Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1903-03-18
PETRiFILD FOREST
Visiting Tourists Fast Destroying the Beauty of the Great
 Natural Wonder.
Crater Mountain Being Explored By Philadelphia Capitalists and
 Scientists.

s. J. Holsinger, special agent for the interior department, who spent the day in Prescott yesterday, was seen by a Journal Miner man during his stay in the city and in a conversa- tion it was learned that he had just returned from a most interesting trip to the petrified forest, where he had gone to see what the condition of things was in regard to the vandalism which has been practiced by tourists visiting that place. The condition is deplOrable and unless strict measures are adopted by the government this, one of the most wonderful freaks Of nature. will soon be utterly ruined. At present there is no one there hay ing any authority whatever to protect the wonderful specimens which are fast being destroyed and carried off by the hundreds of visitors. The day that Mr. HOlsinger spent at the forest there were five tourists on the grounds who had come all the way from Phil adelphia to see the sights in that re- zion. and it was estimated that they carried away at least fifteen pounds of specimens each During the last sea son there were over 800 visitors to the forest, and 1t is safe to estimate that they carried away at least 15 pounds of the petrifed wood each which would amount to the enormous sum of over 12,OOO pounds. It does not require much figuring to see what will become of the forest in a very few more years.
 One of the most deplorable acts of destruction is that of the famous agate tree which forms a natural bridge over a chasm 45 feet across and 30 feet deep. This tree is exposed in the sand for over 110 feet in length and is l3 feet in circumference at the base and 10 feet at the top, and is a solid piece of agate. Tourists have
 
 in the forest, their special object of destruction and have broken pieces off of it until there will soon be dan ger of its falling from place into the chasm below. Mr. HOlsinger will re- port the condition to the department at once and urge that guard be placed there with instructions not be permit a particle of the petrified wood to be removed.
 While in that section Mr Holsinger had instructions to investigate the ex- ploration of what has been known for years as "Crater Mountain. It was thought for years that this was an ex- tinct volcano, but scientific investiga- tion has developed the fact that it was produced by the falling of a mighty meteor ages ago. The hole made in the earth by this monster is 52S0 feet across and 637 feet deep and contains about 145 acres. It is located about ten miles southeast of Holbrook, and has been almost inaccessible hereto fore, and was visited by comparative ly few people, but not long ago it was taken up by a company of wealthy ! Philadelphia people who are eXplor- ing the basin for mineral and also for scientific purposes. They have built a road to the place and trail leading down into the basin and are now pre- pairing to sink a shaft several hundred feet deep if necessary to find the me teOr which they are sure is buried under the surface. They said they would sink a shaft first. and if this aid not reveal the meteor they would explore with a diamond drill for at least 2OJO feet before giving up the venture or proving the theory of the meteor. It is thought that this body contains diamonds as only recently specimen of what appeared to be a very good quality of diamond was found there and is now on exhibition l in New York. Should this prove to | be the case the exploration may be a l very profitable one not only from a scientific standpoint but also as an investment
 The earth has been bulced up all | around this basin to a height of near ly 300 feet which was caused by the | meteor sinking into the earth. Chunks of the meteor have been found for | distance of nine miles around the | basin, the pieces being small near the | edge and increasing in size the farther away you go, chunks weighing as much as ten tons having been found at | a distance of nine miles. This is at tributed to the theory that the meteor | became red hot when it struck the | atmosphere and large pieces were thrown a great distance from the main | body while the smaller ones were at | tracted to the main body by the force of its falling. This formation is composed of 93 per cent of malleable steel, 3 per cent nickel. per cent magnesium, 1 per cent cobalt and 1 per cent silica, and is so hard that it is nearly impossible to cut it even with a cold chisel Mr. HOlsinger had specimen of the metal with him and it was a very interesting curiO. The work of exploring this wonderful place will be watched with great in