The Democratic advocate., 1880-11-13
CALIFORNIA; BIG TREES.
A Vivid Description Of these MOnarchs Of the
Forest.

"A correspondents OF the Chlcag0 IftOhAe
writing from San Francisco says II have
just returned from trip among the fa-
nous big-tree groves Of California. So
far as known there arc eight or nine sep
arate groves in the State, and these are
found on the western slope of the Sierra.
The altitude is from 5000 to 5000 feet
above the sea, and they are always associ-
ated with great number Of other trees.
The wood is soft light, elastic, straight
grained and looks like cedar The bark
Is deeply corrugated lougiludinally, and
SO spongy as TO be used for pin-cushions.
The branches seldom appear below 100 or
100 feet from the ground, aud shoot out
in every direction from the ground The
leayesare of two kinds--those Of the youn-
ger trees and Of the lower branches Of the
larger set in pairs opposite each other on
little stems and those growing on branch.
es which have lowered, triangular 10 shape,
and lying close down to the stem. The
cones are remarkable for their diminutive
size, being not much larger than hens
egg, while the cones Of much smaller con
ifers are larger than pineapples. The
seeds are short and thin as paper 1t is
said that II takes $4,000 of them to weigh
a pound. The two most southerly groves
those on the south and north forks Of
the Tule river, have as yet been but little
explored; but they are known to contain
many trees scattered over considerable
area. The next grove to the north, that
between Kings aud Kaweah river, is one
of the most extensive in the State, there
being thousands Of trees scattered over
belt eight or ten miles in length by four or
i've in width, but most Of the trees being
small, averaging scarcely more than ten
feet in diameter or about thirty feet in
circumference near the base. Two trees
IN this gronp, described by Prof. Whit
ney, arc scarcely in size elsewhere sur
passed, and their Dimensions are the won
der Of all who have seen them. The one
near Thomas mill has height of 276
feet, and circumference, twelve feet
from the ground, of seventy Eve feet The
tree at the ground is badly burned, and |
tho circumference was originally over 100 |
feet lnto the other tree, which is pros
trate and burned hollow, three horsemen
>.---,Ae-~L-eAss fora distance OF thirty
feet, the height and width Of the cavity
being about eleven feet At distance Of
sagcnty feet the diameter of the cavity is
still eight feet, while 169 feet from the
base the diameter Of the tree is nine feet.
The Fresno group has lately become ac-
cessible by the opening up of the Madeira
route to the Yosemite, and is said to con-
ain a number Of trees, not far from 600.
The Mereed grove is north Of Mariposa,
and fully twenty-five Of the trees are from
forty to eighty feet in circumference at
che base. In passing through this grove
only few days ago, with three compan-
ions, We saw snow in some places ten feet
in depth; and .his, coupled with the mag
nifeent proportions of the trees and the
awful solitude Of the forest, gave an al
most sublime grandeur to this part Of the
Sierra The Tuolumne grove is situated
almost due north of the Merced, and Is on
the Big Oak Flat trail to the Yosemite.
There are about thirty trees in the group,
and these are excellent representatives Of
the sequoia family. The Siamese Twins,
growing from the same root, and uniting
few feet above the base, are thirty eight
feet Ia diameter and ia feet in circum-
ference at the base. A unique piece Of
road-making is here seen. In the con-
struction Of the highway for coaches and
wagons to the Yosemite, the engineers
suddenly found themselves face 10 face
with one Of those monster trees, and, not
choosing TO build around it, they cut
through it, thus forming tunnel, the like
Of which can scarcely be found elsewhere
in the world. The diameter Of the tree
being over thirty feet, there remained an
abundance Of material on each side Of the
cut to retain the tree 10 a standing posi-
tlon, and the whole, ten feet high by twelve
feet wide, is sufficiently large to allow the
passage of any coach or team. A Yosem-
iie teamster, while chatting one evening
with our party few miles from the spot,
remarked that he bad noticed, when pass
ing through the tree with iour-horse
tenn, that the heads Of the front pair Of
horses emerged from the one side of the
tree about the same time the rear part Of
the wagon catered the other, or, 10 other
words, that the diameter Of the tree was
about equal in length to his four-horse
team and wagon.
This grove is about six miles 10 north
. Tesielly direction from the South Park
Rfese which Is in turn, the next grove in
aenhwesteFly direction from the Tuolum-
uc. fhe aalh Park grove contains $3.50
big trees aFd these ID all sorts Of postures
aud conditions, become almost bewildering.
Oar lIsaherp, l7p feet from the ground.
has dianelsrof twelse feet: snother nam
ed the aGnna Hotel, will hold forty per-
sons within its hollow trnak; another has
held sixteen horses; fourth named Eve
hns breast-like swelling, seven feet ia d.
ameter, $50 feet from The ground, and the
circumfeFenee Of another, named ADAM
'-is said To be 103 feet at distance Of three
feet from the ground An indsfnite num-
Der Of other trees Of similar proportions
might be nained The Calayeras grove Is
ahe most norlherly one set discovered and
Is the one hast known. Il il situated On
the Stockton aud Calayeras trail 70 the
Yosemite, aud Is distant 164 miles from
San Francisco, 123 from Sacramento. 73
from Stoekton, l02 ffouzbe hosels d the
Yosemite The numk>z trees ofiarnsr
sizo Is mot fhr from 1siQ, sziIlR many au,a| !.r
ones ou the outskirts Sst Of these hAye
been named, aud table, haxe been publish
"a giving the exaot hsistt and diiaptsions
ofsseh. I{ers arspt least l.senly-|'s X l'sss
abefe 250 feet ID height aud thiity irpes
6<tr gao isef i1 haight The four high.
N tfa6s ID lib gfore. apR perhafe a. fho
kmtf;0aa o0atipent, are she ekeJAsAas
siats n0sal .iAckspn. BEostes n ~
Forest, sz. 'Dsnia Webster rtS
hsiehl 81 IS, 1aned Is 3zs a s.
Ihe ssla. 'ss'. Il the il,ll t.