Norwich bulletin., 1915-10-13
OBITUARY.
Dwight Tracy, Nj. D., D. D. s.
 (CoutrfbutedN

Q.l
 Dr. Dwight Tracy. who was sI ou Aug. 24th. died suddenly with heart disease Sunday evening. Oct. 3d, about Ranger, ST Division street, Norwich. Conn, where he had come but a few minutes before to talk to MT. Ranger about photography, a subject in which they both were interested
 He had apparently been in perfect health throughout the day and there was TO premonition of the sudden and fatal attack when he arrived. Upon entering the house. he took a seat and had spoken hardly a half dozen words to Mr. Ranger when he suddenly gasp ed and fell forward in the chair and expired almost instantly.
 In the hope that a physician could render some help. Dr. Rush w. Kim ball was summoned, but pr. Tracy was dead when he arrived
 Dwight Tracy was born in the town of Scotland. Windham county. Conn, on Aug. 24th, 1881. and was the son of Thomas Chaplin Tracy. also a native of Scotland. Conn. and Maria Saf- ford. who was born in Canterbury He was of Colonial ancestry, and on his fathers side the line ran back to Lieut.. Thomas Tracy. one of the orig tnal settlers of Norwich | At 22 years of age. Dr. Tracy was l graduated in dentistry. and one year later in 1854. he. obtained his medical degree. In 1857 he married Jane Van derbilt Fry of Plainfeld, Conn. who died In Arlington. Mass. in 1907. She was the daughter of William Congdon Fry and Mary Wilcox Cross Having served a long apprenticeship with one ! of the best dentists of that day, Dr. Oliver F. Harris. of Worcester Mass, the young graduate showed marked ability for the mechanical and artistic part of his professional work. Being an inventive genius, however, he pur- sued the practice of dentistry for six or seven years only after which he devoted himself to various inventions Ihaving several patents issued to him between 1860 and 1889.
 The first of his inventions was a per- fected domestic sewing machine, but owing to the cost of manufacture it was not a commercial success. The next effort was more successful, being a machine which would take a bolt of linen. which, as it passed through, was cut and pleated and stitched into a complete shirt bosom, ready to insert into the garment. This was the first machine Of the kind ever used and revolutionized the shirt making indus try of those early days, yielding a handsome return to the inventor. The business grew to large proportions and was. after a few years. sold. at which time Dr. Tracy made large invest ments in New Jersey real estate. These investments came to grief in the panic of 1873, when the scourge of Black Friday fell so heavily upon the money market.
 The next invention was a safety railroad switch. the first safety device of It's kind ever used and at one time was installed in large numbers on most all the railroads in this country. He also patented a railroad frog and a crossing. This was followed some years later by a wire drawing ma chine designed to draw a large num- Der of wires of varying sizes at one time. and a friction car starter for use on horse-drawn street cars to avoid the jerk upon the passengers and the horses. He also prepared extensive T mathematical tables
 T Dr. Tracy made genealogy a special study. He was well known in New | England and had correspondents throughout the country and abroad.
 When Norwich observed Benefactors day. Sunday, June 7th 1914, he was an active worker among the commit tees. and 1t was at his suggestion that Saturday. June 6th, was observed as Founders day. the date of the 255th a9ntversary of the founding of Nor wfch.
 While geriealogv had absorbed most of his time for the past 20 years, Dr. Tracy had for the last live years taken T a lively interest in photography. de- eiring to become proficient in order that he might obtain pictures of old I houses. monuments ana other ooJects of historical interest. That he had made splendid progress In this line of work Is evidenced by the fact that he had gained favorable mention for his portrait photographs which were shown at photographic exhibitions. and that he had received a second prize for a portrait entered in a competition conducted by a current photographic magazine .-..-- t--t..r q The fact that man 80 years of age I should care to begin the study of pho II tography at that time of life casts an 1 interesting sidelight on his personal | ity.
 I With the advent of the aeroplane he became greatly interested in its tre- menoous possibilities and brought val uable suggestions upon the designs of
 light aeroplane motors and stabilizer for use on aircraft. Last August he lapplied for a patent on a certain pho togrrphfc process which he had evolved and this eDisode in his life Roes to