Scientific Intelligence — Geology, 397 



ning out through a hole in the lower end, and in the top is inserted 

 a pipe that conveys the gas to the mouth of the furnace. When 

 ignited, it produces a dense and intensely heated flame along the 

 whole furnace under the row of kettles, 100 feet long, by 6 deep, 

 and 4 wide. This saves the expense of digging and hauling coal. 



Subsef[uently, Messrs Warth and English, whose works are on 

 the opposite side of the river, obtained a similar stream of gas, 

 which has been used successfully in the same way ; and more recently 

 Mr Dryden Donnally, Mr Charles Reynolds, and some few others, pro- 

 duced a partial supply of gas to heat their furnaces in the same way. 



But the most remarkable phenomenon in the way of natural gas 

 here, and we have, no doubt, in the whole world, is that at the 

 works of Messrs Dickinson and Shrewsbury, which has been exhibited 

 for nearly two months past. In this well the gas was reached at 

 the depth of one thousand feet. What the upward pressure of the 

 gas to the square inch is, thi-ough the aperture, which is three 

 inches in diameter, we are unable to tell ; and, perhaps, it would be 

 inipossible to ascertain. It has never had a free and unobstructed 

 vent. There is now, at the bottom of the well, an iron sinker, a 

 long piece of round ii'on nearly filling the aperture ; on this are 600 

 pounds of iron, and about 300 feet of auger-pole used in boring, in 

 pieces of 10 and 20 feet in length, with heavy iron ferules on the 

 end, screwed into eacli other. Notwithstanding all this obstruction, 

 a stream of watei- and gas issues up through a copper tube, 3 inches 

 in diameter, inserted into the well to the depth of 500 feet, with the 

 noise and force of steam generated by the boilers of the largest class 

 of steam-boats. It is computed that a sufficient quantity of gas 

 comes from this well to fill, in five minutes, a reservoir large enough 

 to light the city of New York during twelve hours. When we re- 

 flect that this stream of gas has flowed, unabated, for nearly two 

 months, what must be thought of the quantity and the facility of 

 manufacturing it down below I In the springs hard by, and in the 

 other wells (with perhaps the exception of that of one or two others), 

 thei'e appears, as yet, to be no diminution in the quantity at any 

 place where it has heretofore been known to exist. — American Journal 

 of Science and Art, vol. xlix., No. i., p. 209. 



8. Geological Survey of Canada. — A bill has just passed the House 

 of Assembly of Canada, making provision for a geological survey of 

 the province. A sum, not exceeding L.2000, is to be appropriated 

 annually for five years ; and such a number of persons selected for the 

 work as shall be necessary to make an accurate and complete geo- 

 logical survey. — Christian Guardian for February 26, 1845, To- 

 ronto, Canada. 



9. On the known Thickness of the Crust of the Earth, — It is proper 

 to distinguish between the absolute depth to which man has peneti'ated 

 in his mining operations, or the depth from the surface of the earth 

 at the place where the operations are carried on, and the relative 



