Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-12-02
Nevada Fosans.

Now that so much Is being SAID about
the tracks OF antedIluvian elephants and
prehistoric man at the state prison auarry.
near Carson, Nevada. it may be that some
OF the scientists Of the Pscidc coast Will
tnink Il worth While 10 take look ut the
tracks beyond Dayton. near the mouth OF
I'll Dorado canon. These tracks ara in
rock that 10 denuded We have never az
a'nined them, but have frequently heard
them spoken of BY Professor w. +. Stew
art, (now dcad). who thought them very
remarkable and OF much scientific import
ance.i The tracks arc described a. much
the saue 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
t,acks OF elephants or Of the mammoth.
This would seem TO indicate that the ground
was once the bottom Of lake. Indeed.
ell the low ground in this part Of Nevada
shows signs OF having been covered by
water in ancient times, and also some
plats OF consldefablc altitude. In 1860 q
petrlfied log OF pine, some 80 feet in length
and Is inches in diameter, was found on
the side of hill to the southeast of Amer
icau fat. Strewn over Spring valley there
was also at that time much petrified cedar.
FIR. pine and other kinds OF wood. The
prospectors were 10 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 q )ated about on the anclent
lakes until they became water-loggcd and
SUNK to the bottom. The random way IN
which they were found scattered about
seemed to show this. In the year 1861 q
big flood washed out q great number of
petrihed stumps OF trees along . ravine
running from near the Daney mine, Spring
valley, down IN the Carson nver. These
appeared to bethe stumps Of cottonwoods,
alders and such trees as grow along
streams. In this region, however, nothing
more interesting is likely to be found thar
appears on the surface, but farther down
the Carson. and to the eastward of the
sink, Is section Of country that would b.
likely to yield muchof value 70 the care
full scientific Investigator. There Is IL
that region large area Of recent sand-rocl
of coarse, loose texture and granite graz
| color.
SOME four mics east of tho sink of tn
Carson an upheaval OF granite has go rsiset
this sedlmentsry formation az to show it t.
be about 800 feet in thickness. In man,
places large canons have cut through thi
formation. leaving nearly perpendicula
walls. In passing along the canons, with
out making any special examinations, "
have found, sticking in the walls, bone
Of small animals and birds, bits Of wood
twigs, and the like, all black as thougl
carbonized. On the bank of . dee
canon, northeast of what is known az th1
Lower Sink Of the Carson, is a plac
where Is to be seen Z great quantity O
patrlfed wood OF all kinds. A stratum Q
this wood, some five feet thick, and ex
posed along the canon for a distance q
over 100 yards, appears to have been
great drift. All is SO thoroughly petri
fed aud 80 natural IN appearance ths
at distance it seems to be Z lot {
cordwood stacked up on the bank of tn
canon Mingled with this petriled drift
wood may perhaps be found the bone
and skeletons OF animals. birds and rer
tiles. The bed Of petrifled wood is CO,
cred to a depth of from three to Nv
feet with earth and gravel.