Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/343

 BLAKE.

BLAKE.

the American Bell telephone company. It was reported in 1896 that more than 215,000 Blake transmitters were in use in America, and at least as large a number in the old world. Previous to 1897, Mr. Blake had been granted twenty patents in tho line of electrical improvements, and had been made a member of the National conference •of electricians, of the American institute of elec- trical engineers, of the corporation of the Massa- chusetts institute of technology, of the Boston society of civil engineers, a Fellow of the Ameri- can association for the advancement of science, and of the American academy of arts and sciences.

BLAKE, George Smith, naval officer, was born in Worcester, Mass., in 1803. He entered the United States navy at the age of fifteen as midshipman on board the ship of the line Inde- pendence. He was next assigned to the schooner Alligator and aided in the capture of a ship from Portugal, returning to the United States as her -commander. On March 3, 1827, he was commis sioned lieutenant and served in the West Indian squadron, in the Philadelphia navy yard, and on the coast survey. In 1846 he received a com- mendatory letter from the secretary of the navy for his wise action during a severe storm off Flor- ida, and the following year became commander. His next promotion was Sept. 4, 1855, when he was made captain. In 1858 he was appointed superintendent of the naval academy at An- napolis, and when the academy was temporarily removed to Newport, in 1861, Secretary Welles requested that Captain Blake remain in charge. When the national stores at Annapolis were in danger of being confiscated by the Confederates, the prompt and wise action of Captain Blake pre- vented the capture and he remained in command of the naval academy until 1866. He was pro- moted commodore July 16, 1862, and served as light-house inspector from 1866 to 1869, He died in Longwood, Mass., June 24, 1871.

BLAKE, Homer Crane, naval officer, was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., Feb. 1, 1822. Shortly after his birth his parents removed to Ohio where he grew up on his father's farm. In his eighteenth year he was appointed midshipman, and served on the frigate Constellation, of the East Indian squadron, making a three years' cruise around the world. The next year was spent on the African coast in active service against the slave traders, and in 1845 he entered the naval academy and was graduated in 1846, and again attached to the East Indian squadron with the rank of passed midshipman. In 1855 he was commissioned lieutenant and ordered to the Paraguay expedition, after which he served in the Pacific squadrons until the breaking out of the <;ivil war. In 1861-62 he was attached to the home

squadron, and in 1863, with a commission as lieu- tenant-commander, was placed in command of the Hatter as. In an action between the Hat- teras and the confederate cruiser Alabama, the former was crippled and sunk, and Blake and his crew were taken prisoners and carried to Jamaica. He was paroled and then exchanged, and after his return to the United States was placed in command of the gun-boat Utah of the North Atlantic squadron. He rendered bril- liant services in several important engagements, and was commissioned commander in 1866 and captain in 1871. He acted as commander of the naval rendezvous in New York harbor from 1873 to 1878 and was promoted to the rank of commo- dore in 1879. He died Jan. 21, 1880.

BLAKE, John Lauris, clergyman, was born atNorthwood, N. H., Dec. 21, 1788. He learned the trade of cabinet making, pursuing his studies meantime until he prepared himself for college. In 1812 he was graduated from Brown university, and in 1813 was hcensed as a Congregational min- ister. In 1815 he was admitted to holy orders in the Protestant Episcopal church, and in the same year organized a parish, St. Paul's, at Pawtucket, where he remained five years. Returning to New Hampshire in 1820 he became pastor of the churches at Concord and Hopkinton, and he es- tabUshed, in the former city, a young ladies' sem- inary which he moved to Boston in 1822. This school was discontinued in 1830. Dr. Blake was rector of St. Matthew's church, Boston, from 1824 to 1832, when he resigned to give his attention to literary work. He edited the Literary Adver- tiser and the Gospel Advocate for a number of years and took an active interest in the Bos- ton public schools, serving on the school com- mittee. His published books include: "A Text Book of Geography and Clironology" (1814); " Anecdotes of American Indians" (1835) ; "Bio- graphical Dictionary" (1835, 13th ed., 1856); the work was thoroughly revised and republished under the title, "Universal Biographical Diction- ary " ; "The Family Encyclopasdia of L^seful Knowledge and General Literature" (1834) ; "Farm and Fireside" (1852); "Farmer's Every Day Book" (1852); "Evidences of Christianity " (1852) ; "Modern Farmer " (1853) ; and "A Cyclo- paedia of Modern Agriculture" (1856). He also wrote a number of small books for claildren's libraries, including, "Book of Nature Laid Open"; " Wonders of the Earth," and " Wonders of Art " (1852. ) He died in Orange, N. J., July 6, 1857.

BLAKE, Liliie Devereux, reformer, was born in Raleigh, N. C, Aug. 12, 1835. Her father and mother were both descendants of Jonathan Ed- wards. Upon the death of her father in 1837 her mother removed to New Haven. Conn., where the daughter received every advantage of early