News
Pro-Palestine Encampment Represents First Major Test for Harvard President Alan Garber
News
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Condemns Antisemitism at U.S. Colleges Amid Encampment at Harvard
News
‘A Joke’: Nikole Hannah-Jones Says Harvard Should Spend More on Legacy of Slavery Initiative
News
Massachusetts ACLU Demands Harvard Reinstate PSC in Letter
News
LIVE UPDATES: Pro-Palestine Protesters Begin Encampment in Harvard Yard
A giant elm tree, estimated to be over 200 years old, which stood on the Oxford Street side of the Agassiz Museum, crashed to the ground early yesterday morning in the midst of a violent thunder shower. It is believed that the weight of the falling water accompanied by the sharp gust of wind occassioned the downfail of the venerable elm. Yesterday's windfall along with the destruction, of the Washington elm in the same manner last year, marks the passing of the two most remarkable trees in New England.
At various times during the past 50 years, efforts have been made by tree surgeons to prolong the life of the Agassiz elm. In 1910 the giant tree which measured a little less than ten feet in circumference at its base, showed signs of dry not around the roots and the ailing portions were reinforced with cement fillings. Later as the tree continued to lean more and more towards the museum, which was erected in 1901, wire braces were used in an effort to straighten it. The trunk which was badly torn when the tree was partially uprooted was almost completely rotted through.
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.