440 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



lighted. The island is used as a park and is known as Island 

 grave. The surface rocks of the region belong to the lower por- 

 tions of the Hudson river series. One of the names assigned to 

 this division by the New York state geologists in their first sys- 

 tem of nomenclature was drawn from this very locality, namely, 

 the Pulaski shale. Another name proposed for the same section 

 was the Lorraine shale. This designation was drawn from the 

 fine exposures of this rock in the town of Lorraine, Jefferson co. 

 where the series has been dissected by the gorge of Sandy Creek. 



The Salmon river section of the Pulaski shale is 40 to 50 feet 

 in thickness, within the village limits. It is made up principally 

 of sandy and calcareous shales in which the characteristic fossils 

 of the formation are well and abundantly displayed. There is 

 very little material in the section that can endure exposure to 

 the weather. Occasionally .a layer is found that does not im- 

 mediately disintegrate and such are used to a considerable ex- 

 tent in unimportant masonry. 



Farther up the stream a much longer and finer section is to 

 be seen at the falls of the Salmon river in Orwell township. The 

 Medina sandstone occurs in force in this township, and possibly 

 the Oswego sandstone also. The sandstone is best seen in what 

 are called the Grindstone quarries. 



The mantle of drift is nowhere of great thickness and it adapts 

 itself in a general way to the topography of the rocky floor on 

 which it was deposited. The general level of the town is some- 

 what more than 100 feet above the level of Lake Ontario. 



A company was organized in the spring of 1891 made up of 

 public spirited citizens. Louis J. Clark, president of the First 

 national bank, was made president of the exploring company. 



The first well was located on Mill street. At a depth of 559 

 feet a flow of salt water and gas was reached. The water was 

 thrown above the derrick in a milky shower which continued for 

 about 24 hours. At 980 feet a blower of gas of great force was 

 struck, in the night. It not only lifted the drilling tools but 

 carried out the casing and tubing as well and packed the cable 

 so closely in the casing that it was necessary to use an axe on 

 the latter in getting it free. The salt water that had been found 

 at a higher horizon accumulated on the lower gas rock and 

 nearly ruined its production. 



