Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-11-03
PETRTFIED TREES IN TEXAS.

The petrlfed trees OF Texas may be
cassed among the greatest natural curios-
tiles ofthe country. They are found scat
tered in huge logs or blocks, or in small
detached masses, over vast extent of sur
face chiefly, however, in belt of coun-
tey about twenty miles broad, which ex-
tends from near The Sabine on the east, to
the Guadalupe on the west; generally at
the distance of eighty or one hundred miles
from the coast The largest Of these trees
yet discovered is found lying near the sum-
NIT of a hill, in an open prairie, near the
residence Of Col. Moore, and about five
hundred yards north of the road leading
from Houston to Austin, in Fayctte coun-
ty. The body Of this tree is seven feet in
diameter and as considerable portions Of
its outer layers have been worn away or
broken off, it must have been once about
twenty-four feet in circumference. 1t is
completely siIicifed throughout, nd is so
hard that the chips readily strike re with
steel. The fibres of the wood are still so
distinct, that the rings denotng lis annual
growth may be distinguished. Some OF
its broken fragments resemble flint, and
are semi-transparent on theiradges ; 9TH
ers resemble chalccdony; but the main
body OF the tree resembles some varieties
of fine grained sandstone, and is of a dull
gray ash color This trunk resembles an
immense log, lying slightly inclined, with
one OF It's extremites buried in the earth,
The portion above the surface is about six
teen feet long. Its larger extremity rests
upon ledge of sandstone, which here pro-
trudes Through the soil, and forms an ire
gular shelf, extending along the side OF
the hill to a considerable distance on either
side. Along this ridge many hugo blocks
are scattered, which appear to be portions
Of the same tree, and have been mistaken
by many persons as the fragments Of its
branches some of them, however, are
| found at the distance of more than three
hundred yards from the main trunk. 1t is
worthy of remark, that portions Of silici
| fed wood are also found embedded in this
| sandstone they however appear to be inn
beddcd only near its surface, and many
small pebble stones Of agate, quartz, and
other siIiceous substances are imbedded
with them, apparently indicating that they
once formed the beach Of Il sea or lake.
In the hill on the opposite side Of the val
| ley, similar shelf Of sandstone protrudos,
and similar fragments Of si!icied wood are
found lying along it, and in some places
mbcdded in it. The soil above this sand
stone, even TO the summit Of the hill, con-
tains large quantity Of siiccous pebbles
of agate, quartz, chalccdony, flint, and
some fragments Of siIicifed wood. The
summit olthe hill is about thirty feet above
The surface Of the ledge, and about two
hundred and fifty feet above the surface
of the adjoining valley. 1t has a very gem
tic slope to the valley, which is broad and
shallow, like most OF the valleys of this
section. This ledge of sandstone may be
probably traced near the SUBMITS Of all the
| hills throughout the uadulating regions of
/ Texas Various specuations have been
made relative to the species of tree to which
this siIicifed wood belongs. Some attrib-
ute it to the post oak, others to the live oak,
others to the pine. We have carefully ex-
amined several specimens collected in diff
ferent sections of the republic, and find
that the characters ofall, even when shown
by the microscope, are alike. They evil
IDENTIFY belong TO but one species of tree,
probably different from any now existing
on the globe. 1t rcsembles the pine even
| the small circular discs or glands that are
found in longitudinal sections of the pine,
may be distinguished in small fragments
subjected TO examination in the microscope.
The fragments Of transverse sections also
exhibit the system of REGULATIONS peculiar
10 the conilerae. The pebbles Of quartz,
agate, flint, &c which are found in the SUI
perhical accumulations in which these trees
are imbedded, are found strown in the soil
throughout La Grange and Bastrop coun-
ties, and large portion of Travis, Con
zales, Colorado and Washington counties