The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-29

/, called There are a number of then
down here on the Mexican gulf. They
are used to store the crude oil as 1t comes
in from the fields and also for the gas
oline, kerosene, lubricating and other
oils which form the products of the re-
flneries while awaiting their shipment
in the great tank steamers and tank
cars which carry them to the market.
The tanks are connected by pipes with
the refineries, with the oil fields and
with the wharves where the ships come
for their loads. There are thousands of
miles of such pipes, each about "a inches
in circumference, or about as big around
as the waist of your sweetheart. In
these the oil is carried over the country.
1t gees from the wells in the oil fields
to storage tanks nearby, and from there
Is pumped from station to station until
it reaches the refinery. In fact, pipe
line is much like a railroad. The pipes
are the tracks and the stations the de-
pots, while the pumping establishments
at each station are the motive power
which sends the oil freight through the
pipes from on estation to the other. On
a long line the stations are about so miles
apart, each consisting of one or more
large steel tanks for storing the oil.
The tank farms are collections of
such storage tanks They are to be
rehneries. In company with Mr.. Mar
shall 1 have visited some belonging to
the Magnolia company, which lie on
the edge of Spindle Top hill. the farm
consists of II steel tanks and four great
earthen tanks, the whole having ca
pacity of over 100000 barrels Each of
the steel tanks holds 5000 barrels. 1t is
great cylinder about 80 feet high and
perhaps 100 feet in diameter. 1t has a
q roof which like walls
sists of steel plates SO riveted together
that there can be no leakage, and 1t
stands inside pit of earth large enough
to hold the burning oil and prevent it
from running out over the country in
case the tank should catch fire.
The earthen tanks are about five times
as large as the steel tanks. Each of
them is IA feet deep and 800 feet in dame
ter. 1t is more than a sixth of mile
around, and it has a capacity of $3.50, 900
barrels of oil
These tanks are great circular pits walled
and rooted with planks. Their floors
are a clay, impervious to water. and
when tank is finished the water is let
in and the oil rests upon bed of water
as a base. The tanks are rooted with
boards which are fitted as closely to-
gether as those which form the deck of g.
ship, being calked with oakum to make
them more tight The roof is covered
also with tar and tar paper and is up
held by timbers inside the tank
In the refineries the oil and it's prod
ucts are kept in steel tanks only, and
the tanks vary in size, ranging from
1900 to $1,000 barrels. Each tank Is set
in it's pit to keep the fire from spread
ing should an explosion occur, and the
tanks are painted two different colors,
according as their contents are crude or
refined. Crude petroleum is not infam-
mable enough to be exploded by any heat
from the sun, and the same is true of
fuel oil and other coarse grades. There
fore such tanks may be painted black
without danger, even though black at
tracts the suns rays. 1t is different
with the tanks containing the lighter
oils They are all painted white, for white
does just the reverse. Gasoline in black
tank would easily explode and a great
fire might be the result.