428 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



namely, the Medina sandstone, a few feet. The well filled with 

 surface water, but gas still bubbled through it. The bubbles 

 were caught in an inverted butter tub, the bottom of which had 

 been provided with a jet from which the gas, in this case prob- 

 ably derived from the Medina sandstone, was lighted and burned. 

 The experiment stopped at this point, but it had given its testi- 

 mony and this took effect on the minds of some of the more 

 observant members of the community. 



Eight or ten years thereafter the excitement over the wonder- 

 ful discovery at Findlay, O., recalled this experience and led to 

 the formation of a company of some of the more enterprising 

 citizens of Fulton. T. D. Lewis was president of the company 

 and J. H. Case, secretary, and these two gentlemen took the 

 leading part in all the subsequent development. 



The company proceeded to make a thorough test at the same 

 point where the first well was sunk, availing itself of the 18- 

 foot excavation previously made by Mr Van Buren. The drillers 

 employed were naturally skeptic as to finding gas in this un- 

 known series and did not use any precaution as to the exclusion 

 of fire, such as would have been employed in a known gas dis- 

 trict. Light flows of gas were however reached at various hori- 

 zons and one of them was accidentally ignited from the forge 

 in the derrick. This latter structure took fire thus and was 

 destroyed. The derrick was rebuilt and the work resumed. The 

 several formations of the region already noted were passed in 

 due order and the Trenton limestone was struck at a depth of 

 between 1300 and 1400 feet. At 1727 feet, well down in the last 

 named stratum, a gas vein of considerable volume and force was 

 reached. Drilling was continued to the depth of 2020 feet, or 

 about 650 feet below the top of the Trenton. 



The company had demonstrated the presence of significant 

 accumulations of inflammable gas in the rock foundations of 

 Oswego county, but had found nothing thus far that could be 

 turned to economic account in repaying them for the consider- 

 able outlay they had already made. 



Meanwhile exploration was going forward around them. The 

 villages of Sandy Creek and Pulaski had already found gas in 

 the Trenton limestone and were proceeding to utilize it. 



