Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-23
RAPID PETRIFACTI0N.
A Growing Rock Being Formed by a
Stream in Lawrence County.

A Growing Rock Being Formed by a
Stream in Lawrence County.
In deep, dark ravine few miles from
this city, in North Beaver Township, Law
renee county, is wonderful natural phe-
nomenon in the shape of veritable grow
ing rock, writes Newcastle, Pa, corre-
spondent. Fifty years ago, when it was
first noticed, an inverted wooden quart
would almost cover it. To-day it is a great
bowlder 10 feet in hight and Is feet or
more in circumference, and weighing not
less than fifty tons. During the summer
months it is covered with dense, rich moss
two or three inches deep, through which
the water from a little spring trickles con-
tinually. The wonder-maker is the little
spring, so small at this season that few
pals Of water dipped from it would drain
| it dry.
The outer formation of this rock has a
limestone appearance, but once remove the
moss and chisel into the gritty surface and
the real beauty and popularity of the rock
is seen. A cellular formation like a NAM
moth sponge is discovered, and about the
cells is stone as hard as adamant. On dig
ging further into this cell-like substance it
is found to continue, but it seems to have
been tranformed into translucent flint.
There are tons of this finty material, for it
is as heavy as granite, and every ounce of
it is undoubtedly moss and other vegetable
matter petrifed This remarkable petri-
faction has been wrought by the action of
the water from the spring upon the moss.
The water seems to have the singular
property of turning into stone everything
that is brought in contact with it for any
length of time. 1t has an acid taste and
| is doubtless heavily charged with mineral
substances although thus far it has never
been analyzed.
The most remarkable fact about it is
that it accomplishes so much in so short a
time. The moss grows luxuriantly in the
dark hollow, and the lapidescent quality
of the water has operated year after year
upon the layers of moss, turning them into
a honeycomb of stone, and adding to what
was at first small rock, until to-day there
is that great bowlder of petri6ed vegeta-
tion. A short time after the moss begins
to grow in the spring il commences to
solidify at the roots and the petrifaction
follows closely on the track of the growing
moss The moss is not all that is per-
petuated in stone by the action of the
water. Plants, leaves, twigs, every vege-
table substance that has fallen on the rock
and lain there have been impregnated
with it, and been turned into stone by it.
Strata upon strata of the moss stone has
grown over them, and many such objects
are now to be found Theoretically sealed
deep in the heart of the rock.
The people in the neighborhood have
long known of the remarkable qualities of
the spring. William Allsworth first dis
covered it nearly fifty years ago. Then
the rock was ten feet or more below the
spring. Now it has climbed up the side
of the bank until it is partially above the
level of the spring, and has turned the
water of the little brook that comes down
through the rayine somewhat out of its
course.