376 F. H. OLIPHANT 



river. When there was water enough in the Allegheny river, 

 these empty bulk boats and flats were towed upstream by 

 steam towboats; at times of low water they were towed up by 

 horses. 



Though these improvements in transportation, both by 

 rail and by boat, removed a part of the difficulty, there yet 

 remained the obstacles that were experienced in moving the 

 crude petroleum from the wells to the railroad or river. This 

 was still done by team, and the roads were often almost im- 

 passable on account of the depth of the mud; the method was 

 at best expensive, and accompanied by great hardship to man 

 and beast. It was chiefly this condition which restricted the 

 amount of petroleum that could be put upon the market. 



This condition of affairs suggested the first pipe line. 

 The first one that was a success was constructed by Mr. Daniel 

 Van Syckle, of Titusville, Pa., in the summer of 1865, extending 

 from Pithole to the railroad at the Miller farm, on Oil creek, a 

 distance of 4 miles. In the fall of the same year, Henry Harley 

 constructed a pipe line from Benninghoff nm to the Shaffer 

 farm. The original line built by Van Syckle was purchased 

 by the firm of Abbot and Harley, who united the two under 

 the name of the Allegheny Transportation company. Both of 

 these lines were successful, much to the discomfiture of the 

 teamsters and roustabouts, who, in some instances, interfered 

 with the operation of the line by cutting or pulling it in two 

 with their teams. A number of arrests followed, and from 

 then on the pipe line was an accomplished fact and an im- 

 portant factor in the collection and delivery of petroleum to 

 points where it could be loaded m tank cars or bulk boats. 

 The growth of long pipe lines was gradual, and it was several 

 years before it was practically demonstrated that long lines 

 could be successfully operated. The improvement in railway 

 transportation by the introduction of the iron tank car was a 

 decided advance over the wooden tanks set in box and flat 

 cars, which for a time answered all the requirements. 



The tanks at the wells are connected by a system of small 

 lines or veins which feed the main lines or arteries. These 

 smaller lines usually are concentrated at the lowest portions of 

 the field dramed at points known as local pumping stations. 



