Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-22
FOSSIL FINDS IN The ROCKIES
Recent Discoveries in the Geological Won
derland Of America.
COUNTRY RICH IN ANCIENT BONES
Field Lnboes of the Expedition Ints
the Wilderness OF Wyoming-EN-
idcnce of Inland Seas and
Huge Animals.

The state Of Wyoming is a geological Won
derland, writes outs T. Van Norman in
the Independent 1t is new land, the newest
land on the continent, geologically speaking.
In the prehistoric ages, but nearer to the
time of the advent Of man than that at
which any other American land appeared,
If not after his advent. this part of the
United States arose out OF the primeval
waters Up to this time there had been
an inland sea, or several seas, over all
! western North America from the Gulf of
Mexico clear upward to the Arctic ocean.
| The outlines of this prmeval sea can be
| traced almost all over the great plains
| through the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming,
| Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. by the
| fossil remains which are scattered through
! cut this vast in great profusion. The
! long ages subsequent to this uprising Of the
| land, the mcsozoic time Of the geologist,
| have also left rich deposits to mark them,
| from the little invertebrate ammonites to
| the giant vertebrate dinosaurs of the jurassic
age the largest land animals that ever lived.
! The natural surface formations all through
| this vast region are magnificent from a
| scenic point of view and marvellous from
! any standpoint. The Bad Lands, or lava
fields Of Dakota, the geysers, boiling springs
and vvidly Colored rock formations OF the
! Yellowstone national park, the tremendous
canyons through which the great rivers
have cut their way to the ocean, the alkali
| lakes and deserts and the rich mineral
wealth 50 comparatively near the surface
all these attest the youth OF the earth S
crust at this point and indicate some of the
marvellous transformations which are being
ceaseleSsly carried on in natures vast lab
oratory. .-
Small wonder. then, that this region is
the paradise Of the geologist. A number o,
scientific expeditions have explored thest
plains-notably the early ones OF Dr. f. V
Hayden, from 1854 to 1859, and those o.
/ Professor Marsh in the early seventies. TIL,
latter made more than twenty trips across
the mountains and discovered more thar
200 new species of animals. But the fossi
fields of Wyoming seem to be practically in
| eXhaustible. For the past two or three year.
Prof. Reed of the University of Wyoming
! has been prospecting throughout the stat
and last year he made several highly i'm
/ portant discoveries. About ninety mile
northwest of Laramie he came upon tn
bones of the most colossal animal ever takel
= from the earth's strata. This was a hug
r dinosaur, a monstrous lizard, measuring
over 12O feet in length, the petrified skeleton
, alone 1t is estimated, weighing more tha
= | 4U,UUO POUNDS. Inc labor or removing thi
:, giant is so enormous that the skeleton i
: still in it's natural resting place, but it
r calculated by the university authorities thai
Il by next spring, they will be entirely exca
| waited, -. h. " ..''.
Organization and Equipment.
What is without doubt the most thorough
| organized scientific expedition which ha
ever entered our great western domain ha
just finished it's field labors. Led by Pro
: w. c. knight Of the University of Wyomins
!, eighty scientists. mostly professors of geol
: | ogy from the great universities and college
: | all over the country and their assistants
;. | have spent forty days in the wilderness
J. exploring, examining fossil exposures an
: | gathering specimens ....... ..n
The expedition was thoroughly organize
and equipped. Seventeen teams, with tent
n paraphernalia and provisions, with seve
n cooks and a dozen cameras, left Laramie
the seat of the State university, on July 2
j.. Three secretaries, Prof. Collier Cobb of tt
n University or North Carolina, Prof E. !
Z Barbour of the University of Nebraska an
~ the writer, kept a systematized account
what was being done and gave informatio
~ to the press OF the more important find
e Everything possible was done to secure e.