The Washington herald., 1914-03-13
inventor OF AIR
BRAKE Is DEAD
George Westinghouse, Peer
of Fulton and Morse, Sue
cumbs to Heart Disease.
ACHIEVEMENTS TITANIC
Left Plan for Continuance of Indus
tries Which Employ $500. 900. 900
Capital and $4,000 Men.
sn.ci,, 10 me w..hinc,ou H,n,d.

Special to The Washington Herald.
New York, March 12--Georse Westing-
house, whose invention OF the air brake
put him on a par with Fulton, Morse.
Whitney, Marconi and Edison. died this
afternoon In his apartments In Central
Park West Death was due to chronic
heart disease. .ich FIRST became mani
fest fifteen months ago. He was born In
Central Bridge. near schenectady. N. T.,
October 6. 1886.
1t was officially stated last night that
| the inventors death will not cause any
change Of policy or operation in connec-
tion with any of the Westinghouse In
dustries. A plan which long ago he had
carefully thought out for their continu-
ance and direction goes into effect i'm
mediately.
For several months Mr.. Westinghouse
Rad been limiting his activities and plac-
inC greater responsibilities upon trusted
associates in whose judgment he had full
confidence.
! For several years he has acted merely
as q director Of ne electric company
and devoted bu. little time to the air
brake company. His activities Of late
were largely devoted to the Westinghouse
Machine Company. and in he latter part
Of 1913 he complet d a comprehensive
plan for its entire financial rehabilita-
tion.
Invented Air Brake mt II.
At the age Of twenty-one George West
inghouse invented the air brake which
speedily became known and used through
out the world. and which has been one
OF the fundamental factors In railway
development and operation. This and his
subsequent achievements have become
part Of the history Of engineering In the
last half century. The highest honors
in the gift of the technical societies and
institutions of Europe and America have
been bestowed. and distinguished orders
conferred upon him by European soyer-
eigns.
His principal achievements were:
Inventor of the WESTINGHOUSE air
brake upon which his fame largely rests.
Development OF railway signaling.
DEVELOPMENT Of the alternating current
system for electric lighting and power.
Perfection of device for carrying with
safety and economy natural gas over long
distances, thus making II possible to use
1t extensively fer domestic and industrial
fuel
Invention OF air spring for motor We
hicles of all kinds.
Invention OF general turbine system for
the propulsion of ships. in collaboration
with the late Admiral George w. Mel
vile. L. s N. and John II. McAlpine.
Establishment OF many factories which
employ today 5000 persons and are capi-
talized at 500, 100000.
Introduction in America of the Saturday
half-holiday. an institution upon which
nearly every labor union today insists
Saved Company In Panic.
One Of Mr.. wcstinghouse's business
associates said OF him today:
THE last five or six years have been
among the most active and productive
Of George Westinghouse life: for dur
ing that time he not only developed the
geared-turbine and the air-spring inven-
tions. which are as fully important as
anything that he has ever brought for
ward. but he succeeded also in secur-
ing the adoption OF his plan for the
reorganization of the electric company
which bears his name and which was
hard hit in the panic of 1907.
This plan he originated and urged in
preference to plans submitted by eminent
financiers which, IL made effective, would
have deprived the stockholders of large
portion. IL not all. of their holdings and
inflicted serious loss upon the company's
creditors.
Because Of his skill and indomitable |
energy It succeeded and has now come |
to be recognized generally as a great |
Work In constructive fnance- IL brought |
to the electric company several millions |
of new money. il protected all the in |
tercsts OF creditors and stockholders, IT |
secured the continuance OF q huge and |
profitable business and has maintained |
without interruption the employment OF |
thousands of men,"
Wns Always Hard-working.
Mr.. Westinghouse was an unostenta-
tious, kindly. helpful and Woodworking |
man. He delighted In using his resources |
or the bringing forward of new inven- |
tions for the service of civilization and |
increasing the field of employment for |
labor and bettering its conditions. Thirty |
or forty years ago he introduced to this |
the Saturday half-holiday.
or himself Mr.. Westinghouse once re-
II have always known what /
to do and for doing It owe a
great deal to persistence and to a ma
tural fondness for mathematics, and to
the fact that throughout my youth
learned to work with my hands as well
as my head and have always kept In
practice"
The funeral will be held in the Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian Church. New York,
at o'clock. The burial In
woodlawn Cemetery will be private.
vi I'LL AI