Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-24

Eze s
is probably because it was long since
taken out of the possibility of specula-
tion. Priestly Hall of Riverside pur-
chased the grounds and laid them out
into acre holdings and sold them to
his friends at about first cost and
each one has built a neat and comfort
able cottage on his lot, where his fam
lily finds most pleasant summer resi-
dence
'"The winters are spent elsewhere.
Years ago Mr.. Hall came into posses
sion of a mile or more of mesa land
along the seashore east of Arch beach,
which some day will be covered with
residences. This beach is but about
half a mile east of Laguna beach and
seven miles east of Newport.
"But it is of the physical and geologi-
cal features of Arch beach and vicin-
ity that I wish to speak.
Here is a remarkable formation of
conglomerate and breccia extending
about two miles west and six miles
east along the shore line and averag-
ing about one mile wide. How far it
extends into the ocean is conjectural;
but it is probably safe to say not less
than fifty miles, or beyond the Chan
mel islands. The cementing material is
largely volcanic.
"A steep bluff, which averages about
fifty feet in height, contains innu-
merable psephites and psamites and
breccia strongly cemented together, and
against which the breakers have been
surging probably from cretaceous
times. The great variety of rock ma
terial found in the boulders and breccia
is probably the most attractive feature
to the mineralogist. 1t would seem that
nearly every kind of eruptive, igneous
and metamorphic rock is found along
the steep bluffs and in the ocean floor
where exposed by low tide. Here is
found in a somewhat impure state that
hitherto rare mineral, dumortierite;
also chlorite, porphyry, quartz, chalce-
dony, very pronounced schistose rocks,
ETC., etc.
1.-THE shore line for several miles has
been eroded into many fantastic and at
tractive forms. East of Arch beach is
Eagle Rock, so named because of it's
resemblance to an eagle of gigantic
size. Beyond this is a district extend
ing back to the foothills, Of mouvaises
terres, or bad lands. 1t presents most
striking appearance of the effects of
eroding forces and of itself is worth
visit to this attractive beach. What
is known as the Three Arches or Tur-
tie Rock is one of natures curios. 1t is
about 300 feet long and so feet high and
is in the form of a we'll proportioned
turtle with perfect head and neck. 1t
Is formed of conglomerate.
Nearing Dana Point (named for
Dana who wrote 1.-TWO Years Before
the Mast" and who visited this place.
one encounters sandstone and shale
The shale forms scarp along the bluff
for considerable distance, showing re-
markable flexures and overturns and
indicating various stages in geographic
movement in tertiary times. Dana
Point is composed of conglomerate con-
tanning fossils, ostrea predominating
A spacious archway leads through tc
the Capistrano side and is filled with
beautifully polished pebbles of quartz
chalcedony, porphyry, laminated states
etc.
"Along the rocky beach the waves
have scooped out great aquariumS
which nature has filled with beautiful
sea anemones and other forms of life
that would challenge the life study of a
naturalist. One of these large pools
is used for bathing. 1t is worn out oi
the rocky floor and is filled with sea
water twice day by the tides and Ii
warmed by the sun. 1t has no arti'
ficial equal on the coast. At present
Arch beach is reached by stage from
Ell Toro and by wagon road from sar
! Capistrano. but an electric line from