Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-29
A LEADER OF HIS RACE.

The Interesting Career OF Engineer j. ID.
Baltimore - A Protegs Of President
Grant-He ID Now Advancing the Me-
chsnical Training OF His People.
One of the most deeply interested specta-
tors at the launch of the big cruiser Column
bia on Tuesday was q colored mani. d.
Baltimore, instructor in metal work ut the
Colored Manual Training School at Washing.
ton-who has been spending the summer In
visiting the various points whore govern
ment work is being carried on, says the
Philadelphia Times. He came to Philadelphia
q week ago with letter of Introduction from
Engineer in Chief Melville to Lieutenant
James W. Thomson, who has charge of the
Governments work at Cramps yards. and
until the time of the launch he spont the
greater part Of each day in studying the
construction OF the new vessel and the
mechanism Of the New York as she lay at
her pier.
He is wen known to the officials Of the
navy, having spent IL years in the Engineer
ing Department. at Washington. where he
graduated with high honors. He is enthus-
iastic in his praise of the treatment he has
received from ofIcials in all parts of the
country.
Wins the Friendship of Grant
The story of how he entersd the Navy De-
partinent forms an interesting chapter in
the life ofthis man, who has attained q posi-
tion in the world of engineering never
reached by any other colored man. Early in
1859, while only boy. living in Washington,
he completed model engine and boiler
which attracted a great deal Of attention.
With practically no tools he went to work,
and, casting the pieces In soft brick moulds,
bricks.
Using the blades of pair of shears as his
principal instrument he worked on and soon
had his engine in running order, though its
appearance was rough and unfinished. An
enterprising reporter Ii card OF the work and
published a long account of it. This reached
General Grant, then President, and after
reading the account he sent tor the young
"Is your name Baltimore?' he asked as
soon as the colored youth appeared.
Eyes, SIR"
"The boy have been reading about'"
young man, you ought to cultivate such
ability as yours. Would you like to go into
the engineering department of the navy?"
The matter was soon arranged, and a note
was sent to the then Engineer in Chief Two
hours later young Baltimore was at work
among the metals and was on the high road
to success.
Educating His Race in Mechanics.
After leaving the navy he was made en-
gineer of the Freedman's Hospital, in Wash
ent position in the Manual Training School.
Meanwhile he had been admitted to men,
bership in the Franklin Institute and was
the second colored man ever accorded that
honor.
It Is, however, as an instructor in metal
work that he has achieved his greatest sue
cess. During the past two years he has, in
the opinion Of Eng1neerin-Chief Melville,
done more for the Advancement of the col
ored youth of Washington than has any one
else. In his work he has adopted the meth
DDS Of the United States Bureau of Engineer
ing. One thing which has served to draw
attention to his work during the past year
was the construction of an engine made en-
tirely of glass; By means of it his pupils
were enabled to study the workings of the
engine and the effect of heat on the water in
q manner impossible in any other way.
He has gone deeply into the subject Of
heat as applied to metals and has made deep
researches into the subject OF metallurgy.
In original research he has also achieved
marked success and much of his work has
been highly spoken OF by the officials of the
Smithsonian Institution.
Before coming to Philadelphia he spent q
week in the Navy Yard at Boston, studying
the methods employed there. Later he
went to the government ordnance and
armor-plate works at Bethlehem, whore
Lieutenant W. Fl. Jaques furnished him
with every means of study.