The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-28
A Modern Engineering Feat.

philadelphia Correspondence OF the N. Y. Bulletin.
A most important contract to the pc.
troleum interest has been closed in this
city by the Pennsylvania Transporta.
tiOn Company and the different pipe
mills comprising what is known as the
Pipe Association. The President, Mr..
Henry Harley, is we'll known as the
pioneer in pipe laying in the oil region.
The contract was for three hundred
miles of four-inch iron pipe. The Pipe
Association comprises all the large pipe
mills in the country, and they are to
furnish three miles of pipe per day. 1t
is proposed by Mr.. Harley's company to
construct pipe from the oil region to
tide-water, and as the laying of pipes
and forcing oil through them over long
distances is no experiment, the scheme
assumes vast importance to the COM
mercial interests of Philadelphia. The
projectors and promoters of the affair
have also contracted with the Antwerp
and Oil City, Atlantic, Keystone, Grant,
and Karns pipe line companies to fur
nish them with oil enough to meet their
full capacity, which is estimated for the
four inch pipe at six thousand barrels
per day.
1t is proposed that the line shall be
laid thirty inches under ground, right
over mountains and down valleys,
and stations be established along the
route at proper points t0 distribute the
labor of forcing the oil to tide-water.
AS oil is now forced through the pipes
from the oil regions to Pittsburg there is
no question as to the feasibility of the
scheme. The pipes will be longer than
in direct line, as it might be laid, be-
cause it is advisable to keep along the
beaten track of traffic, so that the
expense of hauling and distributing ma
terial in the wilderness will be avoided.
The company having secured charter
and way privilege have, of course, met
with very pointed and strong opposi-
ton from the railroad companies.
Especially is this true Just now, when
the Pipe Company have arranged to lay
three miles of pipe per day, and COM
plete the line in one hundred days.
The railroad companies naturally Op-
pose any innovation upon their char
tered privileges as common carriers, well
knowing that the pipe line will, imme-
diately upon completion, break the oil
combination, and run to Philadelphia
for refining 100000 barrels of crude
petroleum year. Then this vast noun
tain of the oil product would naturally
detract immensely from the railroad
receipts. The immediate and very seri-
Gus condition of things in this matter
is that the interests of the railroad COM
panies and oil combinations are identi-
cal; that the Pipe Company can run
over mountains, streams, and valleys to
tide-watcr enough oil to take away in
this product all the profit of the railroads
and the Standard Oil Company, and
that the rival interests now stand in
gladiatorial array, with shields poised and
sword ready to deliver the cut.
On the other hand the Pipe Company
feel so strong in the franchises that they
scout the threats of opposition. They
rely upon the strength of their cause
and public sentiment, which is undOubt-
edly with them.
The Pipe Company has as its counsel
General B. F. Butle., of Massachusetts,;
f. Carroll Brewster and Joshua Dougla lass,
of Pennsylvania; and General II. l..
Burnett, of New York. The railroad
companies have their regular formidable
counsel, and there will undoubtedly be
music in few days, for the Pipe Com
pany proposes to commence laying pipes
within week.