REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR IQII II 



geological survey. Time, money and energy have been wasted in 

 pursuit of ventures which by a little inquiry would have been found 

 absolutely futile at the start. 



Xo doubt the fact that the Xew York series of rock formations 

 does not contain workable coal beds has secured wide currency 

 among the people of the State and its scientific demonstration by the 

 First Survey has been of incalculable benefit in forestalling much 

 fruitless search for coal deposits. There seems, however, to be a 

 need for urging it upon public attention from time to time, as shown 

 by the recent revival of interest in the matter. The regions from 

 which reputed discoveries are most often reported include the Hud- 

 son river section, the Catskills and the southern tier of counties along 

 the Pennsylvania border. In none are found rock formations equiva- 

 lent in age to the proximate coal seams of the Appalachian field, the 

 nearest approach to those being represented by the small areas of 

 carbonic conglomerate in the southwestern corner of the State that 

 are the last outlying remnants of the great conglomerate at the base 

 of the productive measures. There can be no excuse for further 

 waste of effort in mining for coal anywhere within the boundaries 

 of the State. 



It is recognized that the limits of the oil and gas fields are not 

 accurately defined as yet, and there are still possibilities for discover- 

 ing new sources of supply, especially of gas. Exploration may be 

 guided in some measure by the results of geological work, as has 

 been already stated. With the information which is available in 

 regard to the productive formations and their distribution, the more 

 promising territory may be broadly marked out ; other considerations, 

 also, show that only a part of the remaining area is at all likely to 

 contain economically valuable pools of either oil or gas. The areas 

 comprised within the Adirondacks and the Highlands are absolutely 

 barren, as they are composed of crystalline rocks. The bordering 

 region of thin or disturbed sediments affords very little chance of 

 productive wells and this is equally true of the great mass of shales 

 and sandstones that constitutes the '' Hudson River formation " 

 between the Adirondacks and the Highlands. The territory imme- 

 diately west of these areas and extending as far as the meridian 

 running through the middle of Oneida lake is of doubtful value, as 

 demonstrated by experience with test wells. The actual productive 

 area is restricted to the central and western parts, including about 

 fifteen counties in all, of which only those near the western border 

 have been found thus far to contain very large pools. In regard to 



