228 NEW YOKE STATE MUSEUM 



and Allegany counties. The Cattaraugus county field is a north- 

 ward extension of the Bradford field of Pennsylvania and is con- 

 tinuous over the state line. The Allegany county field is more 

 isolated, although the oil comes from the same geological hori- 

 zon, which is a sandstone in the upper Chemung or Catskill. This 

 has been discussed in great detail by Charles A. Ashburner in 

 the Transactions of American Institute of Mining Engineers for 

 1887. I 



Natural illuminalting gas was first used in New York at Fre- 

 donia, Chautauqua county, in 1821. It is still in use at the local- 

 ity in question, hut the quantity is insufficient to supply the whole 

 village. Besides Fredonia, at the present time Buffalo, Honeoye 

 Falls, Pulaski and Sandy Creek are using natural gas for heat- 

 ing and illuminating purposes and wells have been bored in the 

 Vicinity of Oswego, as well as at Fulton and Baldwinsville. Gas 

 wells have been bored tentatively at a large number of places in 

 New York State and small quantities of gas have been found, 

 but the enterprises have not ibeen financially successful. At 

 present many of the wells in Buffalo have ceased to yield and a 

 large quantity of the natural gas now consumed in that city is 

 brought in pipe-lines from Canada. The gas of Fredonia comes 

 from shales immediately over the corniferous limestone. The 

 gas of the oil districts comes, like the oil, from the horizon of the 

 Catskill. The gas of central and northern New York comes from 

 the Trenton limestone. 



Natural Carbonic Acid Gas 



This material is obtained at Saratoga iSprings and vicinity by 

 boring wells to a depth of about 350 feet. Carbonated waters 

 flow to 'the surface and are conducted through pipes to large gas 

 holders, where the gas separates from the water and is then 

 pumped into compressors from which it is forced into steel cyl- 

 inders under a pressure of about 1,000 pounds to the square inch. 

 These cylinders, when filled, are shipped 1 to the consumers, who 

 use it chiefly in the manufacture of soda water, both for the 

 wholesale and retail trades. At present this gas is shipped from 



