PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS* IN NEW YORK 497 



the village. Hart visited the mill from time to time and became 

 interested in his neighbor's experiment and its outcome and de- 

 termined to follow up farther the gas vein that had thus been 

 disclosed. He continued working in the hole that Howard had 

 begun under the mill till the extemporized drill gave way. In 

 short, the drill broke, and the bottom of it was left fast in the 

 shale bed, thus shutting off the principal flow of the gas already 

 noticed. Not satisfied with this attempt, Mr Hart forthwith set 

 about drilling for gas in the valley near by. The location was 

 between the grist mill and the woolen mill. He went down 40 

 feet at this point, but found no considerable volume of gas. Still 

 undiscouraged, he made one more effort to locate in the shale 

 some one of the gas veins which had been escaping in the small 

 way for centuries. He began this third trial in the valley north 

 of the main road, and in fact just where the best-known natural 

 flow of gas of the neighborhood had been observed. 



How deep he sank the drill here can not now be ascertained. 

 Some think that he went down 70 feet into the shale. At any 

 rate, his search was successful. He found what was counted a 

 good vein of gas and entered at once on its utilization. He 

 constructed a rude gasometer in which to accumulate the gas 

 and placed it under a still ruder shelter of undressed boards. 

 He purchased light lead pipe, three quarters of an inch in diame- 

 ter, and connected the gas with the old hotel (the Abell house) 

 located where the Columbia hotel now stands. He also laid pipe 

 to several of the stores on the opposite side of the street from 

 the hotel. The natural gas supply of Fredonia was thus begun. 

 The entire credit of its discovery and utilization belong to one 

 man, William A. Hart. In his labors he showed both persistence 

 and practical sagacity. We can well afford to honor his name. 



This brief history made a profound impression on the country, 

 specially when the condition of the times was taken into account. 

 Fredonia was on the most common line of travel for this part of 

 the country in that day, viz, the stage line between Buffalo and 

 all the west which was then occupied. Travelers passing 

 through Fredonia would be sure to have their attention called to 

 the fact that here was a town lighted with natural gas; the 

 tirst, certainly, in this part of the world. The phenomenon also 

 attracted the attention of scientific men. The elder Silliman, 



