The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-01
A ROOT GROWING IN A HUMAN SKULL
This Strange Freak Was Recently
Found on the Southern End Of
Bay Farm Island.

There is a tree over on Bay Farm
Island, that little addition to Alameda.
into which man has grown. The tree
apparently has absorbed the brain OF
man into its sap veins, and the man who
made the discovery now regards the tree
with q superstitious awe as if it were
partly human.
The tree is an ordinary FIR tree that has
been growing for at least hall century.
Some time ago Frank Silva, who lives
upon the island, was digging at the foot
of the tree, completing a trench which
ran just at the base of the fir. AS he was
working away among the roots that i'm
peeled his work he turned up some human
bones. The unearthing of skeleton is
always interesting and Mr.. Silva directed
his search for the rest of the bones. These
he located after little WORK and he found
a com plete ske Teton.
The bones had been buried for long
while, for they were denuded of every
vestige of flesh and were bleached and
white. From the position in which the
bones were found it was very evident that
the body had been tumbled into the grave
without much ceremony. for it was found
face down and in q crouching position, as
if the body had been hurriedly thrown
into its last resting. place.
Upon exposure TO the air the bones fell
one from another, though they did not
cIum bic into dust. They were all care
fully removed from the hole save the
skull. and Mr.. Silva made an effor. to re-
move that. But he found it i'm possible 10
bring it from the portion in which it lay,
because one of the roots of the tir tree, at
the base of which 1t lay, had grown en-
tirely through the skull. 1t was found
necessary to chop the root away entirely
before the skull could be removed. Tie
root had penetrated a crack in the skull
and had forced its way through the head
and out at the opposite side.
When it dawned upon Frank Silva that
the tree had grown through the skull and
had actually absorbed the brain OF man
tree with awe. He has since refused to
allow the tree to be cut in any way.
Deputy Coroner Smiley of Alameda
took charge of the remains, though no in
quest was ever held.
THE skeleton was undoubtedly that of
an Indian" said Mr.. Smiley. 1.-THE bones
were found on the south shore OF the
island, abo1t fifteen feet from the bank.
beneath fir tree that has been land.
mark on the island before the first settler
planted his asparagus bed. The skeleton
was in q crouching position and covered
by the roots OF the tree. while clear
through the skull root almost as thick
as my arm had grown. 1t was necessary
to use hatchet to remove the skull.
TT is my opinion that the FIR tree has
been growing on the island nearly half a
century. The bones had pro baby rested
beneath the tree forty years. 1t NAV be
that one OF the Indiana, who were the
original inhabitants of the island. was
murdered and buried near the young tree.
| cannot understand how the root couId
have penetrated and grown through the
skull unless there was a hole in it. The
skull was perfect specimen when l se-
cured it except that 1t had been perforated
by the root.
II am not sufficient OF scientist to ex.