The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-03-13
WAS FAMOUS
AS INVENTOR
Westinghouse, Who Perfected
Air Brake, Died Sudden
ly in New York
PERFECTED MANY
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
Provided in Will for Continuation of
His Large Business Interests Under
Trusteeship Estate More Than
$4,000, 900.

NEW YORK. March Is. - George
Westinghouse, u, one of the foremost
figures in the world in engineering
aud the inventor of the air brake which
bears his name, died suddenly from
heart disease at his home in this city
yesterday.
Tie invented a rotary engine Mt the
age of II and four years later con
structed a device for replacing derail-
ed steam ears. When he was u, after
perfeeting his air brake III three years
OF hard work, he sought Commodore
Vanderbilt for financial backing
DO you mean 10 tell me You can
| stop railroad train by wind?' de
manded the commodore
Well, YES. inasmuch as air is wind.
| suppose you are right. spoke the
youth.
- have no time to waste on fools. -
sand the commodore, thus abruptly
terminating the interview.
! Westinghouse sought and found
! capital elsewhere, manufactured his
/ invention and made high speed possl-
4 bile on railroads. revolutionizing traf
fic systems and inaugurating notable
era Of railway development.
From Vermont Stock.
| Mr.. Westinghouse was born in Cen
| tral Bridge, NY, Oct Is. 1876. His
ancestors on his father ; side were
I Germans who settled in MaSsac husettS
! and Vermont and his mothers ances-
tors were Dutch Irish. In his hoyhood
. he served in the army and navy and
after being h0norahly discharged from
the army ~ the close Of the civil war
!.+r y t...i
! Schenectady
Going 10 Troy one day delay.
caused hy Il collision between two
freight trains suggested to Mr.. West
in@house the idea that a brake under
control Of the engineer might have pre-
vented the accident and after several
trials his first patent was issued April
-, 1869, ana the Westinghouse Air
Brake company was formed ON the 20th
OF July following.
Mr.. Westinghouse made many i'm
4rovements on the brakes from time "a
tlmc, making IT one OF the most use
ful and henefieeRt devices OF this age
OF mechanical progress. In lS>3 Mr.
Westinghouse became interested III the
operation Of railway signals. and de
SeIopcd and patented the system now
manufactured hy the Union Switch ano
Signal company.
Mr.. Westinghous was among the
first to fore>ee the advantages Of alter
mating current as Il means of trans
nittiRg electricity over long distances
and the fight To introduce this system
was carried on by him single handet
against incredible opposition. TIL,
induction motor, the invention ot
: which was the outcome of the geniu,
Of Nikola Tesla, was put on Il com
nercial footing ~ Mr.. Westinghouse
: Electrical Inventions
Among his accomplishments in IT,,
electrical field may he mentioned th
! unit switch system of multiple conrro
\ for the simultaneous operation an,
6 control from one common point of al
the motors IN train; and the single
phase motor for street railway ser
+ vice. this use OF electricity being here
tofore confined TO direct current.
The Westinghouse Electric compan.
was organized in 1856 for the manu-
: facture Of electrical apparatus. Tn
: electrical business developed by Mr
Westinghouse has found its way int
nearly all foreign countries and eXten
: siye works have been established j
! several of them.
Besides the work already describe
;, Mr.. Westinghouse took foremos
: part in the development of the "a
:, engine and the steam turbine. linear
| descent lamps and mercury vapo
lamps were put on a commercial basi
: by Mr. Westinghouse.
Mr.. Westinghouse was married Al
gust 5, 1867, at Brooklyn, TO Marguerit
Erskine Walker. They have one sol
George Westinghouse, jr.
y 1t is understood that in his will NJ
Westinghous provided for the continu'
: tion of his large business interests III
der a trusteeship. 1t was officially sta
ed today that his death would NJ
= cause any change of policy or of oper
n tion in connection with the Westin
ID house industries.
The individual holdings and aceum
. lations of the inventor are supposed
=, represent a value of $50,000,000.
The body viii be buried Saturday