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THE SCRANTON TRIBUNE-THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1902.
v
CAREER OP GEO.
WESTINGHOUSE
AN
OBJECT LESSON OP AMERI
CAN POSSIBILITIES.
Though Born of Well-to-do Parents
Ho Was Not Content to Drono
Through Llfo but Became One of
tho Foremost Benefactors of His
Race HIb Devotion to His Work.
Tins relations whlclu tho Westlug-houi-o
company oC I'lttsburg huve to
, Scnintoii and Northeastern Pennsylvn
nlu through their connection with tho
new Ciimion Unit Trolley system mill
the developments expected to Blow out
of It give special Interest to a Bkctch or
George Westlnghouse, appearing hi
I'assler's Magazlno for December, a
Journal largely ilcvotcil to applied sci
ence ami the men who do the applying.
Some extracts follow:
In thcso days, when there are so
many Instances of millionaires who
huve- started as poor boys, there is n
tendency to think this hue of every
one who Is not lsi.own to ho the son of
a rich man; but Mr. Westinghouse's
career lacks that touch of romance. His
father was a successful manufacturer
of agricultural machinery, and the old
factorials still in operation at Schenec
tady, N. V. Ills family moved to that
town In 183C from Central Bridge, Scho
harie county, New York, where lie was
born in October, 1810, so that ho Is now
about no, still a young man' as we count
ago In these days, and certainly a
splendid specimen of physical and men
tal vigor, for lie works harder than any
of his numerous assiatanls, and finds
his relaxation rather in a change of
work than In complete cessation. He
Is a man of large frame, which prob
ably explains how, although only a
boy he was allowed to take part In
the American civil war, seeing ser
vice In the cavalry and infnntry of tho
army, and, towards tho end of the war,
as an engineer officer in the navy,
where his mechanical aptitude found
a congenial occupation: for it must not
be forgotten that tho basis of his suc
cess is in his great mechanical genius,
both in the manipulative skill and in
that bent of mind which, seemingly by
intuition, sues at once the. practicable
and the reasonable In mechanical con
trivances, and does not have to grope
after a proper solution of mechanical
problems..
Evolution of His Career.
Sir. Westlnghouse's career is an Illus
tration of evolution throughout. Ills
first invention was a railroad frog,
which was quite successful, and it was
while exploiting this and naturally
studying railroad problems that his at
tention was drawn to car brakes. They
were crude enough before hU great In
vention of the air brake, which has
made his name known throughout the
wol'ld wherever tho railroad has gone.
Ills first thought was a steam brake,
but his knowledge na an engineer
showed that condensation would maho
this a failure.
About this lime the Mont Cenls tun
nel was building, and the technical
papers told of the successful transmis
sion of power by compressed air. Kvei y
body had Iho same chance to see what
this meant; but his was the mind that
grasped tho hint, and the result was
the air brake, or course, it was crude
as compaied with tho perfected brake
of today, but It revolutionized railroad
ing by enormously Increasing the safety
of operation and by making higher
speeds possible. His later Invention ot
the triple valve mid of setting tho
brakes by releasing tho pressure m tho
trnln-plpo was almost as Important ns
that of the air brake Itself, securing, as
It does, simultaneous action or all the
brakes In a train, with the added bene
fit that ir tho train, separates, tho
brakes arc sot at once, it lie had never
dono anything otse, thu Invention of
tho air brake would entitle him to a
high rank among tho benefactois ot
humanity, for It has made modern high
speed railroading possible anil safe.
There are three marked characteris
tics in Mr. Wcstlnghouse'P- talents, as
an inventor or mechanic, as an execu
tive and organizer, and as a financier.
Tho first was shown In tho Invention
and Improvement or tho air brake. Tho
second had Its fit si illustration in the
works which ho organized for Its manu
facture. These have, of course, grown
with tho years, like everything else lie
operates, and they now present one of
the most efficient cases of highly spe
cialized industry in tho world. They
have proved a veritable gold mine for
tho stockholders, and yet such Is the
economy of manufacture that the work
men gut high wages, and the product
is cheaper than any competitor, unless
organized on such a perfect scale, could
turn out. This was demonstrated to be
a fact by a large railroad which, for a
time, made Its own brakes on a very
low royalty. They found it cheaper to
buy them from the Westlnghouse works.
Compressed Air to Electricity.
His mastery ot pneumatic devices led
him to adapt compressed air to railway
switches and signals, out of which
caino the Union Switch and Signal
company, which has installed tho
switching and signaling plant In such
complicated stations as the great South
Terminal ut Boston and the Union sta
tion at Pittsburg. Electricity came to
toko a place In this work for the auto
matic signals, and it was through the
acquaintance thus gained that he was
led into the field of electric develop
ment, where the history of his work is
even more romantic than that of tho
development of the brake.
Those who have known him best and
longest have constantly remarked upon
his wonderful foresight and prevision,
of which a few instances appear as we
proceed. Nearly twenty years ago ho
seemed to grasp the possibilities of
electrical development, when the art
wart truly in its infancy. It was evi
dent that the field for direct current
was limited, and that for transmission
o;er long distances alternating current
J Who JA 00 For a )I
r 1 1 Christmas F
; Wants LVU present
Twenty Christmas Presents
$50.00
'To Be Given by The Scranton Tribune to tlie Children or
Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania.
One Present $20.00 In Gold.
One Present 10.00 In Gold .
One Present 5.00 In Gold .
Two Presents ' 2.50 Each . . .
Five Presents 1.00 Each...
Ten Presents 50c Each . . .
.$20.00
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5.00
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Total Twenty Presents u $50.00
THE TRIBUNE'S SECOND ANNUAL
Jitmot Educational Contest
A Contest in Word-Building.
Who Can Make the Most Words Out of the Letters In
T-H-E H-O-M-E P-A-P-E-R.
THIS IS much easier than last year's contest, and twenty of the
brightest boys and girls will seenre Chrlsmas Gifts in cash for
making the largest number of words out of these letters. It is
lots of fun to think of the words and hunt them up in the dictionary, and
besides It will help you with your spelling. You will be surprised at the
number of different ways these twelve letters can be used.
Rules of the Contest.
Presents will be given to the boys or girls, whose parents or guard
ians are subscribers to THE TRIBUNE, building the largest number of
words out of the letters contained in "The Home Paper."
No letter must be used any more times than they appear in these
three words, As an example, only one "A" could be used, but there
might be two "H's" or three "E's."
Only words defined In the MAIN PORTION of "Webster's Inter
national Dictionary" (edition of 1898) will be allowed. Any dictionary
can be used, but In judging the contest THE TRIBUNE will debar all
words not found in Webster's.
Proper names, or any other words appearing In the "Appendix" will
not be allowed.
Obsolete words, are admitted f defined In the dictionary.
Words spelled two or more ways can be used but once.
Words with two or more definitions can be used but once.
No single letters counted as words except "A" and "O."
How to Write Your List.
Write on one side of the paper only,
Write very plainly ; If possible, use a typewriter,
Place the' words alphabetically,
Write your name, age, address and number of words at the top
of your list.
Write the name of parent or guardian with whom you live and
who Is a regular subscriber to THE TRIBUNE.
Fold the list DO. NOT ROLL.
CONTEST CLOSES SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TII at 5 l, M.
AH letters of Inquiry for Information will be promptly answered. Ad
dress your list of words, or any question you wish answered, to
CONTEST EDITOR.
SCRANTON TRIBUNE,
SCRANTON. a.
must bo used', but something was nee
rssary to change tho small current of
high potontlat to tho Btr'onger current
of practicable voltage, The daulurd
and Glbbs patents wero brought to his
notice, and ho purchased them for the
United States. Just here wo may nolo
another trait In his character, the
readiness, although on inventor him
self, to puroliaso and use the Inven
tions of others. "Willi tho control ot
theso patents he organized tho West
inghouso Kteotrlc company, which has
grown until it is now one of tho great
est manufacturing companion In Hie
world. The history of tho Introduction
of nlternntlng-currcnt machinery Is
truly that of the "strenuous lite" for
air. Vestlngliouse. It met with des
perate opposition from tho makers of
direct-current apparatus, who tried to
got laws passed in some states forbid
ding lis use, and they went so far ns
to secure the use of a "WestlnghoUBo
dynamo for the first eleotrocutlon
plant, hoping thereby to make it ap
pear that the alternating' current wns
essentially more deadly than direct
current. What a commentary on tills
action is tho fact that nil the great
power plants today ore using the al
ternating current.
How Tesla Was Aided.
The new form ot current (In the sense
that its practical application was later)
had demonstrated its usefulness for
lighting:. It remained to develop a
practical and slmpto motor so that It
conld bo used for power, for tho syn
chronous motor needed more skill for
its attendance than could bo given In
the ordinary machine shop. Then came
Tesla, who found in Mr. Westlnghouso
a friend and backer, whoso faith did
not weaken while tho Induction motor,
Tesla's great Invention, was perfected.
This solved the problem of the trans
mission of power lor it gave a machine
as simple as a grindstone and yet of
the highest efficiency, and almost "fool
proof." At the present time the great
majority of industrial plants using
electricity for power are equipped with
these motors.
What has been said would give some
idea of Mr. Westlnghouso's steadfast
ness under great discouragement, and
tho story of the lighting of tho Chicago
world's fair Is another illustration. He
believed this n great opportunity to
show what could be done by alternat
ing current, and mado a tender lower
by $1,000,000 than any other blddder.
Then his troubles began. Competitors
made such charges as to his Inability
to carry out the contract that he was
forced to give a bond for the full
amount of the contract. Then he was
enjoined from making tho old familiar
glow lamp. He actually had to invent
a new form of lamp, and to this he
added a new air pump. Old employes
toll with much admiration, how at this
time, he worked day after day, In his
shirt sleeves, perfecting the various de
tails. But the lighting of the fair was
a great success, and, curiously enough,
tho only return to the stockholders of
the fair was the $1,000,000 dollars he had
saved them.
Growth of the Plant.
The present works of the Westing-
house Electric and Manufacturing
company at East Pittsburg were built
in lSJlj, and consisted then chicllyof two
main buildings 730 feet long, one 230
feet wide, and tho other 100. There was
an almost universal opinion that the
buildings were too large ever to be
tilled with work. So far from sharing
tills view, Mr. Westlnghouse located
them so that they could be extended
at both ends, and with enough room at
the sldo to duplicate them. In 1899 they
were extended at one end; in 1900 at tho
other; in 1001 the space between was
turned into another bay 1,200 feet long.
Now, In 1902, the duplication of this
already huge plant Is In progress.
It might seem that the work thus far
mentioned would be more than enough
to keep one man busy; but meanwhile
this tireless man developed and ex
ploited the use of natural gas in the
Pittsburg district, selling out his inter
est after the undertaking had been fully
developed and made a success. To
show what could be done In electric
lighting with alternating current, he or
ganized the United Electric Light nnd
Power company In New York, the Al
legheny County Light company in
Pittsburg, and another in Baltimore.
After these had all been made success
ful he withdrew from them to be able
to give more attention to his other great
undertakings. While out of the chron
ological sequence, or It may be men
tioned hero that, under Ills guidance
and at his expense, the Nernst lamp has
been made a commercially successful
article. He is also the backer of Peter
Cooper Hewitt in the development ot
tho mercury vapor lamp.
Works in Foreign. Lands,
Besides the plants already mentioned,
there are the great shops of the West
lnghouse Machine company at East
Pittsburg, for building steam and gas
engines and steam turbines, of which
Mr. Westlnghouso is principal owner;
and there have been for years works
for making air brakes In England,
France nnd Germany, while electric
works were established at Havre In
189S. Tho mo.st Important of the works
outside of the United States Is tho
great plant of tho British Westlnghouso
Electric and Manufacturing company,
at Manchester, which is almost a dupli
cate of tho works at East Pittsburg.
These works have attracted marked at
tention from their size and from tho
rapidity with which they have been
erected.
Long as this list Is, wo have not men
tioned nil the works, for there are foun
dries at Cleveland nnd Allegheny, with
new ones of great size in course of
erection at Tnifford City, a few miles
from East Pittsburg, and woiks in
Nowark. New York and Pittsburg.
There is also a Jtussan Westlnghouse
company for handling the products of
tho various factories. It Is estimated
that the various works and companies
which bear his nume represents a capi
talization of about 175,000,000, und give
employment to more than 20,000 people.
Tills sketch has attempted to show
that the success of Mr. Westlnghouso
has been due to his own talents, In
dustry, prevision and courage. It bus
not been a case of good luck; indeed,
at a number of stages In hla career
luck seemed to bo decidedly against
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him. There was onco a time when his
friends had all concluded that ho must
go under and sacrifice his fortune,
which even then was counted with
seven figures, but even this did not
daunt him, and his ability as a finan
cier enabled him to reorganize so as to
go on to the great success of today.
Ho lias never countenanced stock
watering or schemes of that kind, and
today tho capital of all his properties
represents actual value.
INCANDESCENT LAMPS.
A Timely Suggestion.
Tills is the season of tho year when
the prudent and careful housewife re
plenishes her supply of Chamberlain's
Cough Remedy, It Js certain to be
needed before the winter In over, and
results are much more prompt and sat
isfactory when it is kept at hand and
given as soon as the cold is contracted
ond before it has become settled In the
system. In almost every instance a he
vera cold may bo warded off by taking
this remedy freely ns soon as tho first
Indication of ttio cold appears. There
is no danger in giving it to children
for It contains no harmful substance.
It is pleasant to take both, adults and
children like It. Buy It and you will
get the best. It Always cures. For sale
by all druggists.
Details of the Process, Long Regard
ed as a Trade Secret.
From the Electrical World.
The manufacture ot an incandescent
electric lamp is of special interest be
cause many of the operations have
heretofore been regarded as trade se
crets and carefully kept from the pub
lic Tho delicate filaments which produce
the light are formed by squirting a
paste mado from cellulose (wood pulp)
through dies, from which It emerges In
the form of fine threads, which when
dried are tough and flexible. These
threads before they are dry are formed
Into the desired shape.
l'hoy ore then packed In carbon dust
and subjected to intense heat for many
hours. Tho cellulose is completely
charred, and tho filament now practic
ally consists of charcoal. It Is then
suspended In an atmosphere of hydro
carbon vapor, in a vessel in which a
partial vacuum lias been made, and a
current of electricity sufficient to bring
it to incandescence is sent through it.
This decomposes the hydrocarbon, and
a carbon soot somewhat resembling
graphite Is deposited on the filament.
This is technically known as "flash
ing." After this treatment the filament
has a metallic lustre resembling pol
ished steel.
The glass bulbs are blown In moulds
to secure absolute uniformity, nnd as
they come from the glass-house they
are perfectly smooth at the rounded
end3 and have a long open neck. To
the rounded end Is fused a short length
of glass tubing opening into the In
terior of the bulb. This Is subsequent
ly used for connecting th bulb to tho
exhaust inimu.
For making the connection through
the glass between the carbon lllament
and the wire the most satisfactory ma
terial is platinum, because it adheres
tlrmly to fused glass and because it ex
pands and contracts ni the same rates.
If this were not tho case when It got
hot through tho passage or the current
it would either expand more or less
than the surrounding glass, and either
break it or make a space through
which air would leak. So through tho
little glass stopper which will eventu
ally project down Into tho neck of the
bulb are fused two platinum wires.
This stopper, which has a flange at
one end, is now called the mount or
stem.
Next tho filament Is fastened to the
ends of tho platinum which projects
from tho stem. This Is accomplished
by means of a special cement which
will stand a red heat. Over this paste
is deposited a layer of carbon. The
paste is then dried In an oven, and the
stem, with its attached filament, Is
fastened onto tho bulb by fusing the
flango on Its upper end about tho neck
of the bulb.
After tills Joint Is carefully tested to
be buro thero are no leaks, tho ex
haustion of tho air Is accomplished by
means of n mechanical air pump, the
last traces of gas or uir being removed
from tho bulb by chemical means,
When tho vacuum Is suillclently high
the tuba through which the air has
been exhausted is sealed off by means
of a small lamp, leaving tho small
round tip seen on tho spherical end of
the finished lamp.
The' lamp Is now practically com
pleted, and is sent to tho testing de
partment. Here It is subjected to n
series of severe tests before it Is con
sidered ready for tho market. If it
passes these successfully the huso (the
portion by means of which It is
screwed Into a bracket) Is cemented on,
and iho completed lamp goes to tho
shipping department.
n
mriMni
H
66
if
THE PACIFIC CABLE.
England Can Now Snap Her Fingers
nt Foreigners.
From tho London Times.
The much-tnlked-of, much obstructed,
and long-delayed I'aclllo cablo has ut
last been actually opened for tho trans
mission of messages. The history of
tho enterprise Is In subsVuco the his
tory or every great undertaking, a his
tory of patient effort by a few energet
ic und fur-seeing men lighting thu ob-
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1-5?. Efc." , 'Sail
stacles of otllclal duiness, publlo apathy
unci vested interests, It Is nlwuys the
same thing'. Tho innovation Is first de
clared Impossible und visionary; thou It
Is is decried us superfluous, because
Homebody already In the field ii pie
pared to glvo tho facilities obstinately
withheld; then it Is opposed might and
main by people whoso monopoly Is in
danger; and, finally, It Is carried out
amid a chorus of exclamations about
the nhnost Incredible delay thut has oc
curred In securing a thing so obviously
indispensable.
This new cable brings the Austral
asian colonies ten thousand miles near
ti Canada, than they were before, and
at the same time opens up possibilities
of other substantial Impiovemeuls In
linperluU communications. Across tho
Pacific, from Vuncouvcr to Queensland,
it touches iinuu but Ilrltlsh territory;
and nuw thero Is completed a telegraph
girdle of tho world which touches for
eign territory only at Madeira and St.
Vincent, in the Cape Yen! Islands, both
belonging to our "-old ally, 1'ortugal.
Thus the empire is bound tot;otlier by
what It) all but an all-IJiltlsh line, giv
ing an alternative means ot communi
cation ireo from ilia grave dangers
which at critical moments would
threaten our connection with tho colon
ics by tho previously existing route.
The new route will havu a further
great advantage in speed, since It has
only three transmissions across the Pa
cific, all on British soil, in place of over
n dozen belonging tt various national
ities, its tariff will bo less than half
eamrS
Linotype
Composition
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Book M :.!
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or ,- ,
News
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nt The Tribune office.
that of the other rou(o prior to reduc
tions which are directly duo to itscouvi
petition.
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53