The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
ARIzoNA,s AGATE BRIDGE.
One of the Many Remark able Features of
Chalcedony Park

Shalcedony PARK
From ne Arizona GrdpAis
Agate Bridge" Is the chief wonder OF that
marvellous dream known as Chalcedony Park.
or the petrified forest Of Arizona. The portion OF
the forest where the finest Of the gems are found
is in Apache county from seventeen TO twenty
miles from Holbrook, on the Santa Fe Railroad
The bridge" is a tree trunk, transformed into
the finest agate, which spans chasm 90 feet
wide This precious gem is ITO feet long. ieet
in diameter at the base tapcrng tn feet NJ me
apex. and II contains enough material TO give
labor to ali the lapidaries In the world for the next
generation. This log Ia one OF thousands many
Of them broken into huge fragments, which nttet
The area OF that portion Of the park containing
the agate bridge lis confined 10 few miles ~ rs
impossible TO conceive OF the marvellous pcs ANY
amethyst. red and yellow jasper, topaz, onyA,
carnelian and gigantic specimnriTns % egmlIed %,
Increased to the size of flour barrels and steam
boilers multiplied by 900, 900 and scattered over
Manhattan Island the result would give fair
The primevai forest has not lost much Of its
beauty, although the human yandal has been
priceless value, in their original form, TO get a
pocket full OF crystals from the heart OF the tree
be beauty d bY s 81 ,aH s. w nos and
the time will come when the Government will police
Chalcedony Park and protect, It's treasures.
Inc Indians have known the forests since their
beginning, and ii was here they found material
for thtir precious arrow tips They cal' the petit
sS sp4 wSsn ss s ss's ae Rail-
early in the SOS Jules Marceau, the gsologist
and extensive mention il made Of II in the Gov
eminent reports The tourist and yandal did
and Pacific, or Santa Fc Railroad was built The
public was al the New o. isans Exposiiion in
and again in chicago in 1893 Tbs only placi
where the stone is polished and manufactured
IL at Sioux Falls s. D.. and n recent newspaper
article says this company is engaged in getting
out 81, 900, 900 worth Of ornaments and iewelry
for sale at the Paris opposition Of le@ the
approaches that Of treating diamonds, hs II ~
calculated To be seven ten,hs the hardness of
diamond.
The scientific theory concerning the pctrifac-
ton is To the effect that after the fQrcs, OF pines
and sodarS vas ilno'ishSd, i.e naSin, or ,sacy
imstcly. Of 100 By ~ miles, and i Is surrounded
by extinct volcanoes These volcanoes cmpu,d
themselves into the lake, and the tres became
soaked with the silicOus water. Silica took
the place Of every fibre and atom OF MoId. The
foio,s OF red BLOWN ss"w ana an PURPLE can" me
water All this took place before the existence
of the Grand Canyon Of The Colorado, When
and the water, in its rush " the northwest leycled
The stone trees, breaking them OIL as smooth as
that The trees were pctrfcd where they grew
The fact that nearly all OF the fallen trunks
lie in one direction, and 10 the northwest sus
west and into the Grand Canyon y few ages
Of erosion after the draining Of the lake brings
some strange freaks One big tree trunk pro.
trudes over The brow Of cliff looking like a can,
on column Of stone, presenting great IT
s j. Holsnger special agent OF the Covert
mont Land Office has recently returned from the
prtrifcd forest where he went 10 investigate
the adyisability Of forming n national park Of
the region He will report favorably on The pro
miles by nine miles be included in the park In
this area lie four different groups, or forests, Of
fallen trees. although /, does not include all Of
Hosinger says there are millions Of tons 81 the
agatilcd wood in the proposed PARK trrit,ry:
II, assured many tree trunks which were l65
feet long and az large as four feet In diameter
He says one group Of petrifac,ions, locally known
tacle of color he has ever seen and so dazzling
was the effect OF the sunshine on the brilliant
confusion Of stone fragments that dizziness OF
his head compelled him TO sit down. At Garlic.
tho station on the Santa Fc nearest the pctrfnc-
tions, he learned that the Sioux Falls Company
had ordered carload of the stone TO be shipped
j. W. Benham. Of Phoenix WHO'S well a.
quanted with the country OF the iores. says
about twelve miles cast Of Winslow, and prob
ably forty Ave miles di slant from the agate bridge
lie was hunting lost horses in the ighborhood
when he came upon group OF perhaps fifteen
houIishing pine trees growing on htle table
desert country that he rode 10 the trees and found
the ground about covered with pctrificd logs,
many OF them as high his shoulders This
ground had been located az cattle ranch In 1883,
by Hull 4 Swinburnc two Englishmen who
dug a well near the pines Renham h Barnes
bough t the cattle Of the Englishmen, and founded
the Esperanza Cattle Company. but they allowed
the location" 10 lapse.
Il is 10 be hoped that "Chalcedony Park" will
become a reality soon possible after Agent
Holingor has submitted his report While there
may be- a million tons Of the precious stone
exhibition in the park today, the next generation
will not find a pound of IL there IL the National
Government does not rigidly protect