Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-01-04
From Our UtaI, Cox, espondent.
SILVER CRY, Z. T., Nov. 18th, 1S6
MAMMOTH TREES OF CALIFORNIA.

MAMMOTH TREES OF CALIFORNIA
These trees belong, according to botanists,
to the family Of Totodiums, and have beer
rightly named Westinghouse Gigantia.-
They resemble, in the appearance of the
leaves and bark, the Cedar, of the species
common to the mountains of California, and
still more closely the redwood trees of the
Coast Range; with which some maintain
they are identical. There is a grove ofthese
trees in Mareposa County, of some celebrity,
and few scattering trees near Crane Flat
on the trail leading from Bull Creek to til:
Yosemite Falls, but none Of these can equal
(stories to the contrary Notwithstanding the
trees of the famous Mammoth Grove" Of
Calaveras County. This celebrated grove"
is situatedin small valley at the head Of a
small creek tributary to the Calaveras River,
and some fifteen miles above Murphy's Bar.
The soil in this valley is a rich, black loan,
in many places moist and almost Doggy, with
a dense thicket of underground. The whole
valley contains little over 100 acres ofland,
and was located and settled by WIN LArHAa,
in July 1853, but has since changed hands,
and is, or was in October of 80, owned by
sPERY & PERRY of Murphy's Bar. The alti-
tudc of the "Grove" is very considerable,
being 1850 feet above San Francisco, and
2,4Oo feet above Murphy's Bar, Is miles be-
low. Snow often falls here during winter to
the depth of four and five feet, and the hotel
is always deserted, even by the proprietors,
on the approach OF winter. The Big Trees"
were discovered early in 1850, by hunter
whose accounts Of their wonderful dimcn-
sions, were considered as mere invention to
excite wonder or the preparatory steps to
some kind of " SELL" so hard was it to
conceive anything of the kind of such cnor-
nous magnitude; and in spite of all his as
surances he was unable to prevail on any of
his companions to accompany him to the
spot. Finding they would not go with him
on the strength of the "big-tree story" he
had recourse to the following stratagem; he
came in one day and told his friends that he
had killed one Of the largest erizzlys ever
seen in the mountains, and wished them to
go with him to bring in the meat; and by
this artifice had at length the satisfaction of
leading them to the spot and beholding them
gaze in speeches. a:tonishment toward the
towering pinaclcs andupon the colossal trunks
of these stupendous productions of nature
Within an area of 90 acres, 95 of this species
OF trees are standing, and the whole Grove"
contains considerably above one hundred.-
"The Big Tree" of which everybody has
heard, is not the largest in the grove, though
much the best known. Tt IS eighty-seven
feet in circumference, and measured after it
was cut down, 800 feet; the stump standing
eight feet high. 1t is estimated by the rings
or growth Of the stump to be two thousand
years old. This tree was fclled in July 1853,
and required the labor of five men % DAYS to
cut through the trunk, which was done bv
boring with pump augers and cutting with
axes, saws and chissels SO well balanced
was this huge tree, that after the trunk was
entirely separated from the stump, itrequired
three days work with wedges, levers and other
Icontrivanccs to topple it over; and then tool;
four men three weeks to strip off the bark to
the height of 80 feet There is now a ball
alley on the trunk, enclosed on either side
with boards and covered with a single roof.
The stump has been leveled and smoothed,
and is enclosed by sort Of arbor Of fir and
cedar boughs, and is used as the ballroom Of
the Hotel, and affords ample space for a num-
Der of couples. .@
| will now proceed to notice, briefly, and
name some of the largest and most noted
trees of the "Grove," commencing On the
right hand part Of the road or drive which
starting at the Hotel is laid out in the form
Of a circle, passing through the most inter
csting part of the Grove" w ..E
First, we have the "Beauty ofthe Forest"
three hundred feet in height and sixty-iive
in circumference, very straight and beauti-
tuh. pioIoi tioiitt oiitt tiiiiOSL iIcc from
limbs till near the top which is surmounted
with handsome and regular cap Or crown
of green. a
Next we find, on our left, "Cncle Toms
Cabin" three hundred and six feet high and
thirty in diameter The Cabin has a
door about three feet wide and is capable of
atiording seats for forty persons; its hight
is IL feet. Near the Cabin" stands the
"0ld Dominion 29+ feet high and 26 feet
i'll diameter. Then the Empire State"
80 feet in hight and 80 feet in diameter
Next sold Vermont" 293 feet in hight and
27 in diameter. Then a group of six, one of
which is called the "Granite State" with a
double one called the "Siamese Twins" and
opposite this latter stands the Guardian"
The "Twins" have one trunk but their
bodies separate at the hight of4o feet; they
are 800 feet high. The Guardian" stands
by their side and is so feet in circumference
and 325 feet high. To the right of the path
a little further on stands sold Kcntucky,"
3l5 feet high and 70 feet in circumference.
Next, OH same side, the ''Old Bachelor" a
,,cfxy f,rcc,r loI 1,ol H.