The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-12-02

Continuation Of present favorable
weather conditions and maintenance
Of the rate Of progress shown thus
far in construction Of the Elk Basin
Billings pipeline should find the Ohio
Oil company ready to deliver natural
gas to the Billings Gas company 1t
the city limits for local distribution
shortly. after December /. Inspec-
ton of the entire line shows less than
20 miles of the 72-mile stretch OF
pipe yet to be added in the work at
the terminals.
The 10-inch line from Laurel
should reach the landing field at Bill
lings. just south Of Tourist park, in
a day or two.
Four Short Breaks
With the exception Of q stretch of
possibly two miles at Elk Basin, in
immediate vicinity of the giant gas
ser which will furnish the supply, a
short stretch between the Basin and
Bridger, another between Bridger
and Fromberg, another between the
latter and Laurel, and from Laurel
to vicinity Of Mossmain, the pipe has
been laid and is ready to function.
The difficult task of laying the
eight-inch line across the river, 100
yards east Of the bridge which cros-
ses the Yellowstone river one mile
southwest of Laurel, is in progress.
There. heavy clamps are being placed
at the Joints at an interval Of proba-
bly, IL feet apart. and when these are
adjusted the pipe will be let down in
the river on bed previously prepared.
High water next spring should cover
the pipe with silt and gravel as eff
fectively as II trench had been
made and covered for its reception.
One construction camp is now be-
ing maintained between Elk Basin
and Bridger, another near Fromberg,
another between the latter and Rock
vale, and fourth between Mossmain
and Billings. These camps represent
as many unfinished gaps in the line
yet to be completed, but each is a
comparatively short stretch.
Going Two Miles . Day
Incredible progress is being made
by the various crews and it gives hint
Of the Illinois Pipeline company's
splendid organization, which, like
we'll oiled machine, functions SEEM
ingly without missing a cog. Tidy
camps; trucks moving with clock
like precision and regularity along
unfinished portions Of the right-of-
way, delivering pipe and supplies;
tractor-driven trenching machines
making ditch at the rate OF four or
five miles day, and the onward
moving tong gangs with their tractor
driven connecting machines furnish
scenes Of activity and well-organized
construction effort such as have never
before been witnessed in that section.
With the line completed through
the town of Bridger, where franchise
was recently granted to an Ohio COM
pany representative, and on the eve
OF completion through Fromberg, the
construction crews are about ready
to enter Laurel. through which the
pipe should be laid within q day or
two at the most.
At Elk Basin the trenching has
been completed right up to the big
gas we'll. source OF the supply, and
pipe is strewn along this trench at
regular intervals. so that the Elk
Basin end Of the project requires
but few days work, apparently, be-
fore completion.
Color to reports in the Elk Basin
field that the gas from the big we'll
which will feed the new pipeline is
showing gasoline content sufficient to
warrant extraction is lent by a trench
extending from the gasser to the
casing-head plant at Elk Basin, indi-
eating some plans for extraction of
gasoline content in the gas. II 1t does
exist. II flow from the gasser does
show gasoline content 1t will mean
added output of casing-head at Elk
Basin without affecting in the least
heat units or volume of the Billings
supply. This wet gas" talk, how
ever, does not come from sources that
are even remotely official. It doesn't
appear susceptible Of verification.
At the landing" field on the south