OJiio Natural Gas Fields. — Bozvnockcr. 221 
by the summer of 1889 sufficient gas had been secured to war- 
rant laying a Hne to Cokimbus. Rapid progress was made so 
that in January, 1890, that city was enjoying natural gas for 
the first time. The supply decreased so rapidly, however, that 
by the ensuing November the company was compelled to dis- 
continue furnishing the fuel to factories, and by January 15th, 
1 89 1, to cut ofif the city entirely. After that date very little gas 
was taken from the Thurston field. The number of wells 
drilled in the vicinity of that village numbered nearly thirty. 
The short life of this reservoir resulted from the small area 
and the heavy demands made on it. The quantity of gas con- 
tained in any rock is limited, and the duration of the supply 
is determined by the demand; double the latter and the life of 
the field is cut in two. The length of the territory was three 
and one-half miles, and the width one-half mile. 
In February, 1891, a well was completed on the Zink farm, 
about two miles north of Lancaster, and a production of 6,- 
000,000 cubic feet of gas per day secured. Naturally other 
wells were soon begun, and nearly all were successes. In May, 
1 89 1, the volume secured was such that Columbus was again 
supplied, and since that date the city has enjoyed an uninter- 
rupted supply of the finest fuel in the world. 
The next step in the development of the Central Ohio fields 
was taken September 3, 1893, when a well was completed on 
the Meesbarger farm about three miles northeast of Sugar 
Grove. This Avas a large producer, and the energy of the dril- 
ler was at once turned to that territory. Work has been con- 
tinuous from that date, with the result that the producing ter- 
ritory has been extended into four townships in Fairfield 
county and three in Hocking. At first the fuel was supplied 
to nearby towns, such as Logan and Lancaster, but as the ter- 
ritory was developed and its wealth disclosed, other corpor- 
ations entered the field and the fuel was piped tO' more distant 
places. In this way the demands have become enormous. 
Five large companies and three smaller ones are shipping the 
fuel as fast as it can be secured. The territory supplied is well 
illustrated by naming the cities and the towns that are the 
principal consumers : in northern and northwestern Ohio there 
is Toledo. Bowling Green, Fostoria, Fremont, Clyde, Bellevue, 
Norwalk, Chicago Junction, Carey, Upper Sandusky, Tiffin, 
