The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-30
WORK IS BEGUN.
Active Construction on OIL Line to
Kansas City.

Kansas City, May SO.-Active work
began here today on the construction
of the pipe line that is to connect the
Standard Oil refinery at Sugar creek
with the Kansas and Indian Territory
oil fields. Two gangs of $50 men
each started the construction. A third
gang of $50 men Will be added the
latter part of this week. One Of the
two gangs started from Sugar creek
and the other from Humboldt, the
Kansas terminus of the big trunk
line. The right Of way has been Sc
cured.
The pipe line, viii run south from
Sugar creek on the ridge east of the
Blue valley to point between Grand
View and Hickman's mill when it will
run in southwesterly direction, leav-
ing Jackson county at Mastin. Thence
it Will run southwesterly along the
line of the Missouri Pacific railroad
going through or close to the towns
of Paola and Osawatomie, to Csarnett,
where it viii leave the Missouri Pa
/ cific tracks for the Santa F'e right Of
way, touching at the towns of Colony
and lola and terminating at Hum
/ boldt
| Branch lines from various points in
the Kansas and Indian Territory oil
| fields viii connect with the main
trunk line at Humboldt The stand
ard Oil survey calls for the laying
/ of 116 miles of S-inch pipe between
Sugar creek and Humboldt. The pipe
! line VIII run through Jackson county
in Missouri. and Miami. Allen and An
derson counties in Kansas.
| The pipe is specially constructed for
the purpose. The first shipment will
| arrive at Sugar creek this week All
of the pipe OF the trunk line will be
| buried from IS inches to three feet
under ground A pumping station is
being erected at Humboldt which it is
| expected VIII pump the oil 116 miles
from Humboldt to Sugar creek The
/ pumping station win be equipped
with a big compound oil pump spe-
cially built for the purpose
The altitude at Humboldt is 976 feet.
The highest point on the pipe line is Il
II Welda, near Garnett, where the altitude
IS l,100 feet. The altitude at the re-
hnery site at Sugar Creek is about roc
feet The pipe line win cost about
$4,000 a mile which with the cost OF
the pumping station at Humboldt will
make the total cost $3.50, 900. The pipe
line will be finished by October, when
lit is expected that the refinery at Sugar
Creek Will be in operation.
The building of the pipe line is being
I watched with interest by men who rep
resent thousands of dollars invested ir
the Kansas and Indian Territory oi
fields. The oil men say that the re
finery at Kansas City is prophetic OF
better prices for crude oil. They say
that it will sell for 81. Recent ad-
vances nave brought the price up t
S1.32
The building of the refinery and the
pipe line means that the Standard Oi
company has measured the possibili.
ties of the Kansas fields and that tn,
oil to light the world is to come from
west of the Missouri river. To accom-
plish its purpose the Standard Oil com,
pany is spending 4 million dollars il
the building of a refinery at Kansas
City and in perfecting its pipe line con
nections with the Kansas and IndiaI
territory oil fields.
The purpose of a pipe line is to saw,
the cost of transportation by rail. Th'
use of pipe lines emancipates tn,
Rockefeller interests from the rail
roads until after the crude oil is dis
titled.