The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-19
UNDER THE GIANT TREES.
STORM IN THE MARIPosA GROVE.
An Exciting Night Watch in California
A Scene Which Rivalled Hurri-
cane at Sea - A superb
Winter Spectacle.

Winner Spocthches I
The several Sequoia gigantea, or "big
tree" groves, as they are more COM
monty known, have added to the worlds
stock of wonders. Much has been said
and written of them from a scientific
standpoint, and many are the interest
ing and uninteresting articles that have
been penned in their honor. Most of
the two last kinds of descriptions relate
10 these giant wonders of the California
forests in their summer or autumn
garb, surrounded by the pleasing en-
oellishments of forest greenery, butter
flies, the songs of birds, deep blue skies, |
the occasional rustling of brake or bush, |
thrust aside by the timd football of q |
big-eyed doe, gazing in terror and Won
on the equally startled chance tourist |
who obstruets her path. Amid all the |
horticulture and landscape gardening
of a profuse and bountiful nature the
great moAarchs of the woods loom up
silent, stately and solitary in their iso-
lation from all other species of earth's
flora-the relics of forgotten age. They
stand the grander and more awe-in-
spring 6y reason of the very playful
ness OF Nature in her delicate beauty at
their feet. Next to nothing has, how
ever, been written of the experiences of
more adventurous sight-seers among
these groves of their overpowering and
SURPRISING sublimity in winters storm.
1t was the fortune of the writer to make
very late and somewhat disastrous
trip over the Sierra from the east
ern slope to the western side, and after a
severe journey to find himself and guide
in the Yosemite,and thence to pass over
the Yosemite summit to the Big Tree
station, where all anxiety from snow
ceased. After rest of a couple of days
trip to the Mariposa grove of trees,
lying eight miles distant from the sta
ton was determined on. By good for
tune the guardian OF the grove, Mr.. Cum
ningham, happened 80 be at the station,
and it was finally agreed that we make
party Of two and take blackboard
and pair of horses, with an old and ex-
perienced driver, and penetrate as far
into the grove at possible.
AMONG THE BIG TREES.
The Mariposa grove lies in south
easterly direction from Wawona, or the
Big Tree sta ion, and at an altitude of
between 5000 and 7,00a feet above the
sea. After long and tedious drive of
about five hours, at snails pace, the
"Grizzly Giant" was reached, the horses
dripping and painting and the men
equally tired. This world known mon
arch is six miles from the station and
stands at an elevation of about 6. 500 feet
above the sea. The snow at this point
was at an average of three feet upon the
level, and rs the team had already come
about quarter OF q mile beyond any re-
naming vesige of road or track, it
was determined to send it back. We
shall never forget the look of satisfac-
ton upon the drivers face as he wheel
ed his team around and with smart
crack OF the whip urged them,
nothing. loath, to "git out of the tall
timber" "Steve," the guardian, as he
is familiarly known, had determined to
''stick it out" one night with the writer
at the "cabin." So we snouldered our
necessary traps, consisting mainly of
big rolls of blankets, sundry bottles of
significant shape and a small stock of
provisions, and s arted tor the cabin in
the upper grove, two miles and a halt
farther on and nearly 1000 feet higher
up.
SOLITUDE WHICH COULD BE FELT.
The day was singularly bright and
clear, the sky by contrast with the
snow, of most impossible depth Of
blue, seemingly against which back
ground the tremendous forest of ever
greens doomed up quiet and still, every
1eaf and twig standing out against the
cold blue sky with startling clearness.
llb oliilubSS was dMlul-lOU II SOUND
Df living thing except our two voices
occasionally, and the crunch, crunch of
The snow as we wallowed through it on
our toilsome way TO the summit. 1t
seemed a. though we were toiling up
wards out of the world into
n new sphere, and the stiffness
ut last became so profound
that, awe-stricken, we both ceased to
talk. As we toiled on farther and
farfhar nuiH .Nf Ntripd
ent, for we began to meet with drifts
over which We could walk conveniently
without sinking In over eight inches OF
foot. Shapeless lumrs all about dis
closed where the fierce gale had brok en-
off limbs of all sizes from the trees anC
the snow had afterward covered then
with its soft white blanket. At abou
shutdown wa made the cabin, after TIL,
most toilsome tramp through snow tina
the writer ever experienced, both com
pletely beaten out. 1t was necessary
however, TO Immediately lay in stool
of tirewood before the darkness, whicl
comes so rapidly in the woods, had set
tied upon MS, so we went To work an,
turned out of their light coating G
snow several large limbs of fir and hi
tree, and about dark had good fire Ii
the fireplace and a warm bed made u
upon the old bunk, whore the write
had camped many time before in faire
and more summary weather.
IN THE SHADOWS or TWO GIANTS.
During the progress of our silent mea
an occasional mournful sigh was hear
of the passing breeze among the man
moth tops of the great trees around III
and Steve remarked: al thought tn
sky was too blue to-day for fine weatht
TO last. IL will begin to storm tomorro
or next day. Look out and see IL til
stars are twinkling." We did so, and
ever stars twinkled, they did in thi
sky. The "cabiu,n or "Galen's Ho
piece" rs IL was originally named, v
believe, by j. NJ. Hutchings, on a
count of welcome civilities bestow,
upon him by Caleb Clark, one of Il
original discoveries of the Mariposa b
trees and Fresno grove, and who live
in this cabin at that time, IN placed b
tween two monster trees, "Ohio
thirty feet In diameter and about 3
feet hirh, ana seen. Grant" twent
eight feet in diameter, and about 9
feet high. Looking out of the cab
door up at the great spreadir
tops OF these trees, which can n
be over $50 feet apart at their roo
and whose tops come almost togeth
was curious aud impressive sight. !
around were monarchs whose nam
are known by nearly the whole wol
of travellers. We were truly in gre
company. We stepped away for sol
100 yards and sat down upon one of
steps of ladder leaning against |
side of fallen colossus, "Audy Jol
son." and looked up and around. I
trees, trunk and tops, were black as ]
the sky nearly so, and through
branches shone tho stars, fine and smi
burning and twinkling like the brig
est and purest diamonds. Occasional
the wind sounded a requiem among
IL las.
roar, muflled somewhat and varying
force as the htlul breezes played amo
the branches of the nearer or fartl
trees. The lighter branches would