Elisha Kane
Encyclopedia
Elisha Kent Kane was a medical officer in the United States Navy
during the first half of the 19th century. He was a member of two Arctic
expeditions to rescue the explorer Sir John Franklin. He was present at the discovery of Sir John Franklin's first winter camp, but he did not find out what had happened to the fatal expedition.
, Kane was the son of John Kintzing Kane
, a U.S. district judge, and Jane Duval Leiper. His brother was attorney, diplomat, abolitionist, and American Civil War
cavalry general Thomas L. Kane
. Kane graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1842. On 14 September 1843, he became Assistant Surgeon in the Navy. He served in the China Commercial Treaty mission under Caleb Cushing, in the Africa Squadron , and in the United States Marine Corps|Marines during the Mexican-American War.
Kane was appointed senior medical officer of the Grinnell Arctic expedition
of 1850–1851 under the command of Edwin de Haven
, which searched unsuccessfully for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin
. It is worth noting that in this expedition, the crew discovered Sir John Franklin's first winter camp. Kane then organized and headed the Second Grinnell expedition
which sailed from New York 31 May 1853, and wintered in Rensselaer Bay. Though suffering from scurvy
, and at times near death, he resolutely pushed on and charted the coasts of Smith Sound and the Kane Basin, penetrating farther north than any other explorer had done up to that time. At Cape Constitution he discovered the ice-free Kennedy Channel
, later followed by Isaac Israel Hayes
, Charles Francis Hall
, Augustus Greely, and Robert E. Peary in turn as they drove toward the North Pole
.
Kane finally abandoned the icebound brig
Advance
20 May 1855 and escaped the clutches of the frozen north by an 83-day march of indomitable courage to Upernavik
. The party, carrying the invalids, lost only one man in the retreat to stand in the annals of Arctic exploration as the archetype of victory over defeat. Kane and his men were saved by a sailing ship. Kane returned to New York 11 October 1855 and the following year published his two-volume "Arctic Explorations."
After visiting England
to fulfill his promise to deliver his report personally to Lady Franklin, he sailed to Havana
, Cuba
in a vain attempt to recover his health, after being advised to do so by his doctor. He died there on February 16, 1857. His body was brought to New Orleans, and carried by a funeral train to Philadelphia; the train was met at nearly every platform by a memorial delegation, and is said to have been the longest funeral train of the century excepting only Lincoln
's.
, and the Société de Géographie. The destroyer USS Kane (DD-235)
was named for him, as was a later oceanographic research ship, the USNS Kane (T-AGS-27). Kane was a Mason, and a prominent Masonic lodge in New York City
(Lodge No. 454) was renamed the Kane Lodge. The crater Kane
on the Moon was also named for him. On May 28, 1986, the United States Postal Service
issued a 22 cent postage stamp
in his honor, depicting his route to the Arctic
. The Anoatok
historic home at Kane, Pennsylvania
was named to allude to his Arctic adventures.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the first half of the 19th century. He was a member of two Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
expeditions to rescue the explorer Sir John Franklin. He was present at the discovery of Sir John Franklin's first winter camp, but he did not find out what had happened to the fatal expedition.
Life and career
Born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Kane was the son of John Kintzing Kane
John K. Kane
John Kintzing Kane was an American politician, attorney and jurist. Kane was noted for his political affiliation with President Andrew Jackson and for an 1855 pro-slavery legal decision dealing with the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.Kane was born in Albany, New York, the son of Elisha Kane and Alida...
, a U.S. district judge, and Jane Duval Leiper. His brother was attorney, diplomat, abolitionist, and American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
cavalry general Thomas L. Kane
Thomas L. Kane
Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War...
. Kane graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1842. On 14 September 1843, he became Assistant Surgeon in the Navy. He served in the China Commercial Treaty mission under Caleb Cushing, in the Africa Squadron , and in the United States Marine Corps|Marines during the Mexican-American War.
Kane was appointed senior medical officer of the Grinnell Arctic expedition
First Grinnell Expedition
The First Grinnell Expedition of 1850 was the first American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of the lost Franklin Polar Expedition. Led by Lieutenant Edwin De Haven, the...
of 1850–1851 under the command of Edwin de Haven
Edwin De Haven
Edwin Jesse De Haven was a United States Navy officer and explorer of the first half of the 19th century.He was born in Philadelphia and became a midshipman at the age of 10, serving until 1857...
, which searched unsuccessfully for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin
Franklin's lost expedition
Franklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
. It is worth noting that in this expedition, the crew discovered Sir John Franklin's first winter camp. Kane then organized and headed the Second Grinnell expedition
Second Grinnell Expedition
The Second Grinnell Expedition of 1853 was an American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of the Franklin's lost expedition. Led by Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the team explored areas northwest of Greenland, now called Grinnell Land...
which sailed from New York 31 May 1853, and wintered in Rensselaer Bay. Though suffering from scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
, and at times near death, he resolutely pushed on and charted the coasts of Smith Sound and the Kane Basin, penetrating farther north than any other explorer had done up to that time. At Cape Constitution he discovered the ice-free Kennedy Channel
Kennedy Channel
Kennedy Channel is an Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's most northerly island, Ellesmere Island.It forms part of Nares Strait, linking Kane Basin with Hall Basin. From the south, its beginning is marked by Capes Lawrence and Jackson; its junction with Hall Basin is marked by Capes...
, later followed by Isaac Israel Hayes
Isaac Israel Hayes
Isaac Israel Hayes was an Arctic explorer and physician.Hayes was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. After completing his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Hayes signed on as ship's surgeon for an 1853-5 expedition led by Elisha Kent Kane to search for John Franklin...
, Charles Francis Hall
Charles Francis Hall
Charles Francis Hall was an American Arctic explorer. Little is known of Hall's early life. He was born in the state of Vermont, but while he was still a child his family moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where, as a boy, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith. In the 1840s he married and drifted...
, Augustus Greely, and Robert E. Peary in turn as they drove toward the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
.
Kane finally abandoned the icebound brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Advance
USS Advance (1850)
The first USS Advance was a brigantine in the United States Navy which participated in an arctic rescue expedition. Advance was built in 1847 as Augusta in New Kent County, Virginia and loaned to the Navy on 7 May 1850 by Mr. Henry Grinnell to participate in the search for Sir John Franklin's...
20 May 1855 and escaped the clutches of the frozen north by an 83-day march of indomitable courage to Upernavik
Upernavik
Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance...
. The party, carrying the invalids, lost only one man in the retreat to stand in the annals of Arctic exploration as the archetype of victory over defeat. Kane and his men were saved by a sailing ship. Kane returned to New York 11 October 1855 and the following year published his two-volume "Arctic Explorations."
After visiting England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to fulfill his promise to deliver his report personally to Lady Franklin, he sailed to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in a vain attempt to recover his health, after being advised to do so by his doctor. He died there on February 16, 1857. His body was brought to New Orleans, and carried by a funeral train to Philadelphia; the train was met at nearly every platform by a memorial delegation, and is said to have been the longest funeral train of the century excepting only Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's.
Honors
Dr. Kane received medals from Congress, the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, and the Société de Géographie. The destroyer USS Kane (DD-235)
USS Kane (DD-235)
USS Kane was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for Elisha Kent Kane....
was named for him, as was a later oceanographic research ship, the USNS Kane (T-AGS-27). Kane was a Mason, and a prominent Masonic lodge in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(Lodge No. 454) was renamed the Kane Lodge. The crater Kane
Kane (crater)
Kane is the walled remains of a lunar crater that has been flooded by lava from Mare Frigoris to the south, and it lies on the northeast edge of this mare. The crater lies midway between the craters C. Mayer to the west and Democritus in the east...
on the Moon was also named for him. On May 28, 1986, the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued a 22 cent postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
in his honor, depicting his route to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
. The Anoatok
Anoatok
Anoatok , now Kane Manor, was built by the widow of American Civil War General Thomas L. Kane. The mansion's name alludes to the exploits of the late General's brother, Elisha Kane, the Arctic explorer. Anoatok is located in Kane, Pennsylvania, in McKean County...
historic home at Kane, Pennsylvania
Kane, Pennsylvania
Kane is a borough in McKean County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie. It was founded in 1863 by Civil War general Thomas L. Kane at an elevated site 2210 feet above sea level. In the early part of the twentieth century, Kane had large glassworks, bottle works, lumber mills, and manufactures of...
was named to allude to his Arctic adventures.
Publications
- The United States Grinnell Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin: A personal narrative; Philadelphia: Childs & Peterson, 1856, at the Making of AmericaMaking of AmericaMaking of America is a digital archive hosted by Cornell University and the University of Michigan. The Making of America collection at the University of Michigan consists primarily of books published in the United States between 1850 and 1877. The Making of America collection at Cornell contains...
Project. - Arctic explorations: The second Grinnell expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, 1853,54,55; Philadelphia: Childs & Peterson, 1857, at the Making of AmericaMaking of AmericaMaking of America is a digital archive hosted by Cornell University and the University of Michigan. The Making of America collection at the University of Michigan consists primarily of books published in the United States between 1850 and 1877. The Making of America collection at Cornell contains...
Project.
Further reading
- The Royal Navy in Polar Exploration from Franklin to Scott, E C Coleman 2006 (Tempus Publishing)
- Corner, George W. Doctor Kane of the Arctic Seas (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1972)
- Elder, William, Biography of Elisha Kent Kane (Philadelphia, 1858)
- Fox, MargaretMargaret FoxMargaret Fox was an American Spiritualist, born in Bath, Canada. In approximately 1848, in Hydesville, Wayne, County, NY, the Foxes claimed to hear rapping noises, which appeared to emit from the walls and furniture, in their residence...
. Love Life of Dr. Kane (New York, 1866) - Greely, A.W.Adolphus GreelyAdolphus Washington Greely , was an American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Early military career:...
, American Explorers and Travelers (New York, 1894) - McGoogan, KenKen McGooganKen McGoogan is the Canadian author of eight books, including four biographies focusing on northern exploration and published internationally: Fatal Passage , Ancient Mariner , Lady Franklin's Revenge , and Race to the Polar Sea .Born in Montreal and raised in a francophone town, McGoogan has...
, Race to the Polar Sea: The Heroic Adventures and Romantic Obsessions of Elisha Kent Kane (Toronto, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2008. ISBN 978-0-00-200776-4) - Robinson, Michael, The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2006)
- Sawin, Mark. Raising Kane: Elisha Kent Kane and the Culture of Fame in Antebellum America. Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society Press, 2009. ISBN 1606189832
- David Chapin, Exploring Other Worlds (University of Massachusetts Press, 2004).