The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-27
A PETRIFIED FOREST.
One of the Great Natural wonders
of Arizona.
From the Chicago Record.


From the Chicago Record.
The territory of Arizona is a vast mu-
scum Of natural curiosities, including
many Of the most wonderful in all the
world. The atmosphere. the climate. the
mountains, the soil. the rivers. the forests
are filled with phenomena. many of which
exist nowhere else. In the desert, 500
miles square. with Flagstaff as a center,
are spread out variety of wonders of
which the people of this country have
little or no conception, but if they were
in Europe or Asia thousands of our citi-
zens would cross the ocean to see them.
Being within only two or three days jour
ney of Chicago. and easy of access by fire.
quent trains of sleeping and dining cars
ana other modern Injuries of travel they
are overlooked by the multitude aud are
practically unknown.
To my mind next to the Grand Canyon
OF the Colorado, the most interesting and
Impressive OF the natural wonders of this
great Arizona museum is the petrihed for
est which covers nearly 100 square miles
within easy distance, either on foot or
horseback, from Billings station. on the
Santa Fe railroad but ii can be more
easily reached by carriage from Holbrook
Where better accommodations can be
found. The government explorers have
christened it Chalcedony Park
The surface of the ground for miles ana
miles around is covered with gigantic logs
three or four feet In diameter, petrided to
the core. Many of them are translucent
Some are almost transparent. All present
the most beautiful shades of blue, yellow
pink purple, red and gray. Some are like
gigantic amethysts, some resemble the
smoky topaz and some are as pure and
white as alabaster. At places the chips
OF agate from the trunks that have crum-
bled lie foot deep upon the ground. and
II is easy to obtain cross sections of trees
showing every vein and even the bark
Comparatively little of this agate has been
used In manufacturing, although Il is easy
TO obtain. Manufacturing jewelers. OF
New York have made table tops and boxes
and other articles from strips that have
been sent them and If the material were
not 80 abundant its beauty would com
mand enormous prices. Where YOU can
get a carload of jewelry for nothing you
are not likely to pay high prices for IT,
A blrd s-eye view of the petri1ed forests
on a sunny day suggests a gigantic kaIeid-
oscope. The surface of the earth resembles
an infinite variety of rainbows. The geolo-
glsts say this great plain, now 5000 feet
above the sea, was once covered by for
est, which was submerged for ages in wa
the ibers of the trees were Thoroughly
soaked and transformed into eternal stone
Many OF the trunks are still packed in a
deposit of fine clay which was left by the
receding waters but the erosion of the
wind has pulverized much of the clay and
carried 1t off in the air, exposing the Sc
crets that nature buried under it's surface
One great tree spans a deep gulch forty
feet wide. II lies where IL fell centuries
perhaps ages. ago, and is a most beautiful
specimen of petrlfed wood. The rings and
the bark can be easily traced through the
translucent agate, and it is firm enough
and strong enough to last as many centu-
ries as il has already spent in its peculiar
position. 1t Is undoubtedly the only
bridge of agate in the world and alone IS
worth a long journey to see.
The Indians Of the Southwest used to VS.
II the petrified forests frequently to obtain
agate for their arrow and spear heads,
and the material was scattered over the
entire continent by exchange between the
different tribs, from the Isthmus of Pana-
ma TO Boring strait. The great deposit
here explains where all the arrow heads
of moss agate came from, and other weap
ons and implements of similar material
that are found in the Indian mounds and
graves of the Central and Western
states. In the stone age the agate OF
the petrifed forest was the very best ma
terial that could be obtained for both the
Implements Of war and peace OF the abo-
rines A scalping knife could be made
very easily from one of the chips of
agate, and could be ground to a very fine
edge. Many crystals we're used for jew
clry and ornament also