Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-06-20
TWO GIGANTIC TREES.
PROBABLY THE LARGEST ON THE
AMERICAN CONTINENT.

The tree referred to is one of small
sequoia group known as the Tuolumne
grove, situated seven miles beyond
"Crockers" and seventeen miles from
Yosemite valley This group of trees is
about $500 feet above the sea level, and
Of the "big tree" type, some of which
are most noble specimens of the genus
1t is very strangely diversified between
found and perfect specimens and others
.lmost completely destroyed by some
ong past and tremendous forest conha-
grafton. Fortunately some of the largest
and oldest members of this family group
were entirely overlooked by the flames,
and they remain, rs far as fire is con-
cerned, perfect trees. One, the Living
Giant" is especially worthy of mention.
This tree is about 80 feet high. of which
at least 225 feet of its massive trunk is
without branch and scarcely with an
excresence to mar its symmetrical beau
ty 1t is about thirty feet in diameter,
and is the most completely faultless speci-
men of the old and giant sequoia that
have ever seen. Gold Sequoia," the big
est tree in the state, lies about 200 yards
down sloping hill to the southwest of
this tree, the Living Giant" The Yo-
semitic stage road here passes directly
under the high up and overhanging
branches of the Living Giant" The
local and distinguishing name of this
stage turnpike from the others leading
/ ;,,+ - ha { lnl- In
Road" so named from having its early
initial point at Big Oak Flat. famous at
first as a very rich placer mining camp
and forever now as Bret Harte's Roar
ing Camp
TREE 5000 YEARS OLD.
The history of the rise and fall of this
veritable monarch of sequoiadom is as
plainly written upon its remains and its
surroundings as though it had been COM
memorated upon an everlasting tablet,
OF course its age is only conjectural. If
reliance can be placed upon the consecu-
tive yearly ring theory, there must have
been enough of them about the greatest
girth of this vegetable behemoth to have
made it some 5000 years old. To judge
W lilt tANtttilii5 vi DtSl
preserved members remaining of this Tu-
olumne grove, "Old Sequoia" must have
been "A wonderfully beautiful tree, con-
sidering its immense size 1t also may
have been close on to 500 feet high
say may have been, because the Sc
quota is very disappointing regarding al
titude, it being the rule for the species
to grow to an average altitude of 20C
feet, or some over in the larger speci-
mems, without putting forth any large
branches. thus preserving a comparative
evenness of diameter and bulk for that
distance, then to suddenly put out a
multitude of large boughs, which rapid
ly diminish the balance of the shaft
which then tapers suddenly to poin,
resembling nothing so much as a freshly
sharpened lead pencil excepting for its
branches.
These causes might have made "Old Sc
quoia" but little taller than his neighbors
say $50 feet. The violence of the winter
storms is also greatly liable to break of
the brittle and attenuated tops, will
their great weight of foliage. if they
reach mp much above the general leve
Of the surrounding forest. Still the Woo
here is altogether so dense and the en-
! tire grove occupies SO sheltered IA posi-
ton, that it is possible this tree may hav,
enjoyed an altitude commensurate will
its enormous bulk.
HOW THE GIANT LOOKS
The tree "Old Sequoia" is but black
ened and charred stump on two of it
sides, and when within 100 feet of it
roots one feels vexed within himself 70
having been foolish enough to tramp on
of his way for such disappointing result
Still, curiosity will impel him to keel
on until he is within a few feet of tn
remains Of this once greatest of all Sc
quota monsters. AT distance of som
30 feet from its roots the remaining i'm
mensty of this tree begins to force il
self upon the perceptions of the behold
er. and when one has reached its yer
base and partly circled it, curiosity
changed to wonder, and, upon beholdinI
the burnt cavity within its roots, won
der to awe.
The tree is best approached from til
east. One crosses little brook and i'm
mediately stands upon IA shattered am
partially burned mass from the grea
tree itself This piece is some II fee
wide, 80 feet long and feet thick, an
is distant from the remaining main bod
of the tree fully 300 feet.
Great fragments of charred wood stil
extend into the underground behind us
upon the east side of the brook, to tn
west bank of which we have just cross
ed Framents which fell from the tire
during the confiagration, of immens
size, lie piled upon each other in soil
mass, extending from the piece upo
which we stand to almost the very bas
of the remaining portion OF this IT
naming part, directly in front of us,
living mass, appearing from our stant
point like "A stub broken off at abou
midway its height. The piece is. meas
uring from its extreme edges at abor
8 inches above the ground, 40 feet in dii
meter The whole remaining circuit {
the tree is l2l feet The largest remain
ing portion at which we are gazing
then Al feet in diameter and about IL