Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-23
MINING CEDAR TREES.
The Fallen and Submerxed Forest o.
DenniSville swamp, south Jersey.

From the New York sun
The fallen and submerged cedar forests OF the
southern part of New Jersey. which were dis
covered first beneath the Dennisville swamps
seventy-five years ago, still afford employment
10 scores Of people in their excavation, ana are
source Of constant interest to biologists. Ihere
are standing At the present day no such I'M
mense specimens OF the cedar anywhere In the
country as are found embeded deep In the
muck OF the Dennisville swamps. Some OF the
trees that have been uncovered are six feet III
diameter, and trees four feet through are COM
mon.
Although ages must have passed since these
great forests Tell and became covered many
ieet beneath the surface, sucn trees rs fell, &C
corolng to the general theory while yet living
trees, are as sound to-day Is they were the uay
they were uprooted. These trees are called
windfails, as IL Is thought they were torn up Dy
me roots during some terrible gale OF AN nn-
Anown past. Others are bound In the muck
which are called break-dOwus, as they were
evidently dead trees when they tell, and have
eeen held by the action Oi the mud and water
In the swamp in the same Stage OF decay they
were In when they fell.
ceGar forests, 1t is thought, grew In
Iresh-water lake or swamp, the action OF winch
Was necessary " their existence. According 10
eminent geological authorities Of southern New
Jersey, tue sea either broke III upon the swamps
or the land suosided, and the salt water reached
tiie trees. This destroyed the lie OF many OF
them, and in time tue great windfall came and
leVeled The forest The trees now lie beneath
the soft soil at various depths. and ever since
4oIZ Inc logs have eeen mined and are All I'M
pOrtant factor in The local commercial Interests
OF south Jersey. The cedars are cut up in 20
shingles and slaves, and the longevity OF articles
made rom the wood Is shown In shingles, tubs,
ana pals which We're made over seventy years
ago, anu when show no Sis ns OF decay yet:
=; Inc workilrs OF "a cedar mine" Is exceedingly
simple: Inc log digger enters the swamp anu
prodS In SOFT soil with long, suarp iron rod.
IN, me trees lie 80 thckly beneath the surface that
before 1t strikes log. That done, the miner
soon INFORMS himself as to the length OF the
trunR, ana then chips off piece which his rod
or'ngs up. BY the shell OF this chip the logger
can teil whether he has struck u breakdown or
wiudiall, anu ii it is the latter he proceeds at
once to raise the log. He WORKS saw, similar
tne mud and saws the log In two near lue
rO"ts as necessary. The top Is next sawed of,
ana then tue big cedar stuck is ready TO he
released from is resting place. A ditch is dug
ooWh 10 the log, the trunk Is loOsened, and 1t
rises up with the Water 10 the surface vi the
ditch. A curious thing is noticed about these
tnaL they Invariably turn over with Lne.r
bottom sides up. The log Is sawed into proper
anu worked into shape entirely by hand. These
cedar shingles command price much higher
IMAM pine or chestnut shingles.
These ancient cedars are vi the white variety,
ana nave the same strong, aromatic frag ance
Wuen cut tnat Tue common red ceuar has. The
WOOD Is OF delicate hesh color. One OF the
10 he water-logged in the siig utest degree. 1t
Is Impossible " tell how many layers deep
these cedars lie in The wamp, Tut IL Is certain
tnat there are several layers, and that
with all the work that has been done In the
swamp Tor seventy years the nrSt layer has
not yet been removed. AT some places in the
marsh the soil has sunk for severai ieeL and
become dry, and there the fallen cedars may
oe seen lying one on top OF nnOtuer In great
heaps. No tree has been removed from The
OehniSvlIle swamp from u greater depth than
three ieet, put they have becu round at great
uepth outside The limits OI tue swamp, showing
not only the correctness Of Tue ueep-laye r
Theory uut the great extent OF the ancient forest
outside OF the swamp area. Near the shores Of
the Delaware, nearly eight miles from Dennis
Vllle, white cedar logs have been exuumeu lion
0eptn VI twelve IeeL. at Cape Nay, .wenty
miles distant drillers vi an arLesiau well struck
one Oh Tue trees wnen The drill was almost
ninety leeL Ill the earth. 1t Was lylng in an
aiIuVlal deposit similar 10 the DennisvIIIe
Harsh. Another log Was found al Cape May
twenty Ieet below the surface, aud u third at a
depth vi seventy feet THESE logs We're ali OF
enormous Size. Wuat IL is in the amber-colOred
swamp water and red muck at DeunnsvIIle Liial
PRESERVES these trees 50 tnaI AFTER u lapse oi CEN
turtles their nDer Is rs clean and smoO. II it
Was when the green branches OI the cedars
were waving over the swamp is u mys.ery
thaL scientific men have rs yet Deen unable W
solve.