The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-19
FOSSILIZED TREES
IMMENSE FORESTS THAT HAVE TURN
ed TO STONE
An Insight Into the Mighty Operations OF
Nature-OHe Of the Many Wonders OF
the Great Yellowstone National Park
Fossil Forest Ridge.

Fossil Forest Ridge.
The Yellowstone National park is
called the wonderland of America, and
since the destruction of the New Tea
land geyser area it is perhaps entitled
to be called the wonderland OF the
world, fur within its limits the most
varied Of natures workings may be OBJ
served. Its hundreds Of hot springs and
geysers, its PERCEPTIONS canyons and rush
ing cataracts, its capped
peaks and mirrored lakes make it OF
SURPRISING interest. The lover of nat
ural scenery may linger long over its
beauties and its wonders.
From the geological point Of view it
is also of great interest, for here may
be found rocks that range i'll age from
the most ancient of which we have any
knowledge to those in process of forlna-
t;on at the present moment. The su-
perheated waters of the hot springs and
geysers hold a Large amoun CT rock
making material in solution, which is
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 i'll new
places, often on the borders Oh in the
forests Of living trees. The trees are
killed at once by the hot water, and on
becoming withered and dry begin o
to take up the rockmaking solution by
which they are bathed, and thus to pass
into the fossil tate.
Conditions similar to these, or at least
favorable to the preservation Of fossil
forests, appear to have existed from a
remote time, for 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
1000 feet above the general level of the
valley. If it were possible to cut a sec
ton down through this mountain, as a
slice is cut from Il 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 a great
forest, which was covered up by the
elected material from q great volcano,
rivaling in size Mount Etna, that Is
known to have existed some miles to
the north. The trees were entOmbed i'll
an upright position, and under he &C
ton of silica charged waters were fossil
lied. The action Of the volcano ceased,
and quiet was restored for a sufficient
length Of time for q second forest to be
developed above the first. Then came q
second outburst from the volcano, and
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 it's fires
were 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 first forest to be visited is in
the vicinity Of Yancey's, a stage station
on the mail route from the Mammoth
Hot Springs to Cooke City, Mon. 1t is
about a mile west of the junction Of the
Lamar river and the Yellowstone, and
on the middle slope Of a low hill. A
one approaches the locality, severa
trunks are observed standing On the hill
side, which at a distance seem quite like
the stumps Of living trees, and ven
nearer approach barely sufiices to revea
their true nature, as they are coveret
with lichens and blackened and discol
ored by frost and rain. They are, how
ever, veritable fossil trunks, standin,
upright III the steep hillside, in thu
same positions in which they grew. TIL
largest trunk is 1879 feet in circumfer
ence and about ID feet in height. 1t i
considerably weathered and must hav,
been much larger when living, for tn
bark is i'll no place preserved. The 9th
ers-and there are dozens of them-ar
slightly smaller, and nave been wealth
cred down until, i'll most cases, only
few inches can be seen above the sui
face. So perfectly are they preserve
that each stump shows the annual ring
as distinctly visible as in a freshly CT
living tree, and even each tiny cell, wit
its fine and delicate markings, is abs(
lutely perfect.
The next forest is some 10 or II mile
distant, along the Lamar river, on tt
south side of which faces the Fossil Fo
est ridge. In solne places ~perpendicul,
cliffs many feet in height may be seel
These cliffs have worn away, leaving e
posed huge trees, which may be observe
from q distance of a mile or more fro
the valley, standing out in bold relic
az it has been aptly said, like the p
lars Of some ancient temple" A clos