Evening star., 1933-11-19

to PIG G street, where It remained until
1908, when Prof. Bliss purchased the North
Takorna Hotel property containing 100 rooms.
This building, before referred TO- was built
in 1892, and after 1t had been remodeled and
equipped to suit the purposes of the school.
It was occupied and work begun there
residence institution However, on the night
Of November 6. 1908, when the school had
occupied the structure but few months, the
entire plant was wiped cut by fire, of
the most costly conhagrations Takoma ever
had
Patriotism seems to be thoroughly instil,ed
in some races and upon this occasion devotion
for the flag was exemplifed by Japanese
student named s. Katsuno who, at the risk
of his life, entered the burning building and
rescued two American flags. which were pre-
served for many years in memory of his hero
ism. When he graduated he left this country
and returned to Japan. He entered upon his
profession electrical engineer and assayer
of the Ferro & Acid Tungsten Co. of Tokyo,
refiners of tungsten for incandescent lamps.
The morning after the fire the people of
Takoma immediately opened their homes to
the students and furnished them with cloth
ing. relief committee with W. w DYER
as chairman, was formed. and it raised sufl-
cient funds to provide the students with new
books and supplies. Glasses were resumed
without delay in the town hall and the Pres
byterian Church. temporary laboratory was
erected within a week and shortly thereafter
new machinery was installed.
In 1909 wing of the present adminis-
tration building was erected, and three years
later the whole building was completed. One
wing of the dormitory was built in 1915 and the
building finished in 1917. At the same
time a fine dining constructed.
Turing the World War the Bliss School
- performed valuable service in organizing
searchlight company of engineers, consisting
of 81 men. Lieut. Clyde K. Creesy, a member
of the faculty Of the school, was appointed an
officer of this company, and Maj. John C.
Gotwals took this company as a part of his
command with the 1st Division to France. In
recognition of their services, the War Depart
ment has placed large German searchlight ON
the campus in front of the administration
building. This searchlight was captured from
the German forces at st. Poe near Cambria,
in the late Summer of 1918. A roll of honor
in the school lists more than 400 former stu
dents who served in the World War
The Bliss Electrical School has turned out
some noted men in the field of electrical en-
gineering and invention. but possibly
more outstanding than the celebrated television
wizard c. Francis jenkins who graduated m
the second class OF him. Prof. Bliss says:
He was a red-headed young man, who was an
inventive genius. He had heard of Mr.. Edi-
sons kinetoscope, device for producing minia-
ture moving pictures. This young believed
that machine could be produced which would
project nfe-size picture. Working upon this
idea, he built a small machine in wash
stand while he was a student Later he per-
fected this machine for projection purposes,
and within few months he was able to throw
upon the wall of the lecture room of the Bliss
Electrical School a life-size mction picture of
a dancing girl. His invention became funda-
fF7o fr1r1T
valuable"
At his television station on Georgia avenue
north of Silver Spring, conducted until re-
Gently DR.. Jenkins had assisting him, in charge
of the station. Theodore Belote, and in his
research laboratory Stewart w. jerks. botn
graduates of the Bliss School. Mr. Belote is
now with the National Broadcasting Co.
The writer looked DIR. jenkins up in the early
city directories and found that he was old
Washingtonian having resided here at least
as far back as 1893, when he was a Stenogra
pher in the Treasury Department In 1897,
he is classed as engineer in 1898, "electricaI
engineer" and in 19o0T as photographer"
probably in the United States Geological
Survey.
Another graduate of the school, and that in
the first class. was Thomas E Robertson, who.
until recently. was the United States commits
sioner of patents.
4 loRRIS NJ. TTTTERINGToN also reflected
lVi credit upon his alma mater. Graduating
in 1913, and being interested in aviation. he
went to a Southern field, where he became a
proficient pilot During the World War he served
with distinction, and upon his return to this
country became chief engineer of the Pioneer
Instrument Co. in New York City. In that
capacity ne invented the earth-inductor COM
pass, and 1t was with this instrument that
Ltndbsrgh made his memorable flight alone
from New York to Paris in 1927. In 1880, while
plotting plane across Pennsylvania, Mr.. tit