182 University Geological Survey of Kansas. 
were found in 1894 and 1895. The first zine smelter was es- 
tablished there in 1897 and the first Portland cement plant in 
1899. The zinc smelters and Portland cement plants use an 
enormous amount of gas. These, in connection with the brick- 
kilns and the domestic consumption, draw very heavily on the 
gas supply. At the present time, June, 1908, it is well known 
that the original Iola gas-pool is very largely exhausted. And 
vet the tenacity with which the supply holds out is both sur- 
prising and gratifying to every one. For about twelve years 
a strong field has been drawn upon with unusual rapidity, and 
still is able to give a moderate account of itself. 
The gas-fields in the vicinity of Coffeyville probably are 
even more remarkable. The first wells found here were under 
the city itself in 1892, 18938 and 1894. It is true that these have 
been exhausted for years, but the field to the west of Coffey- 
ville has been drawn upon much more extensively and has 
withstood the drain surprisingly well. Coffeyville to-day is 
better supplied with gas than ever before, although for fifteen 
years it has been piped in her streets. During the last ten years 
particularly the drain has been very heavy, for Coffeyville has 
large manufacturing interests, particularly glass plants, which 
are great consumers of gas. The Coffeyville gas-field and the 
Independence gas-field practically coalesce. The Independ- 
ence field lies to the south of Independence and Bolton, while 
the best gas-fields at Coffeyville lie to the west and extend out 
to Deering and beyond. This particular area practically coa- 
lesces with the great Caney gas-field in southwest Montgomery 
county, which in turn seems to be almost continuous with the 
gas-field of the Cherokee Nation, from Caney southward by 
way of Dewey and Bartlesville to Tulsa and beyond. Indi- 
vidual wells grow weak and occasionally, but not often, are 
abandoned, while the territory as a whole seems to be as good 
or better than ever before. 
The question is asked frequently as to how long gas-wells 
will last. It must be said that our experience in Kansas is too 
short to answer such a question intelligently. Should the 
larger question as to the durability of the Kansas fields be 
raised, the answer would be more positive in one respect, now 
that, with the probabilities of new developments in the future 
as in the past, there seems to be little danger of the supply 
becoming exhausted within the next ten or twenty years. Be- 
yond this probably no one would be safe in predicting. From 
