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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



then return, the demonstration of the connection between the two 

 would be complete. 



In the exploration in Ripley Mr Nelson Randall was the pio- 

 neer, beginning the work in 1882. He was led to believe that 

 the shales of the township hold a supply of gas by reflecting on 

 an observation he had made many years before while rowing on 

 the lake, a half a mile or so from the shore. He noticed there 

 a bulging surface of the water and on closer examination 

 found that it was due to escaping gas. The gas he found to be 

 inflammable and he properly concluded that it was derived from 

 the underlying rocks. He began at this time to urge his neigh- 

 bors to unite with him in a test, but failing to interest others 

 he finally undertook the drilling himself in the year above named, 

 1882. He drilled a well on his own premises, 780 feet in 

 depth. At 230 feet he found a salt water vein and sunk his 

 casing below it. His well yielded a respectable volume of gas 

 and has supplied without interruption since that date two dwell- 

 ings with all the fuel and light they require. In addition it 

 has maintained a considerable number of lights in other resi- 

 dences. 



His neighbors have now followed his example and wells have 

 been considerably multiplied, as the list above given shows. This 

 increase of wells around the village center will undoubtedly 

 affect the production of all before a very long time. 



Mr Frederick Randall, son of Nelson Randall, has laid a two 

 inch pipe through the village streets and has attached to it seven 

 wells, the farthest of which is about two miles to the westward. 

 From this line he supplies a number of households with fuel and 

 light. As the number of wells attached to the line is increased 

 the gas supply becomes more satisfactory. The irregularities of 

 supply that result in the use of a single well disappear when sev- 

 eral wells are connected. In the village of Northeast, Pa., in the 

 next township west, not less than 14 wells are connected with a 

 single line and great advantage results from this equalization of 

 flow. 



Dr D. G. Tennant, living at the village center, obtained gas for 

 his house for a number of years from the well of his next neigh- 

 bor, who had a surplus. But several years ago he concluded to 

 drill a well for himself. Since that time no other fuel or light 



