The Coconino sun., 1927-11-25
(Coconino Sun Of Dec. 2, 1899)

(Coconino Sun of Dec 2, 1899
The immense petrified forest of
Arizona has attracted attention from
geologists and men interested in kin
dred phenomena Of nature.
There are several thousand acres Of
this forest scattered over the sand
deserts of northern Arizona in the vi
cinity of Holbrook
At what is known as the first de-
posit several sections of land are COW
cred with the fallen trunks Of the
trees, checked ard broken and upon
a bluff of clay hundred feet or more
from the valley below, is the petrified
tree forming a natural bridge across
from one angle of the bluff to another
some fifty foot in length. The first
has gradually washed away from be-
meath its center leaving both ends
resting upon a sandstone formation.
It's trunk at one end may be followed
for some distance with the eye until
it is completely covered again by the
earth. Near the west end, the great
log is cracked all the way through,
only its weight keeping it in place. A
daredevil cowboy recently rode his
cowpony across the bridge and the
weight did not affect it in the least.
1t is one of the most perfect and the
largest sound log in the forest, being
over five feet through at the butt.
Most visitors are taken to this for-
est only and do not get to see the
larger forests to the south which have
in years gone by been uncovered by
the floods. The greater part Of the
wood is badly scattered and in small
pieces of a full red color.
At the second deposit to the south
east are found many large trees in a
better state Of preservation having
apparently been more recently uncov-
cred and exposed to the elements, for
they are broken. into sections OF from
five to six feet in length and not so
completely shattered as the first de-
posit. There are several hundred
acres in this deposit, though pieces of
petrified wood may be found for
distance Of two hundred miles east
and west, all apparently being part
of the same forest but not all ex-
posed as are the three deposits where
rushing waters have carried the earth
away and left large canyons.
The third deposit is the largest of
them all 1t is mainly in the bottom
of a canyon several miles in width;
here are thousands upon thousands of
the agatized trees lying half buried in
the sand exposing untold beauties to
the eye Of the traveller Bright pieces
are scattered in all directions exhibit
ing all the colors Of the rainbow to
view; pearly crystals, some pink, 9TH
ers white and delicate blue cleaning
in the sunlight from the hearts of old
trees that have lain beneath the earth
for countless years; other broken sec
tions of huge trunks show beautiful
combinations of colors including red,
green, velyety reds, pinks, pearly
white, dark blues, yellow streaks, cir
cling the entire trunk; the bark is still
perfect making delicate framework
for the blended colors within.
You may walk in places for hum
dred yards upon the trunks of the
trees. The limbs seem to either have
been rotted or washed away before
petrification set in as but few Of them
can be found, only the largest and
most hardy remain to tell the story
of long ago.
The entire country surrounding has
the appearance of having been at one
time the bottom Of large body Of
water, for petrified bones and shells