Document 37GgxmYrdEmqnXaD7amLpkd83

sua 'ASSOCI ASSI ) JBSSXb COMPANY LI M I flO Artillery Souse, Artillery Bow loados, S.VT. 1 Hr. . B.'Lewis Ethyl Corporation Chrysler Bldg. U05 -kwclngton Ave* Sew York 17 * Y. .S.A. 13th March, 19*+5 Bear Oscar, find I have not acknovledgedreceipt of your letter of the 28th ioveober, with which you sent me.a detailed drawing of the new-type of fluid standpipe embodying the vacausa brake. fhis is a most ingenious arrangement and would appear to be absolutely fool-proof. 1 did raise on point which you might have overlooked concerning the 15*000 gallon tanks. I vas wondering whether this sise of tank had now been standardised in your own operations, or whether it vas specially evolved for the Bas- ianura scheme. I have been giving some thought to our poet war operations at our overseas refineries where th volume of blending has already attained very large proportions, for example, at Abadan-blends in the lb,000 ton tanks s.re requiring up to ISO drums at a time. 1 think that we ought to examine the whole problem, to see whether it is feasible to develop a transportation system.which will be better than our present.practice of handling drams. She transport of drums in vessels has always been a potential headache, and as the drums 'are becoming progress-, iveiy older, we- have had in recent months several leakers reported at various points in transit. ` 1 have not given much detailed thought to the problem-*.. but I have in '' mind the.-possibility-of obtaining'-say, sons welded.pressure vessels which could b e transported on a special design railway chassis, 'which could be off-loaded on- to a ship, la other word, a detachable rail tank car. A scheme along, such linos, I think, would'-be intrinsically safer and possibly more convenient. 3?he drum is a relatively fragile package if it suffers rough handling, for example, .ye had a case'of a leaker the other day, where steel rails wore being loaded into the hold of a ship after drums had been, loaded between decks, and a rail slipped out of the sling and pierced a drum. Another incident occurred where a drum was being loaded into a ship which m down by the stern and on release from the rope sling, the dram took charge and rolled toward the back of the hold and, of course, it would bump into the one bolt which projected from the bulkhead. Shis pierced a hole again. A It is admitted that dux standard drum will take cuite a severs beating if it falls on to, or Is hit by, a blunt object, but a blow from a sharp edged object will pierce it as effectively as a can opener. I know these thing should not happen, but certainly under wartime conditions they have done so. ?! -a X vets feeling that a 3/H" welded hullc container,, suitably lagged, sight b3 -a reasonable solution, X aa ,yazt r-ising this point with you purely tentatively, to see hays,$ay^<I.e&.8' to offer. If is^phviohsly a aatter. ^Melx would.'have to be gone into in great detail, both ns regnr^s cost and supply of contnin'ers, apart froia the intrinsic and .most important *ooint of safety, . With kind regards, . fours sincerely, ? 3/ H, i'ossett K. Gossett original by steamer copy by airmail \ HE 0015757