Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-10-21
Three Hundred Miles OF Oil Pipe.

The system of transporting oil, by
means of pipes laid over moderate dis
tances, has been in practice in the oil
districts of Pennsylvania for several
years, proving aconvenient means OF
carriage and profitable investment
for large amounts of capital. While
the success of the scheme has thus
been demonstrated as applied to copar-
atively small sections of country, it
remains yet to be determined whether
the project can be carried out on
gigantic scale over more extended
space. With the late discoveries in
Butler county, Pennsylvania, it ap-
pears that the interest in the plan, sug-
gested some years ago, has revived,
and the idea of transporting oil
through iron pipes, from Titusville,
over the Alleghanies to Philadelphia
on the sea board, distance of 260
miles, is now exciting considerable at
tention.
Mr.. G. w. Platt, an engineer quite
we'll known throughout the country
from the fact of having superintendent
the construction of the HOlley water
works system in various cities, gives,
in letter to the 1ituspiiie Herald,
detailed specifications for the con-
struction Of a huge conduit of this
description. He considers the scheme
entirely practicable, and estimates its
cost at $4,4O6, $50. 1t is proposed to
lay east iron siX-inch pipe, in bee
line between the points above named,
which at one locality of its route will
be 5000 feet above the sea level; 40
l. al T., Il In
latiOns, SO that the tube will, from end
to end, measure fully 800 miles. Its
contents will be $1,000 barrels of oil,
and it is asserted that there will be no
more difficulty in insnring a flow
through the bore than there now is in
the water mains of London or Chi
cago, both of which systems each ag-
gregate 5000 miles in length. Between
1itusville and the summit, distance
of Az miles, eight pumping stations
will be established, so as to relieve un-
due strain on the pipe. Each pump
will have to raise the oil 800 feet. Wa
ter by the Holley plan of piston
pumps Is elevated to this height,
and the friction of eight miles (the
space between stations), is overcome
ut the rate of million gallons per
twenty-fOur hours, which is equivalent
to 23, 900 barrels of oil fluid measure.
The cost of the five pumps, machinery,
etc, is estimated at $4,000; in ad-
ditiOn to which, there must i've rs
many tanks OF -, GOV gallons capacity,
each costing SIS coo and tiuaiiy a
huge 100000 gallon fesivoir, worth
S50,000 more ut the summit.
Mr. PIatt enters iuto detail regard
mig friction with the tnb9 and other
drawbacks. whiC1t, however he propo-
sea t0 foSlute at once by establishing,
ii necessary. more pumping stations,
anu HE finally concludes that $4,000
barrels may be delivered every twenty
four hours, ut ten cents per barrel.
He figures up the profits as follows:
The pipe kwould deliver 1890, 600 bar
rels of oil per annum, which at a
transportation rate of 56 cents per bar
rel, would yield $3,65O,00O The cost
of running, together with interest on
capital, amounts to $4l2,7l7, giving
therefore, profit per annum of 81, 237-
73S, supposing the line to run at its
full capacity. The pipe could be
thoroughly tested with water and
thus leakage obviated. 1t is believed
that, it would be as indestructible a.
an ordinary water main. The loss
from other sources of waste during
transport, it is further considered,
would not be so great as is now the
case in the regular tank cars Scien-
tific American.