The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-10
The Monster Trees orCn,,foru,,

AS regards the wonderful size OF the Sc
quota that Is matter which does not at first fully
TO The fact that all the trees are 50 large
that one fails to realize tho magnitude OF the giants
All have Increased In proportion. ltrequires men
tai calculation to convince ones self that the trans
formation * something quite out OF the common.
II Is only when You come To walk IN aud out of the
hollow trees and TO circle round them aud take
stiutional Ivy walking alongside of fallen giant or
perhaps Cif II has done duty ms chimney before It
came TO grief by riding up inside the hollow for
considerable distance, that you begin to understood
their size You do So best when standing ON the
ground beside PROSTATE tree lying buried In ditch
OF It's own making, you look M ut red wall rising
perhaps - or 20 feet above your hcad bulglng out
ward considerably and extending In straight line
for 800 feet along tho ground and tell yourself that II
vs. oniy tree Iho owners OF the beautiful grove
near tho erected tall ladders TO enable people
to climb on To some Of these heights aud walk along
the fallen trees as II on garden terraces. II sounds
cockney hut II Is decidedly pleasant 10 gain view of
every one who scale the red rampant without the
aid of the ladders II you chose to Chamber along the
upturned roots You may ind airy seat some 40 feet
above the ground. This sounds high, but further
consideration you begin TO marvel how such extra
pedestal FOR so poDderous weight. They have lit
orally no depth and a comparatively small spread SO
That they have merely superficial hold the earth
surface. Yet this slight support has enabled these
huge bodies to resist the wild storms of many cenu-
reS All the big trees Of the district concentrated
IN two groves namely, the little forest gem OF
Calayeras, and much larger belt known the South
Park Grove on the Stanslaus River about six miles
further In the Calaveras grove all the Seauoias lie
WITHIN an area OF bOacreS over which space altogether
about 100 lie scattered Singy or In groups. OF these
20 attain a circumference OF about so feet near tho
base. and one, which Is distinguished the Father
the Forest. Is found TO measure 10 feet round II
lies prostrate aud has apparently done 80 for many
acenury, FOR the we'll nigh imperslable wood Is In
part dccayed, aud long use as chimney had burned
out Its inside aud destroyed its summit ero II fell
The portion that SIN remains likes long mountain
and two large arcways have been cut into the side of
the said mountain In order that those whose taste Hes
In that Hue may ride into the hollow trunk and come
out by the further opening. IL Is estimated that the
tree. when perfect must avo been about $50 feet In
height OF the trees now standing, exceed 800 feet
In height and measures 325. About 20 are said Ia
exceed 800 feet. one can, perhaps, better realize
what these sizes by finding the amount OF house
room 10 be obtained within q followed tree Several
such as "Aiiner's Camp and pioneers camp, -
have been used as temporary homes In the latter
80 persons can nd sitting room; others used for
sabling hoises.-G. +. Gordon Cumming in tho
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