The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-04-05
The Great Fortified Forest
of Arizona.
Written for The Journal.

...Z..IuI through PoltlolS VI liilo
ADJUST. territory, leave with the firm
hat 1t fully and truthfully up
Is equation. judging from the
that have come under their
ovation during that brief time,
ne eady ever after to credit any
stories of Arizona wonders.
.. uned forest is one of the great
f.t,e, and if it was in some re-
TART of Europe, crowds of Ameri-
eIl rush abroad every summer
consider it one of the most i'm
..t features of their sightseeing,
-t, comparatively few people
hat they miss in neglecting to
,r easy journey that brings them
here are three petrified forests,
\pache county, and all three an
tr sc from the railroad.
Erts off the Santa Fee train
Mt IIolbrook or Adamana station,
4Dy ll0lbrook, as the largest and
.autiIul forest is in that locality,
lnaut fourteen miles distant.
md a rig and guide from the For
.l.p and started out early one
. morning. The road is almost a
.ulrl. there are but few stones,
.. it is much more comfort
tf than the same distance over
;aypments of our large cities.
lpt1re we reached the slight
.uud which lay the forest we
.lmerous evidences of Its proX-
Here and there jagged por
tree trunk: Il half buried
off scattered fragments III their
eolurs cleaning IN the sand
vegetation.
irving over the ridge we en-
forest. the road leading along
Of some wonderful Badland
ms. like huge ant-hllls, III a
white substance presumably
ar. and which forms into beau,
.pes with pillars, turretS and
uts. On one side was what
Ike an Old castle with smoothly
pillars running from the
.. up to pointed spires at each
nd large face stands out III
et as perfect as though chlSeled
ruliar formations crop up out
round in groups III numerous
u the forest, and III the tar
Laiust the horizon is long low
tae of these mountains gleam-
teIy against the blue back
In describing the Arizona
..,. / have neglected to mention
is of most Importance, the fact
.aHWhie we were driving over
tss petrified trees half buried
.oI, while huge stumps We're
or lying on the ground about
L. one could not take step III
ton without putting foot on
ant fragments OF this most
ully preserved wood.
certified forest covers several
md acres of timber, petrlfied by
Mysterious process until the
- and roots of the trees are now
stone; sparkling masses of
... colors of onyx, agate and
Ills None can say why they are
4intly colored, but the fact re-
That they are there, and were
ing growing trees. Petntica-
re found in some places in the
Mountains; they also appear IN
-rable quantities IN the badlandS
.tl Dakota, in | tab and Nevada,
no place can there be any com
IN extent and magnitude with
Jrests Of Arizona.
lsaudS OF acres are streWn tllcK-
entire trees, logs ana stumpS,
Lions of tons OF fragments large
tiic men this part OF the earth
.te covered with a dense forest,
II some unaecountabie way
Emerged i'll a chemical Dath,
for ages it may be until the
the trunks and roots were
solid stone. Nobody knows
3ppened. but two and III places
tests We're III time subjected TO
meal process, for the petriled
m stratas.
Yer 4 shaft has been sunk,
layer OF similar petrlhcdtlonS
and i'll some places where
ave been sunk deeper, thlrd
ANe'-+ St-'- N-ANANN
st, has been discovered, Sixty
lty feet below the surface OF
and. which makes it quite evil
At after the one at the bottom
ffulIy covered by the hand OF
second forest grew and thrIv-
curse of time was turned from
10 stone; was gradually hidden
der another layer of sand, and
crest grew, and became stone
an tell how this all came about,
the way the sand storms are
WY but surely burying portions
round from sight. In course OF
is will also be covered; but
'.-l a new forest grows on its
aud shares the fate of the three
W f. is tremendous proposition
there is no good in specializing
0 aud we shall not be here to see.
.A~ the day in driving about over
, y. freak of nature. often getting