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incased in ice and forms a huge translucent chimney, through 
which at regular intervals a mingled current of gas and water 
rushes to twice its height. By cutting through this chimney 
at its base, and igniting the gas in a paroxysm, it affords a 
magnificient spectacle—a fountain of water and fire which 
brilliantly illuminates its ice chimney, No accurate measure 
has been made of the gas escaping from these wells, but it is 
estimated to be sufficient to light a large city. , 
At West Bloomfield, N. Y., is another gas well not unlike 
these I have described. This is bored to the depth of 500 ft. 
reaching down to the vicinity of the Marcellus bituminous 
shales. From some measurements made by Prof. Wurtz, it 
appears that about five cubic feet of gas escape from this 
well every second. It is proposed to utilize this large amount 
of valuable combustible, by conducting it through pipes to 
Rochester, a distance of twenty miles. 
At Erie, Penn., there are now twenty-five gas wells in suc- 
cessful operation, most of which have been bored for the 
special purpose of obtaining gas. Mr. Henry Newton, my 
assistant in the School of Mines, has recently made at my 
request a careful examination of all of these wells, and has 
given me a detailed description of each. I quote one or.two 
of these for the purpose of giving a clear idea of their general 
character. 
Ist. N. Jarecki & Co., (Petroleum Brass Works,) have two 
wells, the first bored for oil in 1864, 1200 feet deep. No oil 
was obtained, but brackish water and an abundant supply of 
gas. ‘This is used to light a few houses. The second well 
was bored in March, 1871, for gas, is 700 feet deep, and is 
used to light the shop and heat the boilers. The supply is 
not at all regular, and has perceptibly failed since the Conrad 
well was sunk near it. The heating power of the gas, from 
well No. 2, is roughly estimated at from 8 to 10 tons of coal 
per month. 
2d. Brevillier’s well, was sunk for oil in 1864, depth 625 
feet, diameter 5 inches. The gas supplies five fires in the 
soap factory and three in the house of the proprietor, beside 
