THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I9II 47 



Marcellus and Onondaga formations of the Middle Devonic. The 

 output is distributed by the Gowanda Gas Co. for use in Gowanda. 

 Explorations have been under way recently in northern Cattaraugus 

 county between Gowanda and Cattaraugus where pools are reported 

 at depths from 2500 to 3300 feet in what is supposed to be the 

 Medina sandstone. 



In Chautauqua county the productive area comprises a belt 

 bordering Lake Erie from Silver Creek southwest to the Pennsyl- 

 vania state line. Until quite recently the supply has been obtained 

 from wells a few hundred feet deep in the Portage and Chemung 

 beds and the individual output was small, sufficing only for a few 

 families at most. Deep drilling during the last few years has 

 resulted in the discovery of more productive pools, lying at depths 

 from 1900 to 2300 feet in what is considered Medina sandstone. 

 Some very large flows have been encountered in the vicinity of Silver 

 Creek, Dunkirk, Forestville, Sheridan and Westfield. These wells 

 are mainly owned by local companies who sell the output in the 

 neighboring towns and villages. The principal operators include 

 the Frost Gas Co., Silver Creek Gas and Improvement Co., South 

 Shore Gas Co., and Welch Gas Co. During the past year the United 

 Natural Gas Co. has been engaged in exploration in the town of 

 Arkwright east of Fredonia and is reported to have encountered gas 

 in quantity at depths around 2100 feet. 



Erie county contains several fields. A few wells have been put 

 down within the limits of Buffalo. East Aurora. Collins, North 

 Collins, Angola and Springville in the southern part are centers of 

 a more or less active industry. Within the last 15 years a field has 

 been opened east of Buffalo in the towns of Cheektowaga, Amherst, 

 Lancaster, Clarence, Alden and Xewstead, which for some time 

 has been the most productive in the State. The gas is found in the 

 Medina sandstone at depths of from 1200 to 1600 feet, and the 

 wells have proved quite persistent producers. It is transported in 

 pipe lines to Buffalo, Tonawanda, Batavia, Lancaster, Depew, 

 Honeoye Falls and other towns in the vicinity. There are over 

 200 productive wells in the field. 



In Genesee county a prolific field has been developed at Pavilion 

 during the last five years. The gas is found in the same horizon as 

 in eastern Erie county, at depths of about 1700 feet. The Pavilion 

 Natural Gas Co. and the Alden-Batavia Natural Gas Co. are the 

 chief operators in the field and supply the gas to Pavilion, Leroy 

 and Batavia. 



