Vandergrift, Jacob Jay
Jacob Jay Vandergrift was an American pioneer of the bulk oil transportation industry. In 1861, he towed two large coal boats loaded with 4,000 empty barrels to Oil City, PA with his steamer, the Red Fox. While delivering the barrels, he bought 5,000 barrels worth of oil. To get the oil back to Pittsburgh, he had a contractor build 12 boats, 80 feet long, 14 feet wide and three feet deep, each with a capacity of 400 barrels. With these boats Vandergrift launched a very profitable barge business. These boats were the precursors of today's huge tankers.
Sources
- Cleveland, Cutler (Lead Author); Peter Saundry (Topic Editor). 2007. "Vandergrift, Jacob Jay." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published in the Encyclopedia of Earth January 17, 2007; Retrieved October 26, 2009]. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Vandergrift,_Jacob_Jay>
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