Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-15
Westinghouse. the Air-Brake ~
ven'or. and His Wonderful Gas
Well.

George Westinghouse, the inventor OF
the railway air-brake, Is millionaire.
and has mansion near Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tbs Record has from time TO tine re.
ferred to the importance of natural gas
TO the glass making and other ind ustries
of Pittsburgh. and the snbjoined article
IL taken from the Dispatck of that city,
. showing the wealth of gas stored In
the strata under the smoky City:
"Homewood has lad glory thrust
upon IL in becoming the site of the great
Westinghouse gas well, and seems to en-
joy its notoriety. The region thereabout
has assumed holiday air of pleasureu.
Bile excitement. Every train ON the
Pennsylvania road brings curiosity seek.
era and bnsinsss men to look at the won.
der and listen to the noise, and though
there y little to be seen during daylight
Just now but very high derrick, on
the aide Of which is painted a warning
legend No Smoking, and near BY mo.
tionless engine aud boiler, still the
crowds seem to be. satisfied with the
roar that emanates from these and Der.
vsdes the whole country.
1T Il ct night, however, that the well
demonstrates its claim Of being the hos,
OF its line. 1t Is lighted then. At OK.
actly 8 o'clock last Saturday night Mr..
7. 4. Gillespie, under whose personal
supervision the well has been construct
cd. gave the order for the first time to
apply the torch at The mouth of Gbe
well. and kha aPe-at;~- L~- L-~-..
peased at the same time every evening
since. A wire is run from The top Of
the derrick to the earth some distance
sway, aud upon this the torch Is pulled
slowly up while q multitude Of specta.
tors stand by in breathless expectation.
The AAme touches the top Of the pipe
and rolls round it moment as though
coquetting with the invisible power
Then, with the sound Of sudden, sui.
len clap Of thunder, an immense flame
leaps seventy-five feet into the air, and
the landscape. previously obscurcd by
the gathering shadows, stands out
strangely defined in its most minute de-
tail for miles around.
The fact that the gas was to be light
cd last Saturday had become pretty gem
orally known. and large crowd had
gathered to witness the ceremony, but
the sudden turning Of night into day,
paling the lamps and gas light 10 houses
mile away, created the greatest excite
ment and stampede set in toward tie
source Of the great light, great numbers
Of vehicles and pedestrians being attract
Cd toward Il from al quarters until after
midnight, and the pilgrimage of th,
curiels continued from day to day. The
fame leaps from the top Of the derrick
into the clouds Ake great fiery plume,
blue It the base, white in the center and
red at the extremity, and is accompanied
by roar like that Of miniature Niaga
70. It ia possible to read by its light
alaost mile away.
II 10 the largest well ever struck, and
will prove a source Of great delight and
benefit TO the people Of the East End. IL
10 said TO be equivalent in heat and light
to 20. 900 bushels Of coal per day. The
excitement over the matter is on the in
crease throughout the East End, and Mr.
Westinghouse has already contracted
with the Gillespie Tool Company for the
drilling Of two other wells. Pipes are
now being laid to carry the gas some
distance away. and this will entirely do
away with the noise and other annoy.
snces attendant. The gas is turned of
at midnight in order to give the people
in the neighborhood chance to sleep.
1t 10 understood to be the intention of
Mr.. Westinghouse to let the derrick
stand and beautify it with trailing vines,
and thus instead Of marring. it will in.
crease the beauty Of his grounds.