Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-05-08
The Petriiied Forest.
IcontInued trom second page.l

which makes 1t difficult to drive over
in Adams wagon. At one Of the high
est points, as far as the eye can reach,
quantities of huge silicifed logs and
fragments are seen scattered about in
the ravines and over the fields, which,
intermingled with the red, brown,
white, and purple layers of sandstone
on the edges of the cliffs, present an
odd picturesque view This region
may be rightly classed among the
natural wonders of the American con-
tinent, and its petriaed wood is of
more perfect mineral formation than
that found in Wyoming and the yell
lowstone and Yosemite parks. 1t has
attained degree of hardness almost
equal to that of the diamond, making
an excellent quality of emery, and is
very similar in composition to jasper
or onyx.
For long time after the forest was
discovered, in 1858, carloads of the
MOOu MtIt ShippNu W biiN
east for the purpose of manufacturing
emery, but this industry was discon-
inued owing to the introduction of an
artificial material, and it Is now used
principally for ornaments, such as
clocks. tables, lamps, etc, as is onyx.
II tastily designed and highly polished
50 as to bring out to advantage its
varied colors. the silicified wood can
Je made into attractive ornaments,
which sell as comparatively large
prices, considering the quantities
which have lain there fer so many
years. Some mineralogists regard II
rs among the precious stones of the
american continent, and collection
VI its choicest specimens has been OBJ
aimed by jeweller ST rm in st. Paul,
Who will manufacture the agatized
wood into unique designs and exhibit
hem at the Paris Exposition A sim
lar exhibition was prepared for the
Worlds Fair at Chicago.
This region is also marked by the
uins of a number of ancient Indian
dllages, the walls of some of which
an now be recognized, and narrow
reads and other Indian relics are fire.
luently found after hard rains While
here are no signs of any distinct
lyle of architecture being employed
~ the ancient Americans, the dwell
ngs had one significance. Probably
lever have houses been constructed of
luch beautiful and precious material
IS these The houses appear to have
jeen rectangular in shape and very
ow, with one log crossed over the
)ther, as are log cabin camps of to-
lay. These villages have perhaps
ain in ruins since many years before
Columbus discovered America, and
re Of historical interest.
Another feature which serves to
i've the silicified forest special
prominence is the well known natural
ridge, one of the most celebrated OBJ
ects in the west, consisting of a great
)etrified trunk spanning canyon
3rty or fifty feet wide and forming a
ootbridge upon which men may cas-
ly cross. Surrounding this remark
bic petrified bridge grow a cototn-
wood tree and few bushes, constitut-
fha antipn in hat
on. The natural bridge possesses the
!dded interest Of being in its proper
)lace, which is unusual both in this
md other forests. A hard coating is
ill found closely enwarpped around
he trunk CT the tree, no doubt a por-
ion of the original sand and mud
which brought about the peariica-
ion.
The Arizona petrified forest probab-
dates back to the Triassic terrane, or
he early part of the Mesozoic forma-
ion, millions Of years before the age
)f man, and it is probably second in
lntiquity to the coal fields of Ameri-
a, which are of Palaeozoic time. The
,hree great geological ages are classi-
led as Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cen
I2cic, dating back 100000 or 50.-
10000 years, S,00O,O00 years and
100000 years respectively. During
he Mesozoic time the American con-
.;nent is supposed TO have been cover
ID over by vast ocean, but undoubt-
IDLY near some former land, from
which the trees of the petrified forest
we're washed down and lodged on the
'ottom of the Mesozoic ocean 1t was
hen that the silification began, but it
must be remembered that there trees
lid not become slicified by nature
low process in few years, as are ra-
.or homes petrified ito order" in Scot
and. The huge logs of wood gradual
y became logs of stone while lying at
he bottom of the ocean. They must
save been completely covered with
vet, sticky, scapy mud and sand,
properly called sillca, which subse-
luently sifted into the tree, taking the
place OF the wood, which was gradual
y decaying. AS fast as grain or the
smallest particle Of grain of wood
iecaysd, precisely the same quantity
)f silica was forced into the opened
,ell, and in this systematic way, after
years and years Of time, with all nat