Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-10

through the constant wear of centur.
les by the raging torrents of water.
or IL was due to an earthquake rend-
ing the ground in twain-but nobody
has ever been able to solve the mys.
terry OF the petrifed forests"
They are called forests" but from
the understanding of the word for
est most people would take it to
mean that the trees were standing up
right. This IL not the case with the
Petrified forests" of Arizona. but they
are wonderful anyhow. Acres and
acres are covered with petrified trees,
barge and small, mostly large, a bar
ren, desolate waste of country. and
bear mute testimony to tho vcnderful
transformatory powers of age II eli
matte conditions.
The Great Trees in Stone.
Trees 100 feet long and three feet
thick cover the country. There are
smaller trees and pieces Of even larger
ones, chips, roots, stumps, etc, until
the entire surface is one %bewildering
mass of stone, stone that was once a
living, growing tree. The trees have
preserved their original form and APP
pearance in their complete state of
= tNSh ~ AAt baih Oh AiC
outside, and the sight is as wonderful
rs ii is interesting and unique.
There are three of these forests
lying TO the south of the Santa Fe rail-
road in northern Arizona, between the
station of Adamana and the town of
Holbrook. entered from either place.
However, two of the forests are closer
TO Adamana and even the third is sew
oral niina from Hn1hrNnl On n1ngt nf
the tourists who enter and explore
these wonderful domains, go in from
Adamana. The first forest" is six
miles from Adamana and then it is a
few miles further to the second. The
third is about 13 miles from Holbrook,
n some 20 miles from Adamana.
This third forest is the prettiest Of
the three; the coloring is grander and
richer in petrified specimens. but
either or any of them is pretty enough
and wonderful enough.
Wonderful colors.
Out on an almost level, bleak and
barren plaip-it is level except for
hinge. sometimes almost mountainous,
piles of volcanic lava and ashes-this
wood" is scattered owe many acres,
Whole trees in a solid state of petrifi-
&0@A'N oApAl PANNto VI IitNos oAuhiPos
chips, etc. are lying on the surface as
hard as any agate that was ever found.
And they look like agates when
broken, with all their beautiful plors.
Tourists are not allowed to break
them any longer; as the government
has withdrawn the section from entry
n 1t is now a forest reserve to
protect il (~Arizonians are trying to
Iva 1t made a national park but
lime n the action of the elements
have broken up many of the speci-
mems so that there are as many small
pieces as there are large ones and
their wonderful a~ggregations of colors
are beautiful, almost equal in their
blendings and richness to the colors
on the walls of the Grand Canyon.
The hearts Of the trees, IN their hard,
petrified state, show some beautifuI
cOlorings, cOlors that can not he re-
produced, colors that can only be
blended and produced by the action of
nature, a tribute TO the great Creator
who makes all things, but whose work
is past understanding or duplication.
Ancient Pines.
Fortified wood has been found In all
parts of the United States, but never
were such forests of it found as here