The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-11
OLD SEOUOIA.
Probably tho Largest Tree on the North
American Continent.


| From the san Francisco Chronic'e.
The tree referred to is ono OF small
sepuoia group known as tho Tuolumne grove.
situated seven miles beyond "Crockers" and
seventeen miles from Yosemite valley. This
group OF trees Is about $500 feet above sea
level, and contains between fifty and seventy
Two individuals OF the big tree" type, some
OF which are most noble specimens OF the
genus. IL is very strangely diversified between
sound and perfect specimens and others al
and %S tfemendous forest COLLABORATION fortT.
nately some Of the largest and Oldest members
| Of this family group were entirely overlooked
by tho flames, and they remain as far as fire
is concerned. perfect tress. One, the Lying
tree iS IS about $40 feet high, OF which at least
| 22j feet Of It's massive trunk Is without
branch and scarcely with in 'r 70 m o
! In diameter. and Is the most completely fault
less specimen Of the od and giant &c., sSgqbGI g
gost tree In the State lies about 200 yards down
sopng hin to the southwest Of this tree. ths
| oyeihanging branches OF the Living Giant
Yosemite Is the big Oak, Flat Road" SO
named from having its early initial point At
Big oak Flat, famous at first as a very rlch
placer, mining camp and forever now as Bret
Hates Roaring Camp ,,..,..
The tree odd SeQuoia" ia but bisckened
and charred stump on two OF It's Sides, ana
when within 100 feet of it's roots one feels vexed
within himself for having been foolish enough
to tramp out OF his way for such a disappointing
result Still. curiosity will impel him to Keep
on until he Is within few feet OF the romans
of this once greatest OF Hll senuoia monsters
At a distance OF some thirty feet from its roots
the remaining immensely OF this tree peHins
holder, and when one has reached its very base
and partly circlcd It, curiosity is changed to
wonder and. upon behodinR the burnt cavity
within Its roots. wonder to- awe.
The tree is best approx clhed from the east.
mass from the great tree hself This piece is
some twelve feet vide tsr,y feet e6 op pSs ana Is
naming main body OF the tnee fu NY 700 feet;
Great fragments OF charred wood still extend
have u Just o c Pco Frasmena witch ie from
the tree during the confaErati on, OF Immense
extending, from the piece upon which
sa to m0S t hH yery RSse BART
ing from our standpoint like STUB broken d o.
inches above the ground, forty feet IN diameter.
feet, This largest remaining portitrp at which
we are gazing is then iorty-9ne fee in dism, n,
fresh and EisteninG IN the sun as that OF any
OF its uninJured and living neiGhbors. |
The vitality ofthis containing portio OF this
twenty feet OF its shattered top OF one living |
branch Of four feet or more in diamen,r, bear
foliage. No other branches living are heftupon |
II. and only two or three cherred remnants OF
branches have been sparf req BY the fIfei s,on
Of hill. and when we climb up to get around
its western face it is to see but two blacsSened
ii %fH bsE 10 look hr@uSh Re@
and upward at this blackened wall OF forty one
credit our senses that the other side OF this
wall is ~ freshly alive US before the treetwas
ouched by fire.
Standing upon the west side of the stump.
one looks down into deep artialy black
ned cavity whore the fire burned down into
he roots for probably some twenty feet orig
nally. but the action OF time and Its successive
winters has partly filed the hole with an allu-
'ial deposit. so that the deuIessioIris at pres
M about ten feet deep. Uron descending into
his vault one seems TO be entombei in u vast
nj blaekened wooien crater 1t is here that
he most fully appre' iated. and it i. scarcely
'ossible to believe that there was ever ono
battered and charred giant.
Tho history OF the rise and fall of this veri-
written upon its remains and its surroundings
IS though 1t had been COMMUNICATED upon an
onI"cturni II reliance can be e placed i upon n,a
he consecutive yearly ring theory. there must
!ays been enough O. them about the Greatest
some 5000 years old. To Judge by the eX-
ecdlnG symmetry OF the best, preserved mem.
'ers remaining OF this Tuolnmne grove Old
'eIuoia must have been wonderfully beau
lful tree. considering its immense size. 1t
lso may have been close on to 500 feet high.
| say may have been. because the seluola Is
cry Il sappointlnR regarding altitude. ii being
b" rule for the species to grow to an average
!tltude OF 200 feet. or some over in tho larger
without putting forth any large
ranches. thus preserving Il comparative even
css OF diameter and bulk for that distance, 8
hon to suddenly put out n multitude OF large 5
oughS, which rapidly diminish the balance of
h" SHAFT which then taucrs suddenly 10 a point 5
nothing So much as afreshly Sharp
ned lead pencil executing for its branching :
These causes might have made Old SequOia | {
ut little taller than his neighbors. say $50 I
eet. Tho violence OF the winter storms Is a so :
realty liable TO break Off the brittle and at
,nuated tops with their great weight of fUli- Z
re, /! they roach up much above the general !
'yel OF the surrounding forest. Still the wood | 8
ere is altogether SO Dense and the entire :
rove occupies sheltered a position. that it | :
possible this tree may have enjoyed an alti-
lde commensurate with its enormous bulk. I
II is evident. in fact positive, that the fire
hich destroyed this and several others Of tho | 6
irGest, and consequently the oldest, members
{ this grove, must have been Of fearful inten-
ty as all OF tho remainder of the tree. with
10 exception OF the standing portion Of IFS g
nd seyenty-tlve feet respectively In height
as entirely consumed. Still the entire circuit =
the tree for several feet above It's roots Is =
1mplete. though badly charred on three sides. =
nd repeated measurements made 1t l2l feet in
rcuit. and consequently ! think that Old So :
lOia in the Tuoumne grove stands to-day
10 largest authenticated tree in California, | Il
nd II SO it Is undoubtedly the largest tree on | q
10 North American continent.