The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-09-30
TREES TURNED TO STONE.
WONDERS TO BE SEEN IN ARIzo-
MAS OHALCEDoNY PARK.
Amethyst, Agate and Topaz Hues
Play Through the Severed Trunks
THE Stone Tree Bridge.

Some years ago, writes Charles Fred
erick Holder, party of pioneers was
passing through Arizona, and one night
the cook, an aged oolored man, who pre-
viously had never been out of the NOUN
tains of Virginia, went out from camp
with his axe to4ind wood. 1t was not
long before the old man ran across sew
eral fine logs that looked as though they
might have been washed to the spot by
a flood, being partly buried. Up went
the axe, and the next second it flew from
the astonished cooks hands into blaze
of glory, as the sparks might be termed.
The old man without delay made for the
camp, expressing the opinion that some
body had "hoodooed" his axe, case
it has struck fire outen a tree"
Investigation showed that the tree was
of stone, and naturally had caused a
shower of sparks when struck. Upon
further investigation it was found that
the travellers were in an ancient forest,
where huge trees were lying about in
every conceivable position. Since then
the forest has acquired national repu-
tation and is known as Chalcedony Park.
The site of this ancient forest is in
Apache County, Arizona, and it is
park in past sense only. Trees are here
on the surface and beneath the ground,
| all PROSTATE and broken in some way,
| yet presenting more wonderful appear
ance than living trees would in the same
place.
The trunks lie in every conceivable
| position, as if some cataclysm had broken
them up and turned them to stone. Some
are broken off short and are of large size
-veritable giants; others still retain al
most their full length, and represent
trunks one hundred and fifty feet long
and ten feet in diameter, so perfectly
preserved that the very texture of the
wood is seen. Some, lying fiat upon the
ground, appear to be solid, yet are
broken up into very fine sections-re.
| suits produced by alternate seasons of
heat and cold, dryness and moisture.
Some project from the soil at an angle
of forty-five degrees; others look like old
Spanish cart wheels cut off for use but
abandoned.
From a hill in the park good view of
these fallen giants can be obtained. One
especially attracts attention having been
prostrated when growing. 1t is about
200 feet in height, with diameter of
eight feet. A small section of this
monster would weigh several tons, and
an estimate made gives the weight of
trees in sight at 1,500, 900 tons.
The various points in the park have
| Ia, E.
instance, Amethyst Point, where pieces
of this gem are especially fine and nu-
merous; Agate Hill, famous for its re-
markable agates; Fort Jasper, Stone
Tree Point, the Cart Wheel and Natural
Bridge-the last mentioned representing
a most interesting specimen, well worth
long journey to see. In the park is a
small canyon or arroyo bed about sixty
feet wide and forty-fve deep. Over this
giant tree fully one hundred and twen-
ty feet long is suspended, and, now, ag-
atized and as hard as rock, it forms a
natural bridge over the chasm upon
which people pass. The tree bridge is
about four feet through at its largest
diameter and is very ornamental, gleam-
ing and scintillating in the sunlight
where the bark has been Clipped away,
exposing the many hued stone. The ac-
tual span of this remarkable bridge is
about fifty feet, while on either side near
| ly fifty feet more can be traced.
So perfectly are these trees preserved
that the botanist, with his microscope,
can trace the cells, aud it has been deter
mined that some of them are allied to the
attractive Napolle Island pine that forms
feature of Southern California gardens.
Other trees here are allies of the red ce-
dar. Many interesting facts have been
deduced by the botanists, one being that
the climate, when the trees were alive,
must have been milder than at present !;
the rings of growth are still shown so
perfectly that they can readily be counted.
The question that arises in the mind of
those who contemplate this scene of
wonders is what caused the destruction
of the trees2 An examination of the
country in the immediate vicinity will
suggest the volcano as cause. Vol
canic action has played an important
part in the history of the country here.
Not far away are lava beds so fresh and
distinct that they might have been
formed in modern times. The ground
from which many of the trees project in
Chalcedony Park is made up of volcanic
ashes and scoria. This in turn has been
covered with twenty or thirty feet of
sandstone, which is well shown in the
canyons and gulches, where sections are
laid bare. The CONFUSION which took
place so long ago was undoubtedly due
to some volcano in the vicinity that sud
/ denly became active, throwing out mill
lions of tons OF ashes and other matter
that, settling down upon the forest, had
destroyed it. Some of the trees had
been buried standing; others were hurled
to the ground by the eruption and buried,
but all were killed, and then in all prob
ability heated silicifed waters forced
their way up through the cracks and
creVices and gradually the woody fibre
was replaced by silica.
Unless the Government can buy tho
park it will soon be dsnuded of its curl
osities, as the sections Of trees, so beau
full and attractive, have decided value
when used as table-tops, tiles, etc, and
when polished make many objects of
great beauty, so that many tons of the
tunks have been taken away from the
park, and several companies are said to
be especially interested in its products.
The Worlds Biggest Garden.