130 Coal Formations in the State of New- York. 



from its bassetting edge near Little Falls to the Niagara river. 

 The surface of this rock at Gasport is 274 feet higher than the sur- 

 face of the waters of Lake Ontario. Here it disappears beneath 

 the waters of that lake ; and from a consideration of its uniform 

 dip, as far as it can be observed, its under surface must be at the 

 depth of at least 100 feet below the surface of the lake. Then al- 

 lowing 40 feet for the thickness of the millstone grit, the upper 

 surface of the carboniferous slate will be 414 feet lower than the 

 surface of the saliferous rock at Gasport. If we add 150 feet for 

 the thickness of the carboniferous slate rock, the depth of the bor- 

 ing will be 564 feet. It may be stated in round numbers, that a 

 satisfactory examination, to be made by boring, will require that 

 these rocks be perforated to the depth of 600 feet. By the same 

 mode of calculation, it appears, that if a similar examination be 

 made at the easternmost locality of native carburetted hydrogen 

 gas, which is near Vernon village, the perforation must extend to 

 the depth of about 250 feet. All the intermediate perforations will 

 require to be in proportion to their distances from these two ex- 

 tremes, which are about 200 miles distant from each other. In 

 Europe, shafts are frequently sunk to the depth of from 400 to 600 

 feet for raising coal from a formation equivalent to this. 



There is one locality of native carburetted hydrogen gas, which 

 requires particular consideration. It is in the village of Fredonia, 

 county of Chautauque. Here the gas issues from the upper sur- 

 face of the slate rock, which embraces the bituminous coal of Tio- 

 ga ; being the third coal formation. It is about 80 feet higher than 

 the surface of the waters of Lake Erie ; or 140 feet higher than the 

 saliferous rock at Gasport. If the bituminous coal beds of Tioga 

 extend to this place in considerable thickness, the gas may issue 

 from them. Such beds might be perforated by boring to about 

 100 feet. But if the gas issues from the carboniferous slate be- 

 neath the saliferous rock, the borings must extend to the depth of 

 at least 700 feet. 



I confess that these conclusions amount to nothing more than 

 probable hypothesis. I consider the risk of loss too great to be 

 hazarded by any one individual, and that it is a proper subject for 

 legislative aid. And it may bo statod, that if coal is not found be- 

 neath the saliferous rock, which is more than 200 miles in extent, 

 it will be truly a peolo-ical curiosity which has no parallel on the 

 eastern continent. But we find many deviations in America from 

 the geological maxims which secin to be established in Europe. 



