The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-22
The Natural Gas Company Now
Making a Fight.
Declare the Interstate Com
merce Law lis Being Violated.
THEY WANT A MARKET,
Think They Have Same Rights
as Farmer or Grain Dealer.
History of the Pipe Lines Side
of the Present Contest.


Independence, Kan, Dec. 22-The gas
fight will not be a one-sided affair much
longer There will be something doing
all along the line. So far the Kansas
Natural Gas company has been given
all the trouble.
Complaint is to be made to the federal
authorities that the Protective associa-
ton is violating the interstate
commerce law by attempting to re-
strain trade between the states; also
that it is trust or combination seek
ing to control the output of a natural
commodity: also that it's members are
in a. conspiracy to damage the property
of another
After the complaint is filed it is ex-
pected that the United States district
attorney for Kansas will be directed to
present the matter to the federal grand
jury.
The gas company owns vast
amount of gas which it wants to sell.
1t claims the same right to transport
fl to a market as a farmer has to trans
port his cattle and hogs and grain, or
the merchant his goods, or the smelter
or glass plant or brick plant, located in
the bas belt, its product.
The gas company claims the right un-
der both the state and federal cOnStitu
tionS to sell its products anywhere it
can and under the interstate commerce
law IL believes it can prosecute those
who prevent or attempt to prevent IT
from carrying on its business. While
the attorneys for the company will give
out no information as to their plans, it
is known that they are now working on
the case.
1T costs more money to put down a
big pipe line than to build a railroad
the same distance, said Eugene
Mackey. general counsel of the Kansas
Natural Gas company, today. by a
big line I mean 16-inch pipe or over.
Few people have any conception of the
cost Only steel pipe is used in the big
lines and it must be the best of steel.
The pipe now being laid on the
called Joplin line must stand an inside
pressure of 500 pounds to the inch. 1t
is all tested at the steel plant before
shipment The highest gas pressure
that will be put on it when in operation
IS $40 pounds. or $50 pounds less than
the test, so there is not much danger
of an explosion along the line
The gas pipe for the Joplin line is
made at Homestead, Pa 1t is shipped
in regular lengths and Is connected on
the ground by the Dfessefs eoup4er.EThe e.
screw system of coupling has been dis
carded. There are no threads CIR h e.
pipe The new coupler is composed of
a heavy steel collar about foot long
lined with rubber. The rubber lined
collar fits tightly and makes the joint
air tight. The pipe can turn or pull
apart four or Ave inches and still not
leak gas The new coupler makes it
much easier to handle large pipe.
A peculiar thing about piping gas is
that the further the line gets away
from the gas well the larger the pipe
used For instance on. the Joplin line
the pipe for the first twelve miles out
from the wells is twelve inches in diam
eter, the rest of the way it is sixteen
inches. The larger the pipe the less
friction, and friction is an important
item in piping gas. 1t is estimated that
it diminishes in pressure at the rate of
seven pounds per mile.
The pipe line now being constructed
10 Galena is about seventy-five miles in
length. The rock pressure at the wells
Is great enough to carry the gasthrough
without the aid of pumps. But a couple
OF pumping stations will be required on
the Kansas City line.
The Galena line begins at the Bolton
pool southwest of Independence and
runs almost due east to Columbus
Kan 1t follows a public road nearly
all the way, only veering enough now
and then to dodge around the farm of
some farmer who refused to donate or
sell right of way through his farm.
Nearly all the line is laid in the gutter
OF the highway The free title to the
road rests in the adjoining property and
all adjoining property holders but four
along the route to lay the pipe in the
road 1t preferred TO acquire its right
OF way in this manner rather than exer-
else the right of eminent domain and
secure it by condemnation proceedings.
1t figured that there would be less fric-
ton after it was all over by dealing
with the farmers direct than by dealing
with them through condemnation COM
missioners appointed by the court or
county board. About % Of the 75Mniles
of line is on the public highway. The
rest runs through farms.
The towns to be supplied by the pipe
line now building are Liberty, Oswego,
Alamont, Columbus, Pittsburg and Ga
lena. and possible Joplin. The line will
divide just east of Columbus, one branch
going to Galena and the other to Pitts
burg More than 30 miles of the line
have been laid 1t is all down praeti-
cally in Montgomery county and ii
down about half way across I.abette
county. No pipe has been laid in Cher
okee yet although some has arrived
and is being distributed.
The company can lay about mile of
pipe a day when not molested. 1t hopes
to have the Galena line laid by March
l. So far no lateraiS have been laid in
any of the towns along the route so the
plant will not likely get in full opera
ton until May /.
About 400 laborers are at work on the
line They are mostly Greeks, Austrians
and Italians They were imported for
the occasion, as local labor is scarce in
the gas belt.
The pipe line to Galena will have a