Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-11-30
Nevada Fossils.

Now that so much Is being sald about
the tracks of antedIluvian elephants and
prehistoric man at the state prison quarry,
near Carson, Nevada. it may be that some
of the scientists IF the Pacific coast will
think il worth while TO take look at the
tracks beyond Dayton, near the mouth of
Ell Dorado canon. These tracks are in
rock that is denudCd. We have never ex-
anined them, but have frequently heard
them spoken of bv Professor w. 4. Stew
art, (now dcad), who thought them very
remarkable and of much scientific import
ance. The tracks are described as much
the same as those found at the state prison
quarry. Though Professor Stewart said
nothing of the tracks OF human beings, he
had good deal TO say of tracks OF man.
moth horses These may have been the
tracks of elephants or of the mammoth.
This would seem to indicate that the ground
was once the bottom of lake Indeed,
all the low ground in this par I'D Nevada
shows signs of having been covered by
water in ancient times, and also some
pIats of considerable altitude. In 1850 a
petrlfied log OF pine, some 30 feet in length
and Is inches in diameter, was found on
the side of hill to the southeast of Amer
ican fiat. Strewn over Spring valley there
was also at that time much petrified cedar,
fir. pine and other kinds of wood. The
prospeCtors were In the habit of "sledging"
these logs up IN order to get at the knots,
pieces of pitch and other parts that would
make handsome specimens for cabinets.
These logs were no doubt the trunks Of
trees that had Il Dated about ON the ancient
lakes until they became water-logged and
sunk TO the bottom. The random way IN
which they were found scattered about
seemed TO show this. In the year 1861
big flood washed out great number of
petrjficd stumps of trees alCng ravine
running from near the Daney min :, Spring
valley, down In the Carson river. These
appeared to be the stumps of cottonwoods,
alders and such trees as grow along
streams. In this region, however, nothing
more interesting is likely TO be found than
appears on the surface, but farther down
the Carson, and to the eastward of the
sink, is a section of country that would be
likely to yield much of value TO the care
full scientific Investigation. There Is In
that region large area of recent sand-rock
of coarse, loose texture and granite gray
color.
Some four miles east of the sink of the
Carson an upheaval of granite has so raised
this sedlmentary formation az to show it to
be about 800 feet in thickness. In many
places large canons have cut through this
formation, leaving nearly perpendicular
walls. In passing along the canons, with
out making any special examinations, We
have found, sticking in the walls, bones
of small animals and birds, bits of wood,
twigs, and the like, all black as though
carbonized. On the bank of deep
canon, northeast of what is known as the
Lower Sink of the Carson, is place
where is to be seen a great quantity of
p p4trltied wood OF all kinds. A stratum of
this wood, some five feet thick, and ex-
posed along the canon for distance OF
over 100 yards, appears to have been
great drift. All is so thoroughly petrl-
fed aud so natural IN appearance that
at distance it seems to be a lot OF
cordwocd stacked up on the bank of the
canon Mingled with this petritied drift
wood may perhaps be found the bones
and skeletons of animals, birds and rep
tiles. The bed of petrified wood is COW
cred to a depth of from three to five
feet with earth and gravel.