98 ANNUAL REPORT 
ty pools) The! sectionsvare 20, 27-4534) 2 1G, (17S, 20, O40 ane: ai 
These wells have been drilled comparatively recently. The depth to the 
Trenton is similar to that in Jennings and Liberty townships. 
GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTY. 
The conspicuous surface features of the county are two in number; 
one of these is a beach of glacial-lake Erie, which extends across the north- 
ern part of the county. This is a low ridge of sand and fine gravel rising 
a few feet above the general level. The second feature is a moraine ex- 
tending east and west across the south side of the county. This is a ridge 
of clay and gravel, and while rather flat is still considerably higher and 
wider than the lake beach. With the exception of these two cases the to- 
pography of the county is exceedingly flat. The surface rocks in the 
southwest corner belong to the Niagara, those in all other parts to the 
Lower Helderberg. 
The following record of a well at Van Wert shows the succession 
and thickness of strata :! 
Feet 
POTTE UA oie eecaten cust erat ele ce ace Miao tale SORT Tae EaT ocaat Serato fe reieremenere peepee 32 
Waterlime (Lower Helderberg).............cccceces 148 
Niagara. JiIMeStone ee etalon ere each iene ei aeas 185 
Niagara iShalesi seis sys che cleosreh uel auelazsie Uosel cnctel ctaromamanee unas 15 
Clin tone IM eEStONE wisi ecu clevccors cue teaenenea eee verenction tezeraree ate 40 
Medina and Cincinnati (Hudson River) shales (blue) 510 
Utica “shales: Cd ark irae saree erin ara tovenanene terete netetors 290 
FERRENCOM AE eee Sie es tttane: ere canc uate one ereee rebels YR EROS 3 1,220 
The top of the Trenton was found at about 435 feet below tide level. 
In the eastern part of the county, near Delphos, the same formation was 
found at 453 feet below tide. This shows the Trenton lying nearly 
horizontal. Comparing these figures with those found at Celina, in the 
county to the south, shows a dip northward of about 200 feet. Even this, 
however, is a very gentle descent. It appears from what has been said 
that the position of the Trenton rock in this county corresponds very close- 
ly with that found in adjacent counties. The depths at which the forma- 
tion is struck ranges ordinarily from 1,120 feet to 1,260. The pay-rock is 
comparatively shallow, being found ordinarily at depths of less than 35 feet 
in the Trenton. Thus far deeper pays have not been found, though no 
extensive search has been made for them. 
Much of the oil found is of poor quality, having a very dark color; 
and high specific gravity, the latter dropping to 35 degrees B., and occa- 
sionally still lower. The size of the wells has been in keeping with the 
quality of the product. Rarely has the initial production reached 200 bar- 
rels per day. The life of the wells appears to be shorter than in the coun- 
1Geol. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. VI, p. 239. 
