The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-11

travelling three days in stage and on
horseback before reaching the big
tree.
Mr.. Muir describes the tree as be-
ing well preserved, well balanced, no.
BILE and majestic" and gives the fol-
lowing dimensions, which he obtained
by careful measurement: At one foot
above ground the circumference Is 10s
feet; at four feet above ground SO feet;
at feet above ground the girth
is SO feet. The tree stands in a
nest of lesser giants of it's own kind,
and Is three miles from Converse
basin, ten miles from the Gen. Grant
National Park and directly back of
Wildwood, small town. in and about
which circles an immense lumber in
dustry.
Twenty seven years ago, when on
one of his exploring jaunts, Prof. Muir
tramped through this Identical forest,
within a few miles of the tree Just
found, and was at that time much in
terested in the discovery Of titanic
stump, 40 feet in diameter, that stood
all blackened, scared and worn by
time and the elements, q mute but pa
thetically inscribed monument OF prime
val history. BY using a microscope
after chopping away the charred sur
face Mr.. Muir calculated that the ac-
tual life of the tree must have endur-
ed through tens of centuries, and con-
cluded that about the time it's -fiuted
column was 20 feet In girth the ChaI-
dean sages were following the star
that led them to the infant Savior's
cradle.
This newly discovered patriarch is of
the species Sequoia Rigantea semper-
virens, and belongs to a genus which
fiourished in the Arctic regions, the
interior of North American and in Eu-
rope centuries ago, but which was
overwhelmed by the hardshfps of
time, of change and elemental caprfces.
! until only two species survived to rep
resent the genus, the Sequoia gigantea
ana the Sequoia gigantea sempervi-
| rens, both of which took up their per-
manent abode in California. Until the
recent discovery, the Gen. Grant tree.
in Gen. Grant National Park, the Gen.
| sherman, in Sequoia National Park.
and two or three other titanic mon
archs have reigned supreme in size.
but now their fame is Swallowed by
the overtowering dignity and majesty
| of the new rival
The massive, futed trunk, straight
and strong as granite pillar, is COW
cred with rich. cinnamon brown bark
almost two feet thick, and is free from
limbs to hight of IT'S feet where It
Is estimated to be II feet in diameter.
The branches, clothed in dense
foliage, radiate symmetrically from
every side of the trunk above this
hight. and form a ths@k fiat crown.
while myriads of cones hutter like CAV
green tassels on the outer borders of
the foliage masses. These cones are
TWO and half inches long one and a
half wide, each having 30 or 40 strong,
closely packed rhomboidaI scales. with
four to eight seeds at the base. The
most peculiar thing about these is that
they are the smallest seeds produced
by any of the conifers. The cones grow
in clusters on the tips of the branches.
and In one instance 140 cones were
counted on branch only one and a
half inches in diameter. If not har-
vested by squirrels, these cones will
discharge their seeds, and remain on
the trees for many years. This confer
produces more seeds than any other.
millions being ripened annually by a
single tree, the product of which would
be sufficient to reforest the mountain
ranges of the world
The blossoms appear toward the end
OF winter, while the snow is yet deep,
and look like thousands of bees on the
ends of the branches. The pistilIate
flowers are about three-eighths of an
inch in length. and when the pollen
Is ready the tree bustles with energy.
tossing the golden shower far and wide
ana hlRh There is no limit to the
lives of these trees. and unless burn
ed, undermined. blown down or shat
tered by lightning, they live on indefi-
nltely. curious characteristic, In
digenous to the species, is that il the
top Is cut off by lightning a new one
viii take its place, forming slowly, as
with thoughtful deliberation, but
eventually assuming the perfection of
its predecessor.
Not until ii reaches the age of 1900
years does this species attain its prime.
FOR the FIRST two or three centuries of
their existence the growth OF these
trees has been estimated as being only
or 10 inches year. The root system
OF these marvellous growths is enor-
nous, for thousands of great brown
coils radiate from every side of the
massive trunk, gripping the earth with
the tenacity of anchors, while lesser
coils weave a strong, spongy matted
platform just below the surface, a plat
form which at the base of the new
monarch covers an area ESQ feet in
width
On this firm foundation the great
tree stands, looming above it's follow
ers, veritable king of the forest.
peerless in it's dignity. 1t is the music
hall of the birds, the playhouse of the
squirrels, and so lofty that the morn
ing sun seems to rest on its rafters.
leaving them all luminous and dripping
with gold, while at night its dome ap-
pears to be jewelled with stars and
haloed by the moon.