'^- [Jan. 19, 



in llu! oil business to anything but that which promises an immediate per- 

 sonal benefit. 



By means of the levels taken to the well mouths I have adjusted the 

 records of one hundred and tliirty-four wells in such a way that tiiey ail may 

 be compared with one point. Tliis i)()int is the Ennis Well, rieasanlville, 

 whicli is located on the highest ground in the county. All other wells are 

 therefore below this base. The elevation of this point above tide I at first 

 determined from information furnislicd me by the Smithsonian Institution 

 to be ITGl.yi feet. This result was aimed at by correcting my own levels 

 with the levels of the Allegheny Valley Railway as I received them. But 

 upon checking my line with other Railway Surveys, I find an error of about 

 fifly-three feet, which I have traced to the Allegheny Valley Railway, 

 between Venango City and Pittsburgh. This makes my base 1709 feet 

 above tide instead of 1763 as first announced.* 



In the arrangement of the strata of sandstone I have paid but little atten- 

 tion to the usual method of numbering, wliicii, from the way of counting 

 from the top is very liable to confuse, as in some places two or three moun- 

 tain sands are found, and in others the first sand is the oil producing rock. 

 I have discarded some records which were evidently incorrect, and have 

 been forced to use some which arc not altogether (o be relied upon. 



I have noted the elevation of 308 wells and about 80 permanent benches 

 in dilferent localities. I also give you the elevation above sea of several 

 places in the western part of the state. 



There have been sent out 153 blanks whicli have not been returned. 



I have great confidence in this method of locating and defining the oil 

 bearing rocks, and from the data which I hand you very much can be 

 gathered which is of practical use. 



In the early part of my observations on tlii.s Survey I formed the opinion 

 that tiie oil rocks dipped uniformly in one direction, but more extended 

 surveys show diHerenlly. In some places the line of greatest dip is nearly 

 south, while in otiiers it is more westerly. The line of oil deposit lies 

 almost invariably in the lineof greatest dip, showing doubtless that the for- 

 mation was made in swift running water, and the deposit of pebbles was 

 in the line of the current- Hence, the "belts," which correspond with 

 the dip. 



If, in your opinion, this Survej'^ is of any practical benefit I would sug- 

 gest tliat it be put into the hands of the Producers' Association, with a view 

 of making it to the interest of a larger number to assist in collecting the 

 necessary data. 



Mucli more work is yet required to define and locate the oil-bearing 

 rocks in this section of the Slate, but the dilUcullies above mentioned and 

 the lack of co-operation, together with demands on my own time which 

 make it impossible for me to give it the attention required, have induced 



* Many efforts tiave been made In 1874, '5 and '(! to discover the cause and quan- 

 tity of tlii.s error l)ut wltliout the best succc.s.s, althuuKb progress has been made 

 towards its adjustment. [J. P. L.] 



