The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-10-13
GREW THROUGH A SKULL.
Tho Root OF n Large Fir Tree on an
Island In California.

Island In California.
There Is n tree over OH Bay Farm island,
that little addition to Alameda, into which
u man has grown. The tree apparently
has absorbed the brain of the man into its
sap veins, and the mun who made the dis
covery now regards tho tree with awe, us
II it were partly human.
Tho tree is an ordinary FIR troe TINT has
been growing for Mt least half u century.
Some timo ago Frank Silva, who lived
upon tho island, WAS digging Mt the foot
of tho tree, completing u tronoh which ran
just mt tho bnse of the fir. AS he was
working away among the roots that i'm
peded his work he turned up some human
bones. Tho uncarthing of a skeleton ia
always interesting, and Mr.. Silva directed
his search for the rest of the bones. These
he located after little work, and he found
II complete skeleton.
The bones had been buried for long
whilo, for they were denuded of every YES
tige of flesh and were bleached and white.
From the position In which tho bones were
found it was very evident that tho body
had boon tumbled into the grave without
much ceremony, for it was found face
down AID In orouohing position, as if
the body had been burriedly thrown into
its last resting place.
Upon exposure to the mir tho bones fell
one from another, though they did not
crumblo into dust. They wero all carefully
removed from tho hole, save the skull, and
MIR. Silva lrade an effort to remove that
But no found it impossible to bring it from
tho position in which it lay, because one of
tho roots of tho fir tree, Mt tho base of which
it lay, hud grown entirely through the
skull. Ii was found necessary to chop tho
root away onL1rCiy beforo the skull could
be removed. The root had penetrated Il
crack in tho skull, and had forced its way
through tho head and out at the opposite
side.
Whom it dawned upon Frank Silva that
the tree had grown through the skull and
had actually absorbed the brain of u man
into its wooden trunk, he regarded the
tree with awe. He has since refused to al
low tive tree to be cut In any way.
Deputy Coroner Smiley of Alameda took
charge of the remains, though no inquest
was ever held.
The skeleton WINS undoubtedly that of
an Indian" said Mr.. Smiley. ''Thc bones
wero found on the south shore of the is
lind, about 10 feet from tho bank, beneath
hr tree that WAS landmark on the
island before the first settler planted his
asparagus bed. Tho skeleton was in a
crouching position and covered by the
roots of the tree, while clear through tho
skull root almost as thick as my arm
had grown. 1t was necessary to use u
Ratchet to romovo the skull
1T Is my opinion that tho fir tree has
been growing ON tho island nearly half "a
century. The bones had probably rested
beneath the treo 40 years. 1t may be that
one of tho Indians who wero tho original
inhabitants of tho island was murdered
and buried near the young tree. cannot
understand how the root couId bnyo name
tratod and grown through tho skull, un-
less there was IL hole in it. The skull was
perfect specimen when 1 secured it, OK
cept that it Ind been perforated by the
root.
II am not sufficient of scientist to ex
press any opinion as to how much of the
man, If any, grew into that tree through
the root You have got to ask some of
these scientific fellows about that, but It
is certain that tho tree must have obtained
some nutriment from tho brain of that
man. 1t may have changed it's form in
the tree, but l think the brain was absorb
ed by the root, San Francisco Call.