Attack by Oiling 165 



points on the Isthmus this oil main was tapped, 

 and smaller storage tanks connected with it. 

 Part of the oil used was obtained from the storage 

 tanks at various places along the line, either 

 directly, or by running small branch pipe lines 

 from these tanks to smaller ones nearer the areas 

 where the oil was to be applied. Part of the oil 

 supply was transported in two railroad tank cars 

 to places where connections could not be economi- 

 cally made with the trans-isthmian oil line. These 

 tank cars were filled at the Pacific storage tanks, 

 and discharged their cargo into small tanks at 

 various points. The aim was to have the tanks as 

 near the ultimate destination of the oil as possible, 

 but an adjacent location was sometimes imprac- 

 ticable, because of the absence of railroad and road 

 facilities. The tanks were properly covered, their 

 faucets kept locked, and sand was piled near them 

 for fire protection purposes. 



From the small tanks the oil was transported to 

 the points where it was to be applied, through 

 pipes, in mule-drawn tank carts, in canisters, on 

 mule back, or rolled in drtims or barrels. Where 

 none of the above methods was feasible, it was 

 carried by hand, or on the backs of laborers. 



The Isthmian topographical conditions fre- 

 quently raised the cost of transportation and 



