Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-11-22
THE pErg.FIFD FOREST

There ean be N s. rti=r, Of the elunt,v.,;
te festing 10 me geolpgid ss pur own. A, -.
but lfiiie aitenti N has ben given 10 the sl
Jet by our West 'rn hoiafs. ,ut its important,
and interest " iil.s,pn demand is investigatio
fne bills Of our beautiful river its rocky bed ,h
nnutnersble petrifactions aud singular f,rm.-
tons, will amply repay any researches. Shelf.
may bn tcnnd IN a stale of peiritaclion on Al
most any 81 our streams in the interinr. r.
Bone t. -afnckv, should he vistei by e,ervtrss
weller. Tie hsnss OF the Kentucky river ar.
beautiful teyond description, an1 present fac
field for geological researches. Indeed pe,,
son could not weifgo amiss in any section NJ
thu West.
II wa, our inleni ION, nj fist merely IN b.v.
alndel - ine subject nj he head OF this .r,i
Gle Tn letter which l. annexed was comm,
nicate1 for the 'inois Magazine, aud ftrnisb.s
the only account we have seen Of tbs most sin.
g1ar curiosity. The prela,ory remarks are
liom the pen oitte e,for.
" The existence of peififtctions at point in
accessible 10 innndation, il, as Tar as we are al
vs-d, a phsnome non III scientific history TIM
agency of water an of mineral substances i
supposed 10 he necessary TO the production az
these formations. We know Of 40 instance IN
which thy have been produced by ME action
of the atmosphere nor can we imagine any IA.
tionaf ground, upon which such an ny poihp,js
could be sustained. FIVE are right in our con.
lecture, the country IN which there retrifactiuns
exist, nut have been. a, some period. submer.
sci in water. But when Are those the re.
mains OF the antediluvian trees Dad Noah.
II loi cover this portion OF the earth long enough
- produce such effect Or have these higb
grounds been covered with water at period
subsequent to the general deluge ?"
JEFFER'os BARgACg', May |. 1880.
" Dear Sir Ill affords me pleasure 10 CON
ply with Your request, with res ard 10 the " Pc.
rIied Forest
:" You asked for a msmnir on the subject but
YOU mast be listed with the follow ny att.ioi5
10 give on merely the facts as they came VIM.
IN my own observation without prrturing A
single speculation beyond the effects produced.
| wish rather to leave the subject in ahef hands
than nine !; and If ! can aIi, in any way 10
solve the problem, by statement Of simple
facts. ("ell known, how ever, 10 most Of The
officers attached 10 the Yellow Stone exppdi.
TONI shall, feel more than compen lated iUr
any time shall devote to the subject.
" The enclosed specimen was broken on
rom ofthe many large stumps aud limb.
of trees found near Yellow stone river, and
brought away by some one Of the officers at
laohed TO the Yellow stone expedition, in
1915.
The most remarkable facts parhaps with
rcgatd IL these pCtriia eiious, OF wGat Was oncn
a forest OF thick timber, are their location and
abundance. L Dr Il distance OF twenty or thIriy
mlrs, over an open hish rralrir, upon The west
bank u the Missouri river, and few m,les bf
low il, junc ioh with The Yellow Stoue, nrar
lnCI'uae tor t-eighf degrees, ttese remains are
usnrr abIniaat.
" Tie Topography OF ihiS sec'inn oftle
60 Iutry u ally, aud much broken into deem
fatiues AMI ho.loss. On the SIDES aud sum
ants of The hls, al an elevation OF several INN.
dr. feet (rstinated three hIndrcd) above IN.
present icycl oil the ryer, aud an estimated
tbIgGt (ior we EaVe no iusirumenIs) of acme
Thousand feel above the ocean Tho earth,
surface Is literally GOV red with .tumps, roofs
and ms OF peirGed trees presenting the An.
pearance OF a 4" Petriled Forest" brob. n and
thro"n do"h by some powerful CONFUSION Of
nature, aud scattered IN all directions IN luuu
mernhe Fragments.
- some OF the rers appear to have broken
of III falling Cloie 10 ibrT roots while others
stand at an elevation OF some leei above the
snrtace.-Many of the stnmps are OF a arge
size; measured one oi the in company wnh
Surgeon Gale, UnItsd States army, aud found
ii to be upwards, OF fifteen feel in Uircumitr,
enCe.
" Yours, with esteem,
&c Il. CR0SSMAN,
Lieut.. u WALKER, u. 5. .4rmy,
u. 3 A,tuy. Jefferson Barracks"