IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 
41 
NATURAL GAS IN THE DRIFT OF IOWA. 
BY A. G. LEONARD. 
The finding of natural gas in the Pleistocene deposits of the 
state has been noted from time to time during the past decade. 
The first mention of its occurrence, as far as known, appeared 
in the report of the state mine inspector"* for the years 1886 
and 1887. 
A brief account is therein given of its discovery at Herndon, 
Guthrie county, in 1886, while boring a hole for water. Six 
wells are reported as yielding a good flow of gas, which was 
utilized for cooking and heating purposes. The presence of 
gas at Herndon is also mentioned by McGee in the Eleventh 
Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, f In 
the proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences for 1890-1891 
Mr. F. M. WitterJ reports the discovery of natural gas near 
Letts, Louisa county. Seven wells sunk for water yielded it, 
and the gas from one furnished fuel and light for four families. 
Its probable source is stated to be from the vegetable matter 
buried in the drift. 
R. Ellsworth Call in the Monthly Review of the Iowa 
Weather and Crop Service for November, 1892, § reports that 
there are many instances of the discovery of natural gas in the 
drift of the state while exploring for coal or for artesian waters. 
The wells at Herndon and Letts are noted as are also those at 
Dawson, in Dallas county. 
In all cases the gas is thought to have come from the veget* 
able debris of the glacial deposits. 
Among the other localities where this natural fuel has been 
found may be mentioned one about seven miles northeast of 
Des Moines and another not far from Stanhope, in Hamilton 
CDunty. For several years gas from the well at the latter place 
has been utilized for fuel. 
^Report state mine inspector, 1887, pp. 169-170. 
tEleventh Ann. Rept., 1889-1890, part I, p. 595. 
tiowa Acad. Sci., vol. I, part IE, pp. 68-70. 
§Monthly Rev. Iowa Weather and Crop Serv., vol. Ill, Nov., 1892, p. 6-7. 
