The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-19
IN FORESTS Or HTONE.
Petrined Trees that nre Found in Mnnv
Parts of the World.

II had queer experience once" gentle-
man who had been examining the collection Of
trees and woods in the old Arsenal building.
Central Park said. and these hard woods re-
mind me Of It. was prospecting in Arizona
with party OF friends. and we had had rough
luck. We had a young Irshman as cook that
l had picked UP in Omaha. who was worth
more than any ten men ever saw in keeping
up the spirits Of the crowd The lower tho
provisions the moro joyial he was. and I'm
hanged II ho didn't seem to have tho blues ono
day when wo shot bear and were on the edge
Of starvation. Ono day when he had bccn ont
picking UP wood for fire. he came to me and
said. Beggin' yer pardon. Master Tom. but nv
it's all the same I'd loise to take tho back track
What's the trouble2' asked.
1t moight BIO that be afraid NV gettn' so
fat couldn't walk back. but dvl II bit O. that
said he, solcmnly. But did ye ever hear tell o.
the sthory av Ara-bayan Noights? Sorrer
the tooimo I've heard Father Clinchy relate it
in the ould country. It's all about country
where the men, women. and childer turned to
stone always took 1t to be n joke. the results
av too much larnin'. but dvi IL bit when we've
struck the self same place. Ye laugh. is it
limb Of tree Of hard. solid rock. while in the
Other w hand he had Iarge petriilsd oyster
-" Yes: rejoined Pat. and well all be in the
same fix if we kape. on. = I'm for the back truil.'
him understand the Situation vi But uf' It was sA
curious sight. We had campcd on the edge oi
a forest that had actually turned to stone. Ali
about were the great stumps that at first wa
had taken for stones but found on closer ex-
animation. to be trees turned into stone. Some
hundreds Of pieces. While ali around were bones n
and shells all turned to stone Also How long
they had been there no one knows"
Stone forests are in many parts Of the world.
nnmbe e, Of t stony trees have been recently
West. In many cases they are hardened by tho
peculiar atmosphere. as they stand. and in
ee by matter 'n Thse nfts little Sf oerado
River in Arizona has long been famous To-
300 cords Of trunks and sections Of logs were
Iom ,, Ry Ga1ycrnment Surveyor Most Of them
ametcr and from 90 to 70 feet in height. The i,
feet h n % goe Of Ss s S-sns enEi
to jasper. assuming, numerous hues. while
others resemble opal. and when broken open
are motel localities for fossil trees. In the for
ground. an ancient forest layer was unearthed,
and in succession two others below it. and
from the time Of the first layer to the last .oO6
years must have elapsed. In the remains of
discovered. Some have been buried beneath
the water by the sinking Of the land Some Of
stone. being yet soft while others aro found in
ai stages from r2ck to porous sponge matter.
. In some parts OF the Island OF Antigua, one OF
the British leeward group. there are most TO-
markable examples Of stone forests The trees
are in many instances of great size. presenting
acurous sight with living birds perched upon
their leaiiess and stony limbs
The fossil palms are the most remarkable Of
all these stony forms. They generally have
cylindrical stem. rising to u great height.
crowned with Il canopy of foliage that stands
unon the rock in high relief
some wonderful stone forests have been un-
carthcd by the workers in the building stone
ouarries of the Isle Of Portland from which
comes the famous building stone. The work.
men had cut down to what they termed n dirt
bed. and suddenly cn,ne to the stony forest
standing upright. There were hundreds OF
trees u few feet apart. The tops appeared to
have been wrenched Off, but many werc forty
feet in height On some OF the limbs wore the
delicate stems. md here and there leaves and
twit:s. In Van Diemcn'S Land similar forests
arc known, the great trunks being calcicd md
partly sl'cifed; while others are changed into
cnHlcedony. They were found in most cases
erect. with tho branches and limbs scattered
about their roots. So natural were many of
these that n newly arrived laborcr sent out to
collect wood brought in II load. complaining of
It's heaviness. They are used however being
burned for lime.