The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
SOUTH JERSEY CEDAR MINES.
Gigantic Trees OF Prehistoric Growth That Arc
EAhumed from a sNvanp.

Gigantic Trees OF PFehistoric Growth That Arc
ENhumed from n swamp.
DENNIsvILLE, v. j., Juno 15.-The fallen and
submerged forests OF this part of New Jersey,
which were discovered first beneath the Den
nisville swampS seventy-fVe years ago, still
afford employment TO many people, and are a
source of constant interest to biologists. No
such specimens OF the cedar stand anywhere in
the country as are found imbcdded deep in tho
muck Of the Dennisville swamps. Some of the
trees uncovered are six feet in diameter, and
trees four feet through are common.
Although ages must have passed since these
great forests fell and were covered over, many
OF them are as sound to-day as when they were
uprooted. These trees are called windfalls. as
it is thought they were torn up by the roots dur
ing some terrific gale of an unknown past.
Others found in the muck arc called break
downs. as they were evidently dead trees when
they fell. and have been held by the mud and
water in the swamp in the same stage OF decay
they were in when they fell.
The cedar forests. 1t is thought. grew in q
fresh water lake or swamp. According to Clar.
ence Deming and DR.. Maurice Beasley, geologi.
cal authorities of southern New Jersey, the sea
either broke in upon the swamp OF the land
subsidized, and the salt water reached the trees.
This destroyed the life of many of them, and in
time the great windfall came and levelled tho
lOTcSJ. Inc LTeeb now lo Dcnbabn inc sou SOIL
at various depths. For years the logs have been
mined, and are yet quite an important factor in
the commercial interests of south Jersey. The
cedars are cut up into shingles and stavos, and
the end urance of the wood Is shown in shingles,
tubs and pals which were made fourscore years
ago and exhibit no signs of decay yet.
The working OF q cedar mine is exceedingly
simple. Tho log digger enters the swamp and
The trees lie so thickly beneath the surface that
the rod cannot be pushed far into the muck be.
fore 1t strikes a log. That done. the miner as
off a piece, which his rod brings up. by the
smell of this chip the logger can tell whether he
has struck a breakdown or a windfall. and II 1t
is the latter no proceeds at once to raise the log.
He works n saw, similar to those used by ice
cutters. down through tho mud. and saws
next sawed off, and then the big cedar stick Is
ready to be released from its resting place. A
ditch is dug down to the log, the trunk Is loos-
ened, and it rises up with the water to the sur;
face of the ditch. A curious thing is noticed
and that is that they invariably turn over Win
proper lengths for shingles and slaves. which
are split and worked into shape entirely by
hand. These CEDAR shingles omman a price
much higher than pine or chestnut shingles:
These ancient ccdars are of the white variety,
and have the same strong, aromatic fragrance
when cut as the common red cedar, The wood
is of a delicate flesh collar. One of the mysteries
about them Is that none OF the trees is ever
found to be waterlogged In the slightest degree.
| these cedars lie in the swamp, but it Is certain
that there arc several. 1t Is the belief that
many of the miners that all of the first layer has
not yet been removed. Notwithstanding the
work that has been done in the swamp. At
some places in the marsh the soil has sunk
for several feet and become dry, and there
the fallen cedars may be seen lying one on top
of another in great heaps. M tree has been re-
moved from the Dennisville swamp from a
greater depth than three feet, but they have
been found at a great depth outside the limits OF
the swamp. showing not only the correctness of
the deeplayer theory, but also the great extent
Q, tho ancient forest outside Of tho swamp area.
Near the shores OF the Delaware, nearly
eight miles from Dennisville, white cedar
logs have been eNhumed from a depth
miles distant. drillers Of an ~artesian well
struck one Of the trees when the drill was almost
ninety feet In the earth. 1t was lying In an al,
luviel deposit similar to the Dennisville marsh.
Another log was found at Cape May twenty feet
below the surface. and n third at a depth OF
seventy feet, These logs were all OF enormous
size. What 1t Is in the amber colored swamp
water and rod muck at Dennisville that pre-
serves these trees so that after a lapse of centu.
ries their fibre is as clean and smooth as 1t was
when the green branches of the cedars were
waving over the swamp Is a mystery that scien,
tihc men have not yet explained,