PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN NEW YORK 429 



* The experience of these villages suggested to the Fulton com- 

 pany a new line of action. To recover if possible the losses al- 

 ready incurred, Messrs Lewis and Case and other members of the 

 old company organized a new company to drill wells and supply 

 the village with the new fuel. The necessary franchise was 

 obtained from the village council, options were taken on 14,000 

 acres of land lying near the village, and new wells were at once 

 begun. 



The first well was located on the Vogelsang farm about one 

 and a half miles southeast of the village center. The section 



as reported was found as follows: 



Medina sandstone , 400 ft 



Oswego sandstone and Pulaski shale 880 



Utica shale ' 120 



Trenton limestone, upper surface at 1400 



These figures are approximate but they serve well as a general 

 statement. This record was well supported by carefully saved 

 samples of the drillings. The latter were kindly placed at the 

 disposal of the survey by Mr Case, secretary. Gas was struck 

 in the red Medina and at various points in the Trenton. The 

 largest supply was reached at about 1700 feet, the rock pressure 

 of which was enormous. To determine this point an expert was 

 brought on from Bradford, Pa. He found the pressure to be 

 1240 pounds. The well was left to blow wide open for one hour 

 and when the valve was closed, a pressure of 500 pounds was 

 regained almost instantly, and in lOf minutes 1075 pounds were 

 registered. On being deepened a few feet the pressure is said to 

 have run up to 1525 pounds temporarily. The total depth of 

 the well was not far from 2500 feet. The cost of drilling was 

 $1.25 a foot. The well was at first tubed with two inch pipe, 

 but the company was advised to replace this by three inch pipe. 

 In making the change, a considerable body of very strong salt 

 water, which had seeped in from various horizons outside the 

 pipe was released and lay on the gas rock for 36 hours; but 

 the original pressure was practically regained. As soon as gas 

 was struck the company set about piping the town. The work 

 was done in haste and in September 1895, 164 consumers were 

 put on the line. But this demand pmv«?d beyond the capacity 



