Commemorative
Object number2007.167.26
Manufacturer
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company
(1886 - 1945)
Date1895
MediumMetal, Rubber (?), Rubber impregnated fiber (?), Plastic
Credit LineTransfer from George Westinghouse Museum Foundation
DescriptionCross-section of electrical cable; cylinder; cable consists of inner core of copper wires surrounded three layers of rubber and rubber impregnated woven fibers; metal sleeve covers the lower half of cable and has text engraved on sleeve; the base has a plastic covering.Dimensions2.375 x 1.875 in. (6 x 4.8 cm)InscriptionsMetal sleeve covers the lower half of cable and has "'SECTION OF CABLE THROUGH WHICH FIRST ELECTRIC CURRENT/GENERATED IN POWER HOUSE OF NIAGARA FALLS POWER CO./WAS TRANSMITTED APRIL 16TH., 1895'."
Historical NotesAccording to records of the George Westinghouse Museum, the cable section was donated by Agnes Simpson, granddaughter of George Westinghouse II. When the George Westinghouse Museum closed in 2007, the collection was transferred to the Heinz History Center.Label TextAs the powerful flow of water from Niagara Falls poured into the turbines, the massive Westinghouse Dynamo No. 2 sprang to life in April 1895. The A.C. system had succeeded in transporting high-voltage electricity on a grand scale and over a long distance. This wire-cable once transported the energy from the Niagara Falls Power Company to their early customers.
Related person
George Westinghouse Jr.
(1846 - 1914)
Related institution
Niagara Falls Power Company
Subjects
Terms
On View
On view
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
1935-2015
