PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN NEW YORK 515 



all, the well yielded gas enough to light his house and to supply 

 the kitchen range with fuel. Encouraged by this experience he 

 drilled two more wells, five or six years since, to add to his 

 supply. These wells he did not carry to a greater depth than 550 

 and 600 feet. They were very like well no. 1 in all respects and 

 he is now able to supply his house with light and heat, except 

 that for a few months in winter it is necessary to supplement 

 the gas by a coal fire in the furnace. 



Several other partial successes have also been gained in this 

 same line. Mr J. G. Apple, an experienced oil operator, has put 

 down a deep well on his property in the village. 



In 1894 a test well was drilled on the old paper mill property, 

 a mile or two south of the village. A company was organized 

 by the efforts of a " prospector " named Adams, from Erie, Pa. 

 Among the citizens who took the greatest interest in the test 

 was Mr Herman L. Kent, who has kindly furnished information 

 in regard to the drilling. 



It is said that the principal argument of the prospector for 

 the location was drawn from a line connecting Bradford, Pa., 

 with the Canadian gas fields, but this line is a northwest line 

 and Westfield is not on it at all. It is, however, almost a relief 

 to find an " oil expert " adopting a line other than a northeast 

 one. It is probable that gas was looked for in the Medina sand 

 stone, and the facts from Canada were used to support this view. 

 A uniform dip was probably looked for in the strata and the cal- 

 culation made from that as to the depth at which the Medina 

 would be found. 



The drilling was started by 10 persons, each of whom sub- 

 scribed $200. They contracted with Mr Adams to drill to a 

 depth of 2500 feet at fl a foot. A company was afterward 

 formed by six of the persons already interested, under the name 

 of the Westfield fuel and light co. Leases were then taken on 

 property that it seemed wise to control. Gas veins were struck 

 in this well at about 1000 feet and also at 1300 feet. At 1500 

 -feet a heavy flow of salt water was encountered, which com- 

 pletely filled the well. The new company proceeded to drill still 

 deeper. An addition of £2000 was raised for this purpose among 

 its members. After several unsuccessful attempts, the well was 

 cased at a depth of 1608 feet. After a little progress below this 



