The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-07

lar away III an oppoSite ulTectiOH. he
Indian formerly drew the antelope into
these lines of fence. They rushed down
into the ravine, only to find they We're
in secure Enclosure from which they
could not escape, and We're easily killed
with the bow and arrow" With the
improved rifle the brush fence has fall
en- into disuse.
Reaching Bede Hooche. we gladly
accepted the invitation of our new made
friend to spend night with him un-
der the shadow of the great Red Rock
The following morning we took the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad east %
miles to Alameda. a new station most
convenient to the most remarkable por-
tions of the petrified forest more pOpu-
larly called Chalcedony Park. Here We
met Adam Hanna. cattle rancher,
who lives near, and Is prepared to take
passengers to the petrified forest, six
miles away, and care for them until
ready to take the train again.
IN THE PETRIFIED FOREST.
We We're soon on our way. The dis
tance seemed short as We listened to
| Hanna's account of the many WONDER
full things to be seen near us. Soon we
entered a desert valley ESTIMATED at
| 10000 acres), surrounded by high
| level plain. and dotted by buttes show
ing how the original levels have been
| eroded by natures forces. Strange,
! fantastic forms meet the eye in every
| direction. A small needle called Eagle
Rock stands about 100 feet high, quite
noticeable in the distance. This Is
| simply a wasted butte. which, being
harder, has longer withstood the de-
| strOying forces of nature. At the same
! level half a mile away, upon the top
| of a larger butte, rests petrified log,
| four feet in diameter and twenty-five
! feet long.
Like a mounted cannon it overlooks
| the ruin of its fellows, who once rested
upon the surface at the same level,
! but having been undermined by erosion
| have fallen to the level below, and then
broken in pieces. Contrary to the habit
of decaying limbs these petriend lors
separate a"sverse'y, almost as
sauarely and smoothly as II cut b! Il
saw. Large and small follow the
same law, and we select beautiful
specimens of chalcedony in colors from
three to eight inches In diameter and
only two to five inches long. showing
the heart of the growth and apparently
! the outside. Beyond the destruction OF
the wonderful logs by having fallen
against each other as described, the
human vandal has been here with
dynamite and hammer. and has broken
them to pieces in the hone that ne
might find some hidden crystal to sell
for a dollar.
Many acres are thick'y, spread win
fragments, beautiful in colors, and pol
ished by the sands driven over them
nv desert winds. They glsten in the
/ sunlight For miles we wander through
| similar conditions, passing a wealth of
! beautiful specimens that we cannot
carry, We select beautiful ones only
to exchange them Nor others which
seem more desirable Passing east
ward we climb the bluff to the upper
level of the surrounding plain. In so
doing we notice the ends of petriiied
logs protruding from the sandstone
walls of the bluff indicati that when
these logs rested in their present posi-
tio, either the sandstone was plastic,
and they settled into it, or that it was
deposited about and over the logs when
IL w,s in n granular state.
We pass a short mile over the laval
mesa and come to the head of a small
ravin. Here the trunk of Il petritied
tree about five feet in diameter. forms
natural bridge over this rayina.
E,,ch enl of this log rests i'm solid
sandstone rock. which forms the walls
~ ,his c.nyon. and te, feet below the
surface Of the rock. The ravine is'forty
faet Jeep under the bridge. and as we
,,os,ns III. Lr,dpn we found II meas-
VI
chaIcednnv
-
INDIAN PlCTOGRAfHS.
4 W. ,,,ao, .ror, what we have seen
we Juus. l,o'ir IL, tha M', n,st This strata
wa. sSi,.e I'M. -, 49, t.; ,h;cl ness from
vi Sanus.oiiu: va -. -, hn,.a boon
tnirtE ~ ny! M! - o,,d uater. that
urn Ing .,i oous % a,'a.ed a faI,an forest.
upon I've SUI at, ia,9 '.o,,i, 80 While tho
some nea'! po'iqs @ 'ar,N ann ~ raredine
niaJorNs @ 1,, " ,ha s,rrace
waters ieit tle''' upoa' - ,o,i Al.
whence IL canic W. - ,,a,,,
pearances iho'c"'e 'i"' IL '"''''
horthWaru. -. ,,,,,,;o- -
In some places we "a" le"t pot'' s,'d ~,
a consionerate rocN; Mhc'c cIi d M, I,,
gravel mas neeh cIoseS tei.en
some instances we saw II au"e' i''s
firmly TO tne petrileu ioss. ,;,,,
Leaving the natural priuse SIN li'lie,
from the road we retrace our stsps, ana
passing down INTO tne ioWer p'ail ;,o w,