STATE GEOLOGIST. 199 



and I have no moans at my disposal for the determination of 

 these important questions. • 



Shales thus bituminized have an existence in oui' State, about 

 which there can be no question. I have elsewhere expressed 

 the hope that they will yet be found to yield a, spontaneous flow 

 of Petroleum, like those of neighboring districts. The belt of 

 country along which experiments might be made extends from 

 Wayne county to Port Huron, and from Thunder to Grand 

 Traverse Bay. The geological relations and the' surface indi- 

 cations are such, especially along the southern belt, that a few 

 borings would be fully justified. A few years ago, as I am in- 

 formed by Mr. F. P. Bouteller, a boring for water was under- 

 taken beneath a saw mill in the township of Greenfield, Wayno 

 count}'. After the drill has passed through a bed of bluish 

 shale at the depth of 70 or 80 feet, it was suddenly wrested 

 from the hands of the workmen by the violent escape of a fetid 

 gas which threw up water and sand to the height of several 

 feet. By accident, the stream of gas was ignited, and sent a 

 column of flame to the roof of the mill, which had to be re- 

 moved. All efforts to entinguish it proved futile for several 

 hours, when the furnace pipe was placed over the well to guide 

 the flame. This, to the groat relief of the owner, had the effect 

 of smothering the fire. Grateful for his escape, he effectually 

 closed the dour against any further eruption of 'the nether fires 

 by promptly filling the hole with stones well rammed down; 

 and has stoutly persisted in refusing to allow any further ex- 

 periments of this dangerous character upon his premises. -. Sim- 

 ilar phenomena have been witnessed at various points along the. 

 shores of the St. Glair river and lake. 



Inflammable gas is the product of the distillation of petro- 

 leum, and it is not improbable that by extending explorations, 

 below the horizon of the gas, the reservoir of oil would ba 

 reached. 



WELLS AND SPRINGS. 



The late successful boring of several artesian wells in the 



