be operated by remote control from offices of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in Phoenix. Under normal conditions, the signs are common route markers. When the National Weather Service or DPS patrolmen determine that conditions in the vicinity of a particular sign are conducive to blowing dust, however, the sign is activated to display the message "DUST STORM ALERT."

The signs also inform motorists of radio stations to turn to for more detailed information. These AM stations are KOY (550), KTAR (620), and KJJJ (910).

The Jeggos is as much a part of Arizona as saguaros and swimming pools. It was here long before the advent of civilization; it will be here long after we are gone. Perhaps it can give us a better perspective on the roles we play in life. There is much that is transient; but there is also much that endures. The Pima and Papago Indians learned this long ago, living close to the land. In the mighty Jeggos we all have the opportunity to let our spirits soar and exalt in the grandeur of those things that are eternal.

Editor's note: The Department of Public Safety has issued the following guidelines for motorists in a dust storm situation: In the event you observe an approaching dust storm, do not enter the area, but instead pull your vehicle off the pavement as far as possible, stop, turn lights off, set the emergency brake, and make sure the brake light is off. If conditions prevent pulling off the roadway, proceed at an appropriately reduced speed, turn lights on, and use the center line as a guide. In no instances stop on the pavement.

Let it be stated for the record, then, that the Arizona Jeggos is a dust storm phenomenon to be exceeded in intensity nowhere else on Earth. But Earth is no longer the only planet to be explored by man. The telescopic extension of the scientist's eyes has revealed to him an even greater scale of dust storm activity on Mars, where that entire globe is at times engulfed in one vast shroud of swirling dust.

No one knows for sure how these enormous dust storms are initiated; but several scientists believe that they have their origin in density currents similar to the Jeggos of Arizona. Although the atmosphere of Mars is extremely dry, and it never rains, cold-air density currents may be formed by other mechanisms. Both Mariner 9 and the two Viking orbiters, for instance, have photographed localized dust storms that appear identical in all respects to those that regularly sweep across our deserts in summer. However, there is evidence that some of the Martian dust fronts may tower a full 30 miles above the planet's surface and that their speed of advance can approach 300 miles per hour!

Bookshelf

by Mary Lu Moore Inquiries about any of these titles should be directed to the book publisher not ARIZONA HIGHWAYS.

NEVADA: AN ANNOTATED BIBLI-OGRAPHY; BOOKS AND PAM-PHLETS RELATING TO THE HIS-TORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SILVER STATE. Compiled by Stanley W. Paher. Nevada Publications, P. O. Box 15444, Las Vegas, NV 89114. 1980. 558 p. $95.00, hardcover.

Arizona's history has always been closely associated with that of her sister states. That is certainly true in the case of Nevada. The Colorado River, Hoover Dam, Mormon colonization, Indian cultures, and numerous overland explorations are only a few of the many shared topics listed in this exhaustive bibliography. In his preface Paher states his criteria for inclusion and omission, lists other bibliographic and research aids, and presents information about format and an overview of Nevada literature. Also included is a brief chronology of Nevada history. The bibliography itself consists of more than 2500 individual entries, arranged alphabetically by authors' last names, from the earliest publication on Nevada history to the latest on Hoover Dam in 1980. Besides books and pamphlets, the compiler has included pertinent theses and oral histories. Each annotation succinctly, yet quite interestingly, summarizes the content of the item. Interspersed throughout the volume are black and white photographs of some of the more noteworthy publications. As William Wright points out in his introduction concerning Paher and his work, this is a meticulous, comprehensive contribution, which extends far beyond history in its scope. The very precise index reflects that breadth, as do Don Buf-kin's two fine maps.

TUCSON PORTRAIT OF A DESERT PUEBLO. By John Brett Harte. Windsor publications Inc. 21220 Erwin Street, Woodland Hills, California 91365. 1980.183p. $19.95, hardcover. Reviewed by Robert J. Farrell.

From its early days as a Spanish military outpost, to today's metropolitan cultural and industrial center, Tucson's fascinating and colorful history is objectively recorded in this volume, and illustrated with over 200 photographs, many previously unpublished. Harte, an historian who has lived in Tucson for 20 years, delves into the Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo cultures that have shaped this city into what it is today, a community rich in culture and proud of its beginnir Quoting from journals and papers of some of the city's residents, Harte tells not only of the events that influenced Tucson's development, but also of the lives of those who have been involved with deciding Tucson's destiny. Through these first-hand accounts, and a fine writing style, Harte makes history come to life in this comprehensive work. He also looks ahead to Tucson's fu-ture, with a feeling of optimism; that its problems will be overcome and that the Old Pueblo's future is "seemingly lim-ited only by the imagination of its citizens and the ambitions of its busi-ness leaders."

This is an excellent book for those considering a move to Tucson, or for residents who would like to know more about their city's heritage.

GEMCUTTING: A LAPIDARY HANDBOOK. By Edward Smith and April Schromm. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. 1980. 184 p. $14.95, hardcover.

For the many gem and mineral en-thusiasts in Arizona and elsewhere, this is an ideal new book. The authors, who teach lapidary and jewelry making, begin with the history of lapidary, then discuss types of rocks and minerals, giving some elementary lessons in geol-ogy and mineralogy in the process. They proceed to the use and mainte-nance of numerous kinds of equipment and continue with information on tech-nology and the many techniques needed to design and produce fine gemstone creations, including their settings and facetings. There are many good dia-grams and other illustrations, an exten-sive glossary, and an index.

LAKE MEAD-HOOVER DAM: THE STORY BEHIND THE SCENERY. By James C. Maxon, Edited by Gweneth Reed Den Dooven. KC Publications, Box 14883A, Las Vegas, NV 89114. 1980. 48 p. $7.95, hardcover; $3.00, softcover.

To their colorful ongoing "Story Behind the Scenery" series on national parks and recreation areas, KC Publica-tions has added an excellent treatment of the history of man, the river, and the region surrounding Hoover Dam and lakes Mead and Mohave. Maxon's fac-tual and highly readable text, the sug-gested readings, and the truly superb color photography make this mono-graph an attractive addition to the libraries of those intrigued by this beautiful recreation area.

MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA, U.S.A. By Carlos Elmer. Available from: Carlos H. Elmer, P. O. Box 4005, Scotts-dale, AZ 85258. 1980. 24 р. $1.75, soft-cover.

With new color photographs by Josef Muench, Landex Inc., and Elmer himself, Carlos has completely revised his earlier (1974) work on the vast reaches, captivating scenery, and inviting man-made attractions of Arizona's north-westernmost county. The author adds a bit of history and a number of remi-niscences about his boyhood haunts.

THE PETRIFIED FOREST. Vol. 51, No. 4 of Plateau, published by the Museum of Northern Arizona, Route 4, Box 720, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. 1980. 32 р. $2.00, softcover.

Rarely do we review contents of a periodical, but this exception is well deserved. Six specialists treat different aspects of the Petrified Forest. Stephen Trimble traces the history of the pres-ent National Park. The varieties of an-cient plants which became petrified is the focus of Sidney Ash's essay. William Breed and George Billingsley dis-cuss geologic origins of the variegated landscape. Edwin Colbert writes of the prehistoric animals, while Timothy Rowe brings this issue to a close with a brief biography of the ancient reptile Placerias. Visitors to the Petrified Forest National Park will find this issue a worthy purchase.

Yours Sincerely

Comments and questions from around the state, the nation, and the world.

Dear Editor, Surely somewhere in any magazine devoted to the Grand Canyon a brief mention of C.A. Higgins' beautiful lines from a Santa Fe Railroad booklet published in 1912, entitled, "Titan of Chasms, Grand Canyon of Arizona," is in order... "It is, indeed, a place of magic. Then darkness falls, and should there be a moon, the scene in part revives in silver light, a thousand spectral forms projected from inscrutable gloom; dreams of mountains, as in their sleep, they brood on things eternal." El Tovar Hotel features a partial quotation of these haunting words over its door.

Marshall Shackelford Rolla, MO Dear Marshall, You are not alone in your recollection of those words from C.A. Higgins. We received a number of letters asking the same question. For those who have actually been to the Grand Canyon, and seen the words above the door, they do indeed have special meaning.

-the Editor Dear Editor, Your Oak Creek issue is a precious gem among all pictorial magazines I deeply appreciate your helping my soul to smile!

Ned H. Wallace Charlotte, NC Dear Editor, Your spread on Sedona/Oak Creek outdid them all... God must have been in a very good mood when He created that country.

Clyde Cameron St. Paul, MN Dear Editor, Your May magazine brought me back home Sedona, slide rock, all of it. Our family spent many happy times there Yes, Oak Creek is truly "God's country home."

Mary Anne Tankesley Palm Desert, CA Dear Editor, Your Oak Creek/Sedona issue is absolutely superb! Do you think God was born in Oak Creek Canyon? I think He was, it is that beautiful!

Ray & Wanda McVay San Jose, CA Dear Clyde, Mary Anne, Ray & Wanda, The AHM research department has not been able to confirm any stories about God's mood, country home address, or if He was born in Oak Creek Canyon but there is a persistent rumor He vacations in the area.

-the Editor Dear Editor, ... why did you have to give coverage (The Rodeo Cowboy) to what is considered by many, including myself, to be an extremely cruel activity I will not even call it a sport.

John Bodine Trenton, NJ Dear John, This subject always brings volumes of complimentary mail and a few letters from people who disapprove. Truly, we appreciate your opinions but would like to share this thought with you regarding the story on rodeos. The title of the issue was "The Working Cowboy." It is about the real thing! Rodeos are a part of the American heritage and a very important part of cowboy life. The following letter explains not only why we featured rodeos, but why we did something on cowboys at all.Dear Editor, Remember the little orphan that poked the note thru the iron fence? It said "Whoever finds this note I love you." That's the way I feel about whomever is responsible for your Cowboy issue. I even burned the candle a little late so I could read it straight thru. I have slept in a couple bunk houses and heard the snorts and snores of the working cowboy. I have knocked heads with Larry Mahan and several other cubs out of that Rodeo Cowboy litter. I watched my first branding iron smoke up a hairy Hereford hide when I was eight. The first rodeo arena I ever saw was made out of a circle of 1927 vintage cars. That is a little hard on hoods when a buckin' bronc belly-flops thereon and looks in the windshield. From your wraparound cover to the sage-flavored stuffing, it was Thanksgiving all the way.

Duane Shipman Westminster, CO

-the Editor

Dear Editor, In the past I have been guilty of criticizing you for some of your selections please forgive and forget. The beautiful April issue (on the Grand Canyon) proves without a doubt that you have the true heart of an artist. As an artist who has suffered countless hours trying to put thoughts on canvas, I salute you and will treasure that issue for years to come.

Claude Temple Hall Burlingame, CA Dear Claude, In putting together each issue of Arizona Highways we always wonder if we're making the right editorial choices, using the best pictures, etc. But your letter and the following one made us feel much better. It read, in part: "... one or two copies of your magazine always sit in a convenient place in our bathroom...."

Mike Perini Middletown, MD

- the Editor

35mm COLOR SLIDES

This issue: 35mm slides in 2" mounts, 1 to 15 slides, 50 each, 16 to 49 slides, 45 each, 50 or more, 3 for $1.25. Allow six weeks for delivery. Address: Slide Department, Arizona Highways, 2039 West Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85009.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS INDEX AVAILABLE NOW FOR 1980

The Arizona Highways index for 1980 is now available. It includes separate listings for articles and photography, and subject headings for each section.

The 1980 index is $2.50. Also available at $2.00 each are indexes for the years 1967 through 1979. The 1967 through 1971 cumulative index is $7.50, and the 1962 through 1966 and 1952 through 1961 cumulative indexes are $5.00 each.

Send orders and payment to: Arizona State Library Association Capitol Building 1700 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007 Dreams of all our yesterdays come alive once more on a summer's day in Arizona's central highlands, near the quaint villages of Strawberry and Pine.

Josef Muench