Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-03
GREAT FOSSIL FoREsrs.
One Of the Wonder 81 the YellOygstons
National R0Rk.

One Of the wonder. 81 the Yellowstone
National Park.
One OF the most Interesting papers read wednes-
day evening before the botanical section OF the
Biological Society was that OF Prof. r. H. Knowl-
ton, OF the Smithsonian Institution giving an &C
count Of visit made last summer TO the fossil
forests OF the Yellowstone National Park. Prof.
Knowlton said:
Ihe real lover OF nature always finds some
thing OF interest and beauty In an ordinary forest
out when we see a whole forest OF trees as large
as the big trees OF California turned completely
10 stone, yet retaining their roots and branches as
perfectly preserved as II living we are filled with
establishment and wonder. Such, at least, were
the Feelings OF the writer, who recently had the OPP
portunity OF visiting the fossil forests in the
1elowstone National Park. This region, which
Was SET ASIDE as national park by special act
OF congress - most widely known as being the
seat OF the wonderful hot springs and geysers OF
which all have heard: indeed, this alone makes IL,
Without doubt the most wonderful place in the
Worid the fossil forests, however, are, In their
way, as marvellous as any OF the attractions IN
this curious place. They are located mostly in
rarely Visited By he ri and IN
ing them the visitor has opportunity OF seeing
SOME CHARACTERISTIC WESTERN SCENERY.
Leaving the Mammoth Hot Springs, with their
dazzling white formations, the visitor crosses the
West and Middle Gardiner River and follows up
of the beautiful Gardiner Falls At distance OF
ABOUT 20 miles from the springs the valley OF
are opper - entered anu eyioenses
In the beds Of all the streams that come down
from the mountains pieces OF fossil wood to be
Observed. These have been washed down during
the spring freshet, from the hillsides where the
trees are get In place The first forest to be visited
Is In the vicinity OF Yancey's, stage station on
the mail route between the springs and Cooke
city, Montana. As one approaches the place sew
eral trunks are observed standing upon the hill
stunps OF trees, and even nearer approach
hardly suces TO reveal their real nature, as they
are covered with lchens and blackened and dis
coiored BY frost and rain. They are, however,
vERTTABLE FOSSIL TRUNKS,
with each part as perfectly preserved, indeed per-
haps more perfectly preserved, than they would
be In recent trunk. They stand upright on the
steep hillside In the same position in which they
grew ages ago. The largest one was measured
about Is feet In height IL Is considerably wealth
cred, and must have been much larger when living.
The others, and there are dozens OF them, are
slightly smaller and have been weathered down
by the action OF the elements until in most cases
only a few inches show above the surface. They
seem 10 break up readily into pieces an inch or
two square, and the continued action OF water and
frost Is Sufficient 10 keep them at about the same
level as the surface. So perfectly are they pre-
served that each stump shows the annual rings as
distinctly visible they are in a freShly-cut
living tree; and even each tiny cell, with its fine
and delicate markings, Is absolutely perfect The
process by which these trees nave been turned to
stone Is not very well known, but it must have
been owing to the effect OF water which held large
quantities OF silica IN solution.
''fhe next forest to be visited IS some ten or
twelve miles distant, along the East Fork OF the
Fossil Forest Ridge, so-called, which presents in
some places perpendicular ellis many feet in
height; These cliffs have worn away, leaving ex-
lance OF a mile or more from the valley, standing
out In bold relief, as it has been aptiy said.
LIKE THE PILLARS OF SOME ANCIENT TEMPLE
closer view shows these trees to be from to
6 feet In diameter and 20 or 30 feet high with
their huge roots running on into the solid rock.
great niche IN the face OF the cliff marks the
place from which one OF these trees has fallen and
the debris at the base Is largely composed OF
appear lust ready to fall While Others riss o bns
little above the surface, showing that the whole
mountain Is full OF the remains OF these ancient
mountain from base to summit we should find the
whole distance OF more than 900 feet filled with
a succession OF forests, which have, one after
just as the trees living on the summit to-day may
possibly be entombed.
"A few miles down the river from these cliffs is
the last, and In some particulars the most inter-
eSting forest we visited. 1t Is exposed on a hill
side which Is too steep TO support vegetation.
THE largest TREE,
which must have been O very king of its race
stands guard on the summit OF the hill 1t Is 20
feet In circumference without the bark, and about
II feet high, with great roots as large as the
trunks OF ordinary trees, imbedded in The rock
just below this giant, and forming, as we may
imagine, the dOOr-pOst Of the ancient temple are
two trees some or feet In diameter and 80 feet
high. From this point on thu hillside are scat
tered all about hundreds of trunks from / to
feet In diameter and from few inches to % or 20
feet In height. One OF the very largest was prOs-
trated before 1t fOssiliZed and Is In sight for
nearly 40 feet. Almost all these trees are per-
fectly preserved, even to the bark, which Is some
times as much as inches thick.
"NOne OF these trees are preserved intact that
Is, with the branches and leaves attached, but
consists only OF trunks and roots. All the rocks
about the trees, however, have Impressions OF
branches and leaves, which undoubtedly once be-
longed to these trees. By studying these, as well
as the beautifully preserved Internal structure OF
the trunks themselves, we are able TO form pretty
correct ideas as TO the appearance these trees must
have presented while living. Those with the thick
park were evergreens quite like the Siquoias or
Big Trees OF California, and may possibly have
been their ancestors. Others were like our com.
mon trees, that Is, such as oaks magnolias and
naples The only living trees found In the vicin-
lily OF the fossil forests are pines and spruceS and
clearly that the conditions or temperature, &C.,
must have changed greatly since these wonderful
fossil trees were living"
Survivors Of the Thirty.fOurth Congress.
THEY GIVE A DINNER IN HONOR OF Ex-sPEAKER
BANKS AND ORGANIZE AN ASSOCIATION.
dinner was given In honor OF ex-Speaker
Banks at the Republican National League rooms
last evening" The guests were the survivors OF the
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