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Burning springs, or springs of water charged with inflammable gas, are found in many places in the western part of the state of New-York, chiefly near Canandaigua Lake. Their positions are known by little hillocks of a dark bituminous mould, through which an inflammable gas escapes to the surface. The following description is taken from a Canandaigua Journal.

‘These springs are found in Bristol, Middlesex, and Canandaigua. The former are situated in a ravine on the west side of Bristol Hollow, about half a mile from the north Presbyterian meeting-house. The ravine is formed in clay slate, and a small brook runs through it. The gas rises through fissures of the slate, from both the margin and the bed of the brook. Where it rises through the water, it is formed into bubbles, and flashes only when the flame is applied; but where it rises directly from the rock, it burns with a steady and beautiful flame, which continues until extinguished by storms, or by design.

‘The springs in Middlesex are situated from one to two miles south-westerly from the village of Rushville, along a tract of nearly a mile in length, partly at the bottom of the valley called Federal Hollow, and partly at an elevation of forty or fifty feet on the south side of it.

‘The latter have been discovered within a few years, in a field which had been long cleared, and are very numerous. Their places are known by little hillocks of a few feet in diameter, and a few inches high, formed of a dark bituminous mould, which seems principally to have been deposited by the gas, and through which it finds its way to the surface, in one or more currents. These currents of gas may be set on fire, and will burn with a steady flame. In winter they form openings through the snow, and being set on fire, exhibit the novel and interesting phenomenon of a steady and lively flame in contact with nothing but snow. In very cold weather, it is said, tubes of ice are formed round these currents of gas, (probably from the freezing of the water contained in it,) which sometimes rises to the height of two or three feet, the gas issuing from their tops; the whole, when lighted in a still evening, presenting an appearance even more beautiful than the former.

‘Experiments made with the gas seem to prove, that it consists principally of a mixture of the light and heavy carburetted hydrogen gases, the former having greatly the preponderance; and that it contains a small proportion of carbonic acid gas. It seems also to hold a little oily or bituminous matter in solution. It burns with a lambent, yellowish flame, scarcely inclining to red, with small scintillations of a bright red at its base. It has the odor of pitcoal. It produces no smoke, but deposits, while burning, a small quantity of bituminous lampblack. It is remarkable that the hillocks, through which the gas rises, are totally destitute of vegetation. Whether the gas is directly deleterious to vegetable life, or indirectly, by interrupting the contact of the air of the atmosphere, it is certain that no plant can sustain life within the circle of its influence.

‘It is well known that this gas is found abundantly in coal mines; and being accidentally set on fire, mixed as it is in those mines with the air of the atmosphere, has many times caused terrible and destructive explosions. The writer cannot learn that it has ever been known to be generated in the earth, except in the presence of coal; and hence the inference is strong that it proceeds from coal.’

There is a burning spring much resorted to by travellers, at the distance of about two miles from Niagara Falls. At Dunkirk, on Lake Erie, there are marshy spots which emit gas, that has been used for lighting some of the houses in the village.