The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-29

Scientists Go To Wyoming Delsing
la stones.

Repeated announcements made in the last
Few years OF the wonders OF fossils and
other prehistoric relics existing In the
Willis Of Wyoming have aroused such an
interest In this geological wonderland tina
the Union Pacific has jus. made np an ex-
cuTsaon Of scientists - tire new fields 10
pursue their Investigations. Sixty-two Oh
the foremost geological and palcoutolog-
teal authorities III American colleges are Ii,
the party. and will be the guests of the
railroad while en- route. They viii be ac-
companied by an official from the passen-
ger department as far as Laramie. bar
there they will be placed under the guild
ance Of Prof ". g. knight, of the Wy
oning state university.
The expedition Is purely scientific one,
and IL ia expected TO open the way for ex-
haustive research that may result la inn
por;ant discoveries. The party will start
from Laramie in wagons, and viii remain
in the field forty days. The members arc
10 be organized into messes of ten each,
with three teams. a mess wagon and a cook
for each. The route 10 De covered by the
expedition will be TO the northwest across
the Laramie plains and then eastward To
the Platte river canyon.
The Union Pacific has issued a pamphlet
FOR the enlightenment Of these explorers.
which contains some valuable matters from
tis;s Says the Wyoming geologist:
''Bu; few people have any idea. as they
are whified over the mountain ranges. the
deep canyons fertile plains and great aea-
er;s Of Wyoming. or that they are In the
very midst Of one OF the greatest treas
ure-iocked regions OF the world. These
treasures are The remains OF huge rep
tiles. so large that only those with vivid
imagination can form any adequate idea OF
dimena ons. mingled with numerous orders
OF large anfmals that have long been ex-
;inct; besides such az cameis. rhinoceroses.
dogs. cats elephants, and monkeys, great
sea monsters that were truly sea segpeuts:
fishes that compare favorubly with the
iinuy tribe Of our great lakes; shell fish
almost innumerable. and fossil leaves thai
prove conciussvely tf1at In early ages Wy
oming was denseiy clothed with trees Of
tropical and seml-tropical verdure.
Work in collecting from this vast
storehouse commenced in tne SOS. and dur
inc the years that have elapsed since wy
oming has been favored collecting
ground for the leading biologists and pale
0ntolugists Of the country The WORK IN
securing these rare specimens Is as exe-f-
ing gold hunting. AMI many times one
finds bones that are worth more than Their
weight In gold, On account OF the nurner-
about our great field. and erosion has cut
deep valleys and canyons leading from
them which makes II possible 20 examine
every foot az formation In detail
''-rhe University OF Wyoming commenced
collecting the reptilian fossils only three
years age and now has partial skeletons
Of over isr animals The most Of these Ass-
long 10 the so-called dinosaurs the iarg-
est land animals that ever lived The din
asaurs range In size from a few feet IN
length to eighty or more. Imagine fe-
muir six feet long. vertebrac with Its pro-
cess nearly fees feet high. a scapula six
feet long ani RES a. large az forty
pound steel rail and from six to nine feet
in length
4 long lizt IL given of the antestsiaysan
wonders in these remarkable regions tn
Guiding swimming ssuriars. invertebrates,
tgirfs-z croC0y3iiss and fish worth kleo esc4s.
T+a.. pshI cation leerfgs with scientific fad a
ard il handsomely illustrated with aaif-
tone nlusfya sioHs OF some OF the monsters
and their homes.