A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Westbrook, George Frederick
WESTBROOK. (Lieutenant, 1826.)
George Frederick Westbrook entered the Navy 1 Feb. 1809; passed his examination in 1817; and was made Lieutenant, 26 July, 1826, into the Bustard 10, Capt. Wilhams Sandom, on the Jamaica station. His appointments since he left that vessel have been – 25 Jan. 1827, to the Coast Blockade, in which service he remained, with his name on the books of the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye, until it was abolished in the early part of 1831 – 4 Sept. 1832, to the Coast Guard – 22 March, 1844, and 18 June, 1845, to the Tartar and Defence Revenue-cruizers – 20 Nov. 1846, again to the Coast Guard – and 29 Jan. 1847 and 18 Jan. 1848, to the Ranger and Stag Revenue-vessels, in the latter of which he is now serving.
Lieut. Westbrook is the inventor of a “Peril Indicator,” the object of which is to denote the approach of ground to ships and steamers. The apparatus is fitted to the keel of a vessel, and consists of two bars having a downward projection of 10 feet. The instant these bars, which are fitted aft as well as forward, touch the ground they spring up level with the keel and ring a large bell in the engine-room, which is the signal for the engineer at once to reverse the engines.