New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-15
THE PETRIFIED FOREST
EFFORTS TO MAKE ARIZONA's GRr.,
NATURAL WONDERLAND
NATIONAL. PARK

Washington. April Il (speciaD.-Public intsr.,.
has been once more quickened in the petraed rors,
Of Arizona. and there appears 70 be every Hk.a
hood of its being Withdrawn from entry. by co-
gressonal action. for the purpose OS creating II h,
a National Park. Probably no place on the Arus.
can continent possesses more interesting sc,,,.
features or instructive geological fields than ira
wonderful forest OF Arizona Territory. In fact n.
petried forest in Egypt u is asserted cannot Gun
pare with It.
The forest includes an area OF ten miles squa,.
In the northwestern section OF Apache County s,s
only few miles from the town OF HoIbr,,.
Adamana. small settlement on the Santa Fs Par
road is the nearest railway station, from WIKI !.
majority Of sghtseers goto the forest. II Is nar.
after Old man. Adam Hanna. the only inhabt.,.
noted in its immediate vicinity upon whom a.
the duty OF guiding and sheltering IN ais hunk
home those desiring to see the curiosities OF ~
forest. Were n for the small sums the old ma
picks up in this way. II would be impossible a
him 70 exist. for the land IS wholly unsuitable a
grazing nor Is II capable OF supporting any vez..
ton whatever. The bed Of the forest is a N,
desert of sandstone and worthless except as Goa
eminent reservation
PROFESSOR WARDS OBSERVATIONS.
Professor Lester F. Ward. paleontologist o, al
Smithsonian Institution. who has recently return.
from an examination OF the forest. says that ar.
leaving the station one gradually dSceuGS a SOL
a height Of 5000 $3.50 feet. crossing over @,
yons, guches and ravineS from twenty 70 fifty FL
deep. The region leading up TO the principal nj,
eral fields is exceedingly rugged. and indeed Ma
finally reaching the topmOst point. a o. tab.
land the ground Is rough and cut up with glcs,
and basins which makes it difficult 10 drive oys
IN Adams wagon. At one OF the highest poas
as far as the eye can reach, quantities Of hzs
siliciied logs and fragments are seen scatter.
termingled with the red. brown. white and pun.
layers of sandstone on the edges Of the cliffs. pni
sent an odd. picturesque view. This region may
rightly classed among the natural wonders Of Il
American continent. and its petriied wood "a 4.
more perfect mineral formation than that found
Wyoming and the Yellowstone and Yosemite parh
1t has attained degree OF hardness almost equal
that Of the diamond. making an excellent quaEa
Of emery. and is very similar IN composition 4
jasper or onyx
For long time after the forest was discovered
In 1853 carloads OF the siHcihed wood were shlpvsJ
to the East for the purpose OF manufacture
emery, but this Industry was discontinued own
to the Introduction of artificial material and
is now used principally for ornaments. such 4
clocks. tables, lamps, etc. as is onyx IF tase
designed and highly polished. so as TO bring ors
to advantage its varied colors the silici1ed wa
can be made into attractive ornaments which q!
at comparatively large prices. considering the qla
titles which have lain there for so many year
Some mineralogists regard It as among the preciu
stones Of the American continent, and a collected
OF it's choicest specimens has been obtained By
jewellers firm in ST. Paul. who VIII nanutActur
the agatized wood into unique designs and exhit
them at the Paris Exposition. A similar exhibir :
was prepared for the Worlds Fair at Chicago.
This region IS also marked by the ruins Of 8
some OF which can now be recognized, and ar-czs
heads and other indian relics are frequently -four
after hard rains While there signs. OF
the ancient Americans the dwellings rad 0ns Il
structed of such beautiful and precious material
these The houses appear 70 have been rectanglax
IN shape and very low. with one log crossed 0Vs
the other are log cabin camps OF to-day. Ties
villages have perhaps lain in ruins since mar
years before Columbus discovered America, and AZ
OF historical interest.
THE FAMOUS NATURAL BRIDGE
Another feature which serves TO give the sEAcasi
forest a special prominence is the we'll know nat
uraI bridge. OF the most celebrated objects IN
the West. consisting of great petrhst trunk
spanning canyon forty or fifty feet wide an
forming a footbridge upOn which men may east
cross. Surrounding this remarkable petriHsd hrts
grow cottonwood tree and few bushes. cunst
tuting the entire vegetation IN that region. The
natural bridge possesses the added interest Of bsn
In it's proper pace which is unusual both IN hi
and other forests. A hard coating Is still t0un
closely enwrapped around the trunk Of the trss
no doubt portion OF the original sand and MI
which brought about its petrifaCtiOn.
The Arizona petrifted forest probably dates BAG
to the TriaSSic terrane or the early part OF
MesOzOic formation, millions OF years before the 81
OF man. and it is probably second in antiquity
the coal fields in America, which OF Palz [
zoIc time. The three great geological ages AZ
dating back 100000 or 50.000O00 years, SOU
years and 100000 years, respectively. During
Mesozoic time the American continent is supposs
to have been covered over by vast ocean. but
doubtedlv near some former land from which D 4
nf he cd
lodged on the bottom Of the MesOzOic ocean
was then that the silicincation began. but II N.
be remembered that these trees did not become
licihed by natures slow process IN a few years
are razor homes petrified Ito ORDER in ScOtar
The huge logs Of wood gradually became logs
stone while living at the bottom OF the ocean II
must have been completely covered WITH "
which subsequently sifted into the tree. taking
place OF the wood. which gradually decayt
grain Of Wood decaved preesT the same Susnt
of SILICA was forced into the opened cell. and
with all natural conditions favorable. SILICA 20
the place OF the wood and the former log OF We
became log of stone of the very hardest r0f1'
ton possible.
THE OCEAN BED RAISED.
BY the time this inversion was completed. 4
American continent, then the ocean bed had D
raised 5000 or 7,000 feet. The ocean had parts
dried up. leaving the region OF the petrhed fa
in the centre OF desert This area was since &
posed TO be oasis. where tropical plants :
iuXurlantly' a stream or water ran Ttpiuiy -
IT, as Is Indicated BY the basins, guicheS anu
vines.
This field with its numerous interesting real-
has already gained great popularity, anu tns 1 -
visitors who attracted There every year
press great satisfaction at IFS curtOsites. Dut =
person who visits there al present C9Ilasus
value or scenic features more or less BY nIs4
and traders constantly removing as mucn o.
stone their means Of transportation VIII -
the quantities are gradually diminishing. and VI
some measure is taken 70 prevent the qestruss
and vandalism now so evident the wonders q
petrihed forest viii disappear, Just as did ne
falo in the West. The expense 10 the Covering e
FOR preserving this forest would amount 20 -
for at least some years to come one mVrrr
ranger like those In the game reserves OF tns y
would be sufficient protection until arrangscs-
made for the construction OF a National =
TEMPERANCE VIEWS TOO STRONG