The Washington herald., 1914-12-01
HISTORY BUILDERS.
By DIR. Z. J. EDWARDS.
A Talk with the Late George
Westinghouse.

About a year before the death Of George
| westinghouse, he delivered an address
in Atlanta, Ga. to a great gathering
which represented what was called the
Southern Business Congress. This ad-
dress was one OF the few which Mr..
Westinghouse consented to make, al
though he was many times invited TO
speak before important scientific or pub
lie bodies.
In the course of Mr.. Westinghouse 5
address he spok" Of the inconceivable
wealth, as yet undeveloped or only in
part developed. which the South pos
sessed in its water power. II some part
OF the energy which is in the Southern
streams. especially those which flow
from mountain sides. were captured and
converted into electric energy then, Mr..
Westinghouse predicted. the South would
become the greatest industrial region in
the world.
A few days after Mr.. Westinghouse re-
turned to New York. he told mo that he
had an hour or two Of leisure on the aft
ernoon OF a certain day which he named
and that he would be glad to have talk
with me about the possibility OF indus
trial development Of the South through
the utilization Of its water power. He
was enthusiastic in his exposition not
only OF the enormous natural resources
which the South possesses, but also the
manner in which these could be econom-
ically developed through the initial en-
ergy that is in water power converted
into electrical energy. for, he said, SCI
ence had now shown how electric energy
may be carried many miles TO economic
advantage and then utilized for power
and also for lighting purposes. He said
that he was certain that the time was
not distant when a majority OF the rail-
roads Of the South and all OF the highway
trolley lines would be operated by cleo
trfc energy into which the water power
OF the South had been converted. as well
as many OF the industrial plants.
asked Mr.. Westinghouse IL he re-
called a visit made in the spring OF 1892
TO the banks OF the Niagara River. where
the work which. when completed. was
the greatest power plant in the world
was under way.
'T recall it very WELL" said Mr. West
inghousc. There was a splendid COM
pany OF men in that party"
As Mr.. Westinghouse said this I in
turn recalled vividly the manner in
which these men. some Of them with
worldwide regulations as scientists and
inventors. made tacit and yet visible rec
ognition of Mr.. Westinghouse pre-em-
inence among them.
"I remember saying to you." continued
Mr.. Westinghouse, that We were going
to demonstrate the feasibility OF captur-
ing some portion of the energy which is
in the Niagara River and by means OF
giant turbines convert that into electric
energy which. through apparatus in
vented by Tesla. could be reduced to a
commercial voltage and then carried over
wires to Buffalo. twenty-odd miles away
I also predicted that Buffalo would speed
fly make use OF this energy for lighting
and power purposes and for hauling her
trolley cars. I said. too. that there was
no reason why this energy could not be
carried to commercial advantage many
miles beyond the boundaries Of Buffalo
well, We have lived to see that predIc-
ton fulfilled, and II was the commercial
as well as scientific success of this i'm
,portant experiment at Niagara Falls
which has at last opened the eyes Of ener-
getic men of the South, and am as con-
fldent now that within a few years the
South will be as successfully utilizing