Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-10
A BURIED CEDAR FOREST.
Digging Up valuabse Trees Covered
Up Maay Ages Ago.

DOkAED CEDAR R0RESTe
DisEing Up valaabss Trees Covered
Up Maay Ages Ago.
corrsspoodspes Of the New YORK Times.
DESSisvILLR, n. j., Oct San industry the like
OF which does not exist anywhere else In the world
furnishes scores of people In this part OF New
Jersey with remunerative employment, and has
made comfortable fortunes for many citizenA II
Is the novel business Of mining cedar trees-dig-
gfng from far beneath the surface Immense logs
OF sound and aromatic cedar. The fallen and sub
merged cedar forests OF Southern New jersey were
discovered 1rst beneath the Dennisvile swamps
seventy -nve years ago, and have been source Of
constant interest 70 biologists and sctentasts gen.
orally ever since. There are standing ct the pres
ent Day no such enormous specimens OF the ceda
anywhere on the face OF the globe as are found
Undecided In the deep muck OF the Denpisville
messau1 feet in dismster and trees fee
Although ages must have passed aacs tnes.
beneath the surface such trees a. Eel. according
to the scientific theory, while they Yet living
Te o. As
In the nomenclature OF the cedar mines. as 1t ID
thought they were torn up by the roofs during
are found In the wreck that were evidently dead
trees when they FELL and TO these the miners have
given the name OF "break-downA" The peculiar
action OF the wind and water In the swamp has
Kept these break-downs In the same stage OF de-
cay they were In when they fell, as the same
agency has preserved intact the soundnsss Of tbs
The theory Of those who have made this mys
terfous coilection OF buried cedar trees study Is
forest that grew In Q fresh-water lake or swamp
that covered this portion OF New Jersey the prop
erues Of the soil OF which were necessary 70 the
forests existence. According to CIR renee Depaing
and DR.. Maurice Beasely, eminent geological au-
thorities In southern New Jersey, the sea either
nS shs N upon sas swa%ps or me land sIosdsd
stroyed the life OF many Of them, and subsequently
some prehistoric cyclone swept over the forest
and leveed II TO the earth. The heavy trees grad
ually sank into the soft soil OF the sWamps until
they reached the substantial earth or rock be-
meath IL, where they reposed, unknown and unds-
cred In ISL Ever since then the logs have been
mined and have been an important factor In the
commercial and business prosperity OF South Jer-
sey:
The buried forest lies at various depths In the
swamp. and the uncovering OF the trees or work.
easy Ths oe None u very simple and
and prods In the soft soil with long, snarp, iron
ROD. The trees lie so tnickly beneath the surface
testing Grand for the prodding Is not so much
In search OF tree 1t Is test whether the tree
Is a "windfall" or breakdown" When the prod
strikes The log the miner chips on piece with the
sharp point OF the TOOL which brings the chip or
SPLINTER 10 the surface when drawn out of the
muck BY the appearance and odor OF this chip
the miner can tell at once whether the tree he has
tested Is sound or dead one. II the former he
quickly ascertains the OF the trunk by prod
oing along from one end or II TO the other.
Tnat ascertalned, he proceeds at once to raise
the log from It's hidden bed. He works down
through the mud saw similar to those used in
saving out Ice IN nlllnR an icehouSe With this he
saws tue log In two as near the roots as he cares
10. The top OF the tree Is next sawed on in the
same way, and then the big cedar stick Is ready to
down TO the log, the trunk Is looSened by Cant
hooks ana II rises with the water TO the surface OF
the ditch. curious thing Is noticed about these
logs when they C me TO the surface, and that Is
That they invariably turn ov with their bottom
sides up. After mining the log Is easily 'ssnaked
OUT OF the swamp and Is ready for the mill or Iac-
These ancient trees are Of q white variety of
cedar, and when cut have the same aromatic
red cedar or the present day has The wood Is OF
a delicate flesh color. One OF the mysterious char.
acteristlcS of these longsunken trees Is that not
slightest II Is impossible to tell how many LAYERS
deep these cedars ne In the swamps bat It Is Ger.
tain that there are several Layers, and that
In constantly mining them during three-Quarters
OF a century the first layer has not vet been
removed from the depths At some places in
for several feet and become dry, and there
the fallen cedars may be seen lying in great
evet BEEN ne remoys s1s t oeae NO tree has
from greater depth than feet, but outside the
limits OF the swamp they have been found al
deep-layer theory. Near the shore of the Della
ware, miles from DenniSv1lle, white cedar logs
have been exhumed from "a depth of IL feet At
Cape May 20 miles distant drlllers Of an artesan
Well struck one Of the trees 30 feet below the sur.
lace. IL was lying IN an alluvtal deposit similar
10 tne DennlSv1ile swamp. Another log was found
at Cape May 20 reet below the surface and a third
at depth OF 20 feet These deeply buried logs
were among the largest ever brought TO light, and
their location SO far away from the Dennlsville
marsh Indicates the great extent OF that ancient
forest area
The uses TO which the cedar logs are put are
many. The principal use Is the making OF shingles
and slaves. The longevity Of articles made from
the wood Is shown 10 shingles, tubs, pals and
Casks made from It over seventy Years ago, and
which nave yet TO show the slightest indication OF
decay. The shingles and sIaves are worked into
shape entirely by hand, the only machine work
That Is permitted In manipulating the cedar logs
being the saving OF them into proper lengths Tor
the uses TO which the lumber Is To be put The
Dennlsvllle cedar shingles command a price much
nlgner than the best pine or chestnut shingles
What II Is in the amber-c0lored swamp water
ana red muck at Dennisville that preserves these
trees so that, after the lapse OF centuries their
noer Is as Clean and smoo,h and strong rs il was
wnen the green branches OF the cedar were waving
over the swamp Is q mystery that sctentinc men
have as yet been unable 70 solve.