470 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the first the considerable range of 165 to 650 pounds. A differ- 

 ence of several hundred pounds can sometimes be noted between 

 two closely contiguous wells. 3) Salt water is not found in any 

 considerable quantity in any of the wells and is entirely absent 

 from most records, even of wells that are drilled to the granite. 

 4) No portion of the series from which the gas is derived shows 

 porosity. There is nothing in its composition to indicate this 

 quality. The Trenton limestone of New York makes no approach 

 to its dolomitic phase, so far as the examination has thus far 

 gone. Samples of the formation were taken for chemical analy- 

 sis from various localities and particularly from representative 

 points as Trenton Falls for the sake of comparison with the drill- 

 ings of deep wells and as a possible aid in identification of the 

 various elements of the sections traversed by the drill. The re- 

 sults did not meet anticipations but they are given below. The 

 analyses were executed by Prof. Edward Orton jr, of Columbus, 

 O. 



Analyses of limestones of Trenton age 



No. 1 Birdseye limestone from 10 ft ledge two miles below Po- 

 land, in bank of Canada creek. 



No. 2 Average of 12 ft " velvet blue " rock at foot of stairway, 

 Trenton Falls. 



No. 3 Average of 20 ft uppermost section of Trenton limestone 

 at Prospect. 



No. 4 Drillings from upper beds of Trenton from well no. 2, 

 Rome, 680 ft below surface. 



12 3 4 



Silicious residue 5.14 5.63 1.52 8.16 



Alumina and iron oxid 1.59 1.40 1.39 1.87 



Calcium carbonate 91 . 11 90 . 56 95 . 56 86 . 03 



Magnesium carbonate 2.18 2.45 1.81 3.49 



Total 100.02 100.04 100.28 99.55 



Analyses of Utica shale 



No. 1 Lenticular mass of limestone in shale, Waterman's hill, 

 near Poland. 



No. 2 Average of 36 ft lowermost beds of shale, Waterman's 

 hill, near Poland. 



No. 3 Drillings from well no. 2, Rome, 350 feet below the sur- 

 face. 



