The Red Cloud chief., 1895-08-16
FOSSILIZED TREES.
IMMENSE FORESTS THAT HAVE TURN.
Ed TO STONE.

IMMENSE FORESTS THAT HAVE TURN.
Ed TO STONE.
An Insight into the Mighty Operations Of
Nature-One Of the Many Wonders Of
the Great Yellowstone National Park
Fossil Forest Ridge.
The Yellowstone National park is
called the wonderland Of America. and
since the destruction Of the New Tea
land geyser arGa it is perhaps entitled
to be called the wonderland Of the
world, for within its limits the most
varied Of natures workings may be oh.
served. Its hundreds Of hot springs and
geysers, its pSecipitous canyons and rush
ing cataracts, its o capped mountain
peaks and mirrored lakes make 1t Of
surprising interest. The lover Of nat.
ural scenery may linger long over its
beauties and Its wonders.
From the geological point Of view IL
is also Of great interest, for here may
be found rocks that range in age from
the most ancient Of which we have any
knowledge to those IN process Of forma-
ton at tho present moment. The su-
perheated watersyof the hot springs and
geysers hold q large amount Of rock
making material in solution, which ia
deposited about the openings Of the
springs on the cooling Of the waters, and
in this way building up a mass Of great
magnitude. These springs and geysers
are constantly breaking out in new
places, often on the borders or in the
forests Of living trees. The trees are
killed at once by the hot water, and on
becoming withered and dry begin soon
to take up the rookmaking solution by
which they r bathed, and thus to pass
into the fossil state.
Conditions similar to these, or at least
favorable to the preservation Of fossil
forests, appear to have existed from q
remote time, Cor there is evidence to
show that the fossil forests were pre-
served before the most active Of the hot
spring phenomena were inaugurated.
These fossil forests are located in the
northeastern corner Of the Yellowstone
National park, at a place known locally
as Amethyst mountain, or Fossil Forest
ridge. This is really a mountain some
ten miles long and rising nealry or quite
1000 feet above the general level Of the
valley. II it were possible to cut o Sec
ton down through this mountain, as o
slice is cut from q loaf Of bread, there
would be found a succession Of at least
10 fossil forests, n above another
that Is to say, at some remote day, geo.
logically speaking, there grew q great
forest, which was covered up by the
elected material from q great volcano,
rivaling in size Mount Etna, that 10
known to have existed some miles to
the north. The trees were entombed in
an upright position, and under the ao-
ton Of silica charged waters were fossil
lied. The action Of the volcano ceased,
and quiet was restored for q sufficient
length Of time for q second forest to be
developed above the first. Then came o
second outburst from the volcano, aud
this forest was buried and fossilized like
the first, and SO, in turn, have the dozen
or more forests flourished and been en-
quilted.
Then came the final quiet, the rum
bling Of the volcano ceased, and its fires
We're extinguished. But Immediately
the action Of the elements began, and
the wearing forces of rain and frost, act
ing through long ages, have carved out
this mountain, in the heart Of which
may be read the story Of its origin. This
d~enudatiOn appears to have been unac-
companied by any Of the violent move
ments so often characteristic Of mountain
building, and consequently when the
softer material is worn away from
around the trunks they stand upright in
the exact positions in which they grew
originally.
The 6rst forest to be visited is IN
the vicinity pfSYancey's, q stage station
on the han route from tho Mammoth
Hot SWipgs b OnokB City, Mon. II ID
about aemSlaHest Of tie Junction Of the
Lamar river and kae Yellowstone, and
on the middle ACpe ot Q low hill. Al
one uppthashes the locality, several
trunks IRE observed standing on the hill
side, which at o distance seem quite like
the stumls Of living trees, and even q
nearer approach barely sufices to reveal
their true nature, an they are covered
with licheps and hlackened and discol.
ored by frost and rain. They arc, how
ever, veritable fossil trunks, standing
upright on the steep hillside, in the
same positions in which they grew. The
largest trunk is 1877 feet in circumfer.
ence and about 10 feet In height. Il 10
considerably weathered and must have
been much larger when living. for the
bark Is in no place preserved. The 9th.
srs-and there are dozens of them-are
slightly smaller, and have been wealth
cred down until, in most cases, only q
few inches can be seen above the srr>
face. So perfectly are they preserved
that each stump shows the annual rings
as distinctly visible as in q freshly cat
living tree, and even each tiny cell, with
it, fine and delicate markings, is abso-
lhtely perfect.
The next forest Is some 10 or IL miles
distant, along the Lamar river, on the
south side OF Whichlfaces the Fossil FOR.