NATURAL GAS 385 



land, in Sussex county. Holland makes use of it for the partial 

 illumination of two small villages on the Zuyder Zee. Galicia, 

 Roumania, Russia, India, Persia, and Japan use it in a limited 

 way in the operation of petroleum wells and in refineries. 



One of the most noted natural gas vents or springs located 

 by the pioneers was on the northern bank of the Kanawha 

 river, in West Virginia; this spring was visited in 1770 by Gen- 

 eral Washington, who was greatly impressed by the phenome- 

 non. There was also a well known gas spring on the Big San- 

 dy river 50 miles above its mouth ; and numerous springs were 

 knowTi to exist on what has been called the St. Marj^s uplift, 

 which extends 25 miles north from Burning Springs, on the 

 Little Kanawha river. In the early history, wells drilled for 

 salt water in the area extending from the Cumberland river, 

 Ky., to above the mouth of the Kiskiminitas on the Allegheny 

 river, very often developed large flows of natural gas. In some 

 cases the flow of these wells was persistent, in other cases it 

 was soon exhausted. 



The earliest economic use of natural gas in this country 

 was, in all probability, in 1821, when it was used in the lighting 

 of the village of Fredonia, Chautauqua county, N. Y. On the 

 banks of the Canadaway creek, on which Fredonia is situated, 

 a well 14 inches in diameter was drilled to a depth of 27 feet, 

 and from this was obtained a flow of natural gas sufficient for 

 30 burners, the light of each of which was considered to be 

 equal to that of two good candles. Several years later, in 

 1825, a small gasometer was introduced, and afterwards a num- 

 ber of shallow wells were drilled, and from these more or less 

 natural gas was secured. In 1871 a well developed a very 

 large flow of natural gas when at the depth of 1,200 feet it 

 pierced the Corniferous limestone. 



A well dug for water at Findlay, Ohio, in 1838 produced 

 large quantities of natural gas near the crest of the great 

 Cincinnati uplift. The gas was collected and conveyed into 

 the house of Mr. Daniel Foster, where it was utilized for nearly 

 fifty years, until the regular development of the great Findlay 

 gas field began in November, 1884. 



In 1841 natural gas was developed in association with salt 

 brine in a well drilled on the Kanawha river in West Virginia, 



Vol. 6—25 



