Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-02-04
THE MAMMOTH TREE OF cArJropx


Two regular live Yankees have jus, return.
ed from California, and report that they have
go, the Big Tree on the way home.
This mammoth tree was situated OH the
sou,h-westerly slope Of a hill in a soil of fe.
teen feet deep It's roots extended in all di.
rections for more than fifty rods upon The
hillside and downwards TO The depth Of The
soil. The diameter Of lis base was twenty
two feet, and the circumference siA,y.siS--a
single tree, round and symmetrical, for three
hundred and twenty-five feet, up 10 its top
where a few huge branches have spread
their evergreen fringes 10 The sunshine and
The storm for yeats uncouutable. From ac-
tnal estimate Of It's diurnal layers, ii is more
than three thousand years since this mann
moth cedar was saplng in its teens Then
for large space on the outer surface next
10 the bark the layers Of yearly growth are
so thin as 10 render them uncounable. Here:
then, isa specimen Of antiquity which carries
US back beyond the usual objects and events
referred 10 in the Illustration Of old things -
All the startling events in the histories Of
men and nations during the Christian era are
bu, as yesterday, and we are compelled TO go
| back TO the time of Ncah's navigation aud
The tearing Of the Tower of Babel, or the
laying Of the foundations of the great pyr.
amid. For in those days. almost at the be-
ginning Of earthly events, mus, The seed have
sproued from which grew Ills tree.
| There is no object hereabouls 10 which il
can be compared, but Bunker Hill monument;
and here we will follow our brace of Jona-
lhans in their calculations. Snpposing it TO
be sound, after TAX ing its altitude, they cal
culate that there are 800 cords Of wood II
! it could be shaved into shingles, there would
be 900 900, and 100 cords left in the limbs
and chips. Its entire weight could not be
less than 500 ions.
Alter the incessanl labor Of four men for
one week, choppinS al the base, they sue
ceeded in cutting so far into he rind that its
enormous weight broke of some twelve or
| fifteen feet oil solid wood, and i, fell with a
shock as il an earthquake had moved !he
! hill, About 200 feet fiom The ground, where
/ it measured Twelve feet in diameter, i, was
broken off by the fall as short as pipe stem.
! The next thing 10 be done was 10 cut of a
| section, and Ibis required two entire chop
| pings through the tree. After l25 days labor
section of ten feet was separated, square a,
both ends, with the bark entirely perfect
But al This point, after such interchangeable toll,
away in wilderness infested with wild bulls
aud grizzly bears, Indians prowling in the
| neighbeI hood-ihey were about TO give up
| in despair OF accomplishing their design-for
how we're they now 10 transport that mass Of
wood, weighing some 90 or 80 tons By
any available meaus at hand il was as i'm
movable as the hill where it laid. They
however procured pump anger, bored
through the centre, then dug away the earth
al one end, tipped the thing NJ, ana built
FIRE underneath, which they kept burning for
several weeks. The auger hole made good
chimney, which was enlarged BY The action
he fire. until The men could work inside
with their axes. In this manner il was eX-
cavaied to within about two feet Of the outer
hill for more than mile by lcvers-then pla-
ced upon Mexican adobes and drawn by 90
oxen, eighteen miles TO Marines, and then
shipped to San Francisco.
| 1t was not until the tee was safely landed
on California wharf that they we're fnIy con-
scious of the labors performed, or of The great
curiosity in their possession. The whole c.
ty Of men, women and children, ilocked 10
see the size of the tree that had been grow
ing almost since The world was made. One
hundred men could easily stand within the
hollow al the same time, and a six.foot man
rode full sized horse through without touch
ing his hat 10 tho upper surface.
Finally, the tree was shipped on the deck
Of ship Messenger Cap. Frank Smith, Nov.
., 1853, for New York, where il is now da-
ly expected TO arrive.-Boston Transsript,