14 RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE. 



say about these wells is here reproduced. It will be seen that 

 the results support the general belief among geologists who 

 are familiar with the Central Basin that oil and gas do not 

 occur there in commercial amounts. What Mr. Munn says 

 about these wells is as follows : 



Lincoln County. While Lincoln County is embraced by the Highlands, 

 much of its surface consists of large valleys and lowlands where the out- 

 cropping rocks are of the same age as those of the Central Basin. 



Five wells have been put down in this county in search of oil and gas or 

 for large supplies of water. One of these was located near an old oil spring 

 south of Argyle in the southwestern part of the county. Another well was 

 drilled still farther to the southwest near Blanche. Both of these wells are 

 reported to have found a small amount of oil, but details regarding them 

 could not be secured. In the northwestern part of the county near Peters- 

 burg a well was started in search of oil on the Brown property in 1900 or 

 1901, but, after getting a "show" of oil, a string of tools was lost in the well 

 at a depth of about 1,000 feet, and the hole abandoned. A considerable flow 

 of gas with salt water was found at about 800 feet in a well drilled at Fay- 

 etteville to supply water for the city. This gas was not utilized, though it is 

 said to have occurred in sufficient quantities to have been of commercial 

 value if the well had been properly handled. A well drilled for water on the 

 farm of Mr. Richard Smith at Smithland found sufficient gas at a shallow 

 depth to be utilized by him for household purposes. Aside from the above 

 wells a large number of shallow ones, drilled for water over the county, have 

 shown more or less oil, gas and some salt water, but to date wells are too 

 few to furnish reliable data regarding the possibility of oil and gas pools of 

 commercial size being found in this region. 



Giles County. A deep well drilled in search of water in Pulaski is said to 

 have reached a depth of 2,200 feet, in which small "shows" of both oil and 

 gas were found. No other deep wells are known to have been drilled in this 

 county, though numerous surface indications of both oil and gas occur. 



Marshall County. All but the southern portion of Marshall County lies 

 within the Central Basin. In this county a few miles northwest of Lewis- 

 burg a well was drilled on the G. O. McRody farm for oil, about the year 

 1900. This is said to have reached a depth of 982 feet and to have furnished 

 some gas. Near Ostella, in the southern part of the county, a water well 

 drilled about 25 years ago on the John Bradford farm furnished considerable 

 gas. South of Lewisburg in the vicinity of Yell and Cornersville many wells 

 drilled for fresh water have supplied small quantities of oil, gas, salt water 

 and sulphur water. One of these wells on the F. M. Parks farm is said to 

 have furnished sufficient gas at a depth of 170 to 190 feet to burn in a flame 

 from 10 to 20 feet high from the mouth of the well. 



Maury County. No deep wells have been drilled for oil and gas in this 

 county. A shallow well sunk for water near Lovettsville in the eastern part 



