Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-09-18
GIGANTIC PROJECT.

4 t6l6ANTlC PkOJECTs
Dr1~Sing on - the sesboard-A Three
how % Got IL Over tho AlloE nenies-
The Engineering Details and Dsti-
The recent oil discoveries in Butler
county, Pa, have had the effect to re-.
vive an interest in the plan proposed
several years ago looking to the trans
portation Of oil to the seaboard by
means of underground iron pipes.
Pittsburg and Titusville papers arc
now quite full of the subject, and CAPT.
talists in that section of country are
giving the matter considerable atten-
ton. That there are difficulties in the
way Of carrying out such q project no.
body doubts, but that these are insur-
mountable very few appear willing to
assert: The oil districts are now ira
versed by pipe lines in which hun.
dreds OF thousands of dollars have
been profitably invested and hosts of
workmen lind remunerativo employ
lnent IN this branch, of the business
And the convenience of the transporta-
ton thus Afforded to shippers has been
universally recognized and appreciat-
ed. The matter is Go longer one of
theory. or even of mere experiment =;
for 1t has become a practical every day
affair, so fsr as circumscribed dis.
trict ID concerned. But when it comes
to crossing the A]leghanies and convey
ing the oil from Tltusville to Philadel-
phia, distance of $50 miles, through
iron pipes, there is a phase of serious
ness about. the project which com
pels cautious capital to hesitate
before embarking in it. But,
both in Pittsburg and Philadel.
phia, the scheme has been thou hit
worth looking into, and among the
opinions procured from practical men
as to it's practicability, We notice one
from a Mr.. q. W. Plat, q civil engi-
neer Of admitted proficiency, and whose
experience O. Superintendent in con-
structing the Holly Water Works sys-
TEN in several cities seems to make his
views worthy of respect. Mr.. Platt's
letter, which We find in the Titusville
Herald, deals with the question in q
business.like manner albeit he may be
over-sanguine in his expressions of
confidence. <.
The laying Of such pipe line a. that
proposed would require six-inch cast
iron pipe 10 be LAID from Titusville,
over the Allegheny range, in bee line
to Philadelphia, and at an elevation at
one point Of some 1900 feet, which
would be 5000 feet above the level of
the sea. To accomplish this MIR. Platt
says is entirely practicable in an engi
neering point Of view,. and, AZ respects
it's cost, he puts that at g. 400, $50.
OF course we have no space to give
the details and specifications
whereby this result Is reached,
but some of the glittering generalitiee
may be mentioned: To begin with. q
margin Of forty miles of pipe is allowed
for undulations en- route, making the:
total length fpipe required 800 miles.
It 10 tavefred that there need be no
more difficulty in conveying oil through
such q length of pipe than if it were
water, and that this last can be done ia
exemplifed BY the fact Of. the water
mains !: of Chicago and London being
much longer than 800 miles. These 800
miles Of pipe would contain about
81, 900 barrels of oils. To prevent too
great strain on the pipe, Mr.. Plat
proposes to have five pumping stations
between Titusville and the summit.
which would be eight miles apart and
give each pnmp the task of elevating
the oil 300 feet. By the, Holly plan OF
walton Of 800 feet, and the friction OF
eight miles overcome, at the rate of a
million gallons every twenty-fou1
hours. This would be equivalent to
%, 900 barrels Of oil by fluid measure.
The cost of five pumps to do this work,
with all machinery, engines and build.
ings, is estimated at $50, 900. Tanks
at EACH of these stations of twenty.
five thousand barrels. : capacity,
would cost about $72, 500. At the
summit would be needed q 100000
barrel tank, costing CSC, 900. Then
must come the avalanching of the oil,
from the top of the Alleghanies, upon
the devoted heade of those Brotherly
at the seaboard end of the line.
The rushing of ,000, 600 gallons Of
oil per day, through $50 OF 800 miles Of
pipe, and starting at an elevation oil
5000 feet, will obviously be no child't
play affair when the details come ur
for settlement. But Mr.. Platt puts 8
very bold face on the matter,
and goes into all the calculations re-
quired to meet friction and pressure
and loss, ETC., and shoves out of sight
all trouble by means OF more pumping
stations and tanks, iclincbing hi, fig.
ures with the remark that thus %, OO(
barrels of oil every twenty. four hours
could be delivered with ease, and at 9
cost Of only ten cents q barrel. This
"opinion as il an opinion" is finally
tabulated in this form, which may have
some interest for such of our readers
as are figuratively inclined:
| .--,. REcAPlTuLAT1oN.
81, 900 barrels OF oil to I'll pipe at 81
II DUMPING stations 1t slo, 600 each. no SSt
II station tanks q. 900 barrels each at
80 cents per Dbl. ..:............. 37,50
Tankage at summit ion, 900 bbls ct
rs%k sSS's Il PEI s:cS end Of line aooo ''
bbls at 50 cents per bbl.. ....... 100, 600
Cost Of 500 miles Of 6:inch iron pipe
laid complete at s., 500 per mile... 2, $50 ,O0l
800 miles OF telegraph at $3.50 per
| mle.. ......... ............... 70,Ot
ss,oss,5st
Add ten per cent. for engineering
aud right Of way. so6,e4'
Total cost complete. 81, 406, 15(
The cast-iron pipe should be pre-
pared with "Dr. Smiths preparation,
which is impervious to any salts hello
in solution, either in oil or water, ani
the pipe thus prepared is included il
the above estimate. The annual inter
est on the total cost at eight per cent