Sadtler.] -^UU [Peb jg 



of that date sl»ow that he proved thereby, and then, the practicability of 

 precisf'ly dclormining the form and limits of any storm. All tliat he asked 

 of the Signal Service now was to make continuous observations, instead of 

 three observations a day, and to put down upon their charts the other more 

 important elements with that of barometric pressure. 



Prof. Houston noticed the fact that, by the barometer at 

 the High School, the mercury stood, on the 5th of February 

 at 1.20 P. M., at the most extraordinary height of 30.94. 

 He wished also to put on record his proposed improvement 

 of the barometer, at the mechanical details of which he is 

 now working, viz : to read with greater ease and precision, 

 by means of a scale floated on the surface of the mercury, 

 counterbalanced and connected with a ring around the tube. 



Prof. Sadtler, by permission of the Geological Survey of 

 Pennsylvania, gave the scientific results of his recent analy- 

 ses of gas from several oil wells in Western Pennsylvania — 

 gas which is used in the iron manufacture. 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE LABORATORY OF THE UNIVER- 

 SITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



No. VI. 



On the Composition of the Natural Gas from certain Wells in Western 



Pennsylvania. 



By Samuel P. Sadtler. 



(Read before the American Philosophical Society, Feb. 18, 1876.) 

 Having had occasion lately to analyse some of the gases issuing from 

 •wells in Western Pennsylvania, I have obtained some results which are 

 given as a contribution to our knowledge of these important natural pro- 

 ducts. There have been almost no analyses whatever made of these gases. 

 In 18GG a French geologist, M. Foncou visited a number of these gas-wells 

 and collected specimens of the gases. These were afterwards analysed by 

 M. Fonque, and the results are i)ublished in Compt. rendus LXVlI.p. 1045. 

 The localities were Pioneer Run, Venango Co., Pa.; Fredonia, N. Y. ; 

 Roger's Gulch, Wirt Co., W. Va. ; Burning Springs, on the Niagara river 

 below the Cataract ; and Petrolia, Enniskillcn district, Canada West. 

 These points are certainly widely enough removed to make the series com- 

 prehensive from a geological standpoint. The anal^'ses do not appear to 

 have been complete ones, as M. Fonque determined the exact amounts of 

 only a few of the constituents. In general, the gases were composed of 



