Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-01-16
THE CITIZEN. .
A Submerged Forest.

Many years ago, even so far back t1a'
the traditions OF the oldest Slwash eN-
tend not thereto, there was some vast
upheaval of Mother Earth on the shores
Of Lake Sanariish that sent portion OF
the Newcastle hills sliding down into the
lake, with its tall evergreen forest intact,
and there it is to this day. About this time
of the wear the waters Of the lake are al
their lowest, and then the tops OF the
tallest of these big submerged trees are
out OF the water, but never more than
ten or twelve inches.
Unfortunately for the curiosity seeker
and travelling public generally the sub
merged forest is on the opposite side OF
the lake from the railroad and the sta
ton of Monohon, and very few people
ever see the phenomenon unless they
take the time and pains necessary te
reach it.
Sam Coorbs, the pioneer, is very en-
thusiastic concerning its beauties and
mystery. He talks Chinook fiuently
but with all his quizzing of the red-skln-
ned inhabitants he has ever learned any
thing that will throw any light on the
history OF the forest under water The
waters of the lake are very deep, and the
bluffs back of the beach very precipitous
so that the only explanation OF the treak
is that either by an earthquake or some
other means great slide has been start
ed in early times, and it went down as
mass until it found Judgement at the Dot
tom of the lake. At this time one car
see down into the CLASSY, mrror-hkS
depth of the lake for thirty feet or more
Near the banks the forest trees are inter
laced at various angles and in confusion
but further out in the deep water they
stand straight, erect, and hmbless anc
barkless, 100 feet tall They are not
petrifed in the sense of being turned tc
stone, but they are preserved and appear
to have stood there for ages. They are
three feet through, some OF them, ano
so firm in texture as to be scarcely affect
ed by knife blade. The great slide ex
tended for some distance, and it would
now be a dangerous piece Of work for
steamer to attempt passage over the tops
of those tall trees. Even now the water
along shore is very deep, and a ten foot
pole would sink perpendicularly out o.
sight ten feet from the shore line.
All over this country are found strata
of blue clay. which in the winter season
are very treacherous, and given the least
bit of opportunity will slide away, car
rying everything above with them
This is the theory of the submerged for
est of Lake Samamish: 1t probably wa'
growing above one of these blue earth
strata; and heavy rains, or probably al
earthquake, set it moving. The quantity
of earth carried down was SO great thai
the positions of the trees on the portion
carried away were little affected. 1t i
hardly to be believed that the earth sud
denly sank down at this point and be
came a portion of the beautiful lake.
Few such places exist. There is aplact
in the famous Tunwater Canon, neal
Leavenworth, which is in some respect
similar. At some early time portion o
the great mountain side came rushing
down and buried itself at the bottom o.
the canon Now there is a considerable
lake, and in the center stand tall, limb
less trees. different i'll species from thos'
growing along the canon.
At Green Lake, near Georgetown. Col
"a lake which is 10000 feet above sea
LEVELS a submerged forest of pine tree:
some hundred feet tall, but not so mum
erous as in Lake Samamish. This same
theory explains their presence as giver
above.-SeattIe Times.