The daily star-mirror., 1922-10-16
COLUMNS DECAY
BUT BEAUTY OF
POSTP|LE CROWS
Phenomenon of Far West is Sci
dom Visited.
INTERESTS FOREIGN SCIENCE

This Marvel, Which Thus Far Has At
tracted So Little Interest, Is bu
Few Hundred Miles From Los An
aeles-Located in the Heart o.
Hearts of the Stupendous Sierra Ne
vada-LikeIy to Hold Out for An
other thousand Centuries.
| The Devils Postpile, natural world
wonder and national monument, is
crumbling. Mysteriously wrought in
| the cosmic crucible, possibly when our
planets foundations were laid, it grad
ually Is succumbing to the onslaughts
or elemental forces. But let not this
startling statement occasion immedi-
ate alarm or regret, for here's a COM
forting paradox. The baSaltic marvel
OF the California wilds improves as
Its destruction progresses And as
It likely will hold out for another
thousand centuries there remains time
to go and look 1t over.
Disintegrating agencies sunder the
masonry of the remarkable structure
and frost, earthquake, tempest and
thunderbolt rend, topple and shatter
Its adamantine supports but always
the newly exposed columns stand forth
stronger and more perfect of form,
more brilliant in their pristine glory
SO huge is the mass, says John L. Won
Blon in Dearborn Independent, that it
must endure for ages before demoli-
ton shall be complete Fortunately,
1t affects only the outermost segments,
hence year discloses but slight
change.
DEVILS PostpIIe.
Do you know where the DEVILS Post
pile is? Have you ever heard of it?
Though set apart by the President
decade ago, authoritatively recog-
nized as the best example extant of
its peculiar type of cOlumnar basalt,
and readily accessible in summer, 1t
remains virtually unseen and unknown
Not more than one out of every 10000 !
Americans has beheld it or could tell |
Its location, while foreign govern |
ments and institutions send their |
scientists to study the splendid tower |
OF long, dark, glistening prisms in all |
ITS fascinating aspects. This phenom-
enon, which thus far has attracted so
little interest among our own people,
IS but a few hundred miles from Los
an easy drive of day or so
1orthward along the eastern base Of
Americas oftiest noun
ains-a trip of varied picturesqueness
and rare charm. From San Francisco
he distance is about the same via the
osemite valley-also route of gran
leur The nearest highway is the trans
continental National Roosevelt Mid
and trail, almost direct from Mon
aux Point, Long Island, to the post
'ile" and the Golden states major
tiles. Two or three hours by trail.
foot or in the saddle, will take you
rom resort called Mammoth to the
7eird, enchanted precincts of his sa-
anic ma1esty's reputed post-setting or
ile-driving operations. The spec
acle is astonishing and inspires ave-
In the heart of hearts of the stupen-
Gus Sierra Nevada, surrounded by ! !
cores Of whiterobed peaks two and I
half miles in the sky, residual gla-
ers, gorgeous lakes, dreamy mead
u, i
ashing brooks the DEVILS Postpile I
couples the center of Il region OF
agnificent scenery, more beautiful
an bic Imagination can conceive or
srA words describe. 1t seems grim t
,ntinel holding watch over the mid
e fork of the San Joaquin river, {
hich noisily rushes by within a hun t
ed yards. The curiOusly attractive !
Id impressive prodigy is set at an Y
ovation of 1900 feet above sea level '
I'd is itself Il pygmy as compared 8
18th the titanic heights all about.
evertheless, even a prosaic visitor c
Ould give heed to naught else the I
st day or two. The one object en- r
rails T
Formation of the Wonder. f
The pile" is a mile long, half as i
ide. and 400 feet high. The odd for O
alton, whence its appellation is de- t
1ed, is not everywhere in evidence, O
opping out only in certain places. c
ne most striking columns consti- II
te more than 1000 feet of its west n
n face They rise more than 100 s.
ct above the talus-a vast heap of t,
oxen posts" accumulated through Il
e never-ceasing battering of the cliff Fl
natures processes. Ultimately all a
II be leveled in this agglOmeration. s.
wv far downward they extend man "
oweth not; 1t may be that they go IL
: beyond the heat-radiating center r.
the ball comprising our tiny share
the universe but probably they