The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-08-14
FOSSILIZED
IMMENSE FORESTS THAT HAVE TURN
ED TO STONE.
NE

The Yellowstone National park il
called the wonderland of America, and
since the destruction of the New Zea.
land geyser area it is perhaps entitled
to be called the wonderland of the
world, for within it's limits the most
varied of natures workings may be OBJ
served. It's hundreds of hot springs and
geysers, it's precipitOus canyons and rush
ing cataracts, it's snow capped mountain
peaks and mirrored lakes make it of
surprising interest. The lover of nat
ural scenery may linger long over it's
beauties and it's wonders.
From the geological point of view it
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 the present moment The su
perheated waters of the hot springs and
geysers hold large amount of rock
making material in solution, which is
deposited about the openings of the
springs Oh the cooling Of the waters, and
in this way building up 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 rockmaking solution by
which they are 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 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 mountain some
ten miles long and rising nealry or quite
1000 feet above the general level of the
valley. If it were possible to cut Sec
tiOn down through this mountain, as a
slice is cut from a loaf of bread, there
would be found a succession Of at least
Is fossil forests, one 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 a great volcano,
rivaling i'll size Mount Etna, that is
known to have existed some miles to
the north. The trees were entombed in
an upright position, and under the &C.
tiOn Of silica charged waters we're fossil
lied. The action of the volcano ceased,
and quiet was restored for sufficient
length of time for a second forest to be
developed above the first. Then came a
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 fOurished 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 it's origin. This
denudatiOn 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