The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05
COLOSSAL AMERICAN TREES
The Existing Few Still Within
Their Glacial Range.
Specimens of Majestic Timber In
Groves of CaIifornia-The Mnriposn
District Neritnble Giants Of the
Forest-Their Immense Diameters.

BEFORE the RidCldl ptFlot pih nv
called Sequoia flourished widely in III
temperate zones of three continents. Their
were many specimens in Europe. Asia, am
America, and each had its share. But whei
The ice fields moved down out of the noru
the luxuriant vegetation of the age de
clined. and with it this multitude O
trees. One after another of the differen
kinds gave way, their remains became
buried and when the ice receded just i've
species the Big Tree and the redwood, sur
vived. Both grew in California. each sep
arate from the other, and each occupying
in comparison with its former territory
mere island of space. As we know them
now, the redwood tSequoia sempervlreusI
lives only in narrow strip Of the coas'
ranges ten to thirty miles wide. extend
ing from Just within the southern border
Of Oregon to the Bay of Monterey, whlle
the big tree (Sequoia WGshin's toniana) Is
found only in small groves scattered along
the west slope Of the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains. from the middle fork IF the Ameri-
can River to the head of Deer Creek, a
distance of 200 miles. The utmost search
reveals but ten main groups. and the total
number of stable trees in these groups
must be limited to figures in the thou-
sands. II is. moreover. the plain truth
that all the specimens which are rer lark
able for their size do not exceed 400
The Big Trees are unique in the world
the grandest, the largest, the Oldest, the
most majestically graceful of trees-ano
If II were not enough to be all-thls'
they are among the scarcest OF known
species and have the extreme scientihc
value of being the best living representa-
tiyes of a former geologic age. 1t Is a
tree which has come down TO us through
the vicissitudes of many centuries solely
because of its superb qualifications. Its
bark is often two feet thick and almost
non-combustible. The oldest specimens
felled are still sound at heart and fungus
is an enemy unknown 10 it. Yet with all
these means of maintenance the Big
Trees have apparently not increased their
range since the glacial period. They nave
only just managed to hold their own little
strips of country where the climate is To-
cally favorable.
At the present time the only grove
thoroughly safe from destruction is the
Mariposa. and this is far from being the
most interesting. Most of the other groves
are either in process of, or in danger of,
being logged. The very finest of all. the
Caiaveras Grove, with the biggest and
talIest trees, the most uncontaminated
surroundings. and practically all the lit
erary and scientific associations of the
species connected with it, has been pur-
chased by a lumberman who came into
full possession on April ]. 1900. The Sc
quota and General Grant National Parks,
which are supposed TO embrace and give
ssecurity to large part of the remaining
Big Trees, are eaten into by sawmill
EACH and by private timber claims
amounting TO a total of 1.172S acres. The
rest OF the scanty patches of Big Trees
are In fair way to disappear in Calave-
ras. Tuolumne, Fresno, and Tulare coun-
ties, they are now disappearing-by the
ak. In brief, the majority of the Big
Trees of California, certainly the best of
them, are owned by people who have ev-
cry right. and in many cases every inten-
ton, to cut them into timber.
The Calaveras Grove was lie first one
discovered having been found in 1871 by
John Bidwell afterward candidate for
member OF Congress from California. Just
how and when the other groves of Big
Trees were found is difficult to determine.
AS early as 1864 Prof Brewer, Of Yale.
and a party from the California Geologi-
cal Survey visited the Calaveras and
Marposa groves and also several tracts
in the region of Kings River. and by 1870
the majority of Big Trees had been To-
Gated.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION OF
BIG TREE GROVES.
The Big Trees occur exclusively i'm
groves" or scattered over limited areas,
never forming groups by themselves, but
always disseminated among much larg-
or number Of trees OF other kinds. These
patches on which the Big Trees stand DO
not equal in area a hundre0th part of that
which TIE redwoods cover exclusively. 1t
may be roughly stated that this area does
not, so far as yet known. exceed fifty
square miles and that most of this is in
one patch between Kings and Kaweah
rivers. The CalaverRs Grove is the most
northerly, and one on the south fork of
the Tule is the farthest south of any yet
known to us These are also quite limited
In vertical range, since they nowhere de-
scend much below 5000 or rise above 1000
feet. They follow the other California
trees, in this respect. that they occur low
er down on the Sierra as we 90 north
ward. The most nOrtherly grove, that of
Calavefas, is the lowest in elevation above
sea level There are eight distinct
patches or groves of the Big Trees, and in
geographical order from north 20 south
are the Calaveras the Stanislaus. Crane
Eat, Mariposa, Person, North Fork Tule
River. and South Fork Tule River
The Calaveras Grove is situated in the
county of that name, about sixteen miles
from Murphys Camp, and near the Stan
isiaus hiNtr- II is on or near the road
crossing the Sierra by the Silver Moun-
tain Pass. This being the first grove of
the Big Trees discovered, and the most
accessible, 1t has come into notice and
been much more visited than any of the
others. This and the Mariposa Grove arc
the only ones which have become a resort
for travellers. Calaveras Grove has also
the great advantage over the others in
mat a good hotel Is kept there. and that
il is accessible on wheels, all the others
being at greater or less distance from
any road. This grove occupies a holt 2 9el
feet iOng by 400 feet broad, extending in a
northwest and southeast direction. IN a
depression between two slopes, through
which meanders a small brook which
cries UP ia summer. There are between
~ and lOJ trees OF large size in the grove
and considerable number Of small ones
chieoy on the outskirts. Several have
fallen since the grove was discovered
one has been cut down and has had the
Dark stripped from IL TO the height of 11s
feet above the ground The bark inns re-
moved was exhibited in different places
ana finally found a resting place in tbe
l-ydenhan1 Crystal Palace England
where Il was unfortunately burned Ia IN,
IRE which consumed part OF that build
ing few years since The Two trees
thus destroyed were the finest in Inc
grove. The tallest now standing Is tbe
one called the Keystone Stste:' the larg-
est and finest is known as the ..EmniTe
State. The height Of this grove above
sea level Is 8.75g feet '"''e
The next grove south Of tho ono f,..,
houced ~ south OF the Stanislaus River
ana IS called the Stanislaus Grove n ie
near the borders of Calaveras "a
Juolumne counties II is six miles soti,b-
cast OF the Calavcras Grove on Besver
creek. branch OF the Stanislaus n is
fald 10 contain from Gr0 to 500 trees bI,
none Of them are as large as those seen
IN the calaYeras Grove
About twenty-five miles southeast of tho
Stanlslaus Grove IL another which D1o,,
ee called the Crane Flat Grove, as IL Is
from a mile and . half from the station
OF that name On thn nlro..lILi. 80. -