George W. DeLong
Encyclopedia
George Washington DeLong (August 22, 1844 – October 31, 1881) was a United States Navy
officer and explorer.
, he was educated at the United States Naval Academy
in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1879, backed by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
, owner of the New York Herald
newspaper, and under the auspices of the US Navy, Lieutenant Commander DeLong sailed from San Francisco, California
on the ship USS Jeannette
with a plan to find a quick way to the North Pole
via the Bering Strait
.
As well as collecting scientific data and animal specimens, DeLong discovered and claimed three islands (De Long Islands
) for the United States
in the summer of 1881.
The ship became trapped in the ice and eventually was crushed and sank. DeLong and his crew abandoned ship and set out for Siberia
in three small boats. After reaching open water, they became separated and one boat, commanded by Executive Officer Charles W. Chipp
, was lost; no trace of it was ever found. DeLong's own boat reached land, but only two men sent ahead for aid survived. (See: William Henry Gilder
) The third boat, under the command of Chief Engineer George W. Melville
, reached the Lena delta and was rescued.
DeLong died of starvation near Mat Vay, Yakutsk
, Siberia. Melville returned a year later and found the body of DeLong and his boat crew. Overall, the doomed voyage took the lives of nineteen expedition members, as well as additional men lost during the search operations.
DeLong and five of his men are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery
in The Bronx, New York.
in his honor, as were the De Long Mountains in northwest Alaska
.
In 1890, the officers and men of the United States Navy
dedicated a granite-and-marble monument to the memory of Lieut. George Washington DeLong and the crew of the USS Jeannette. Lieut. George Partridge Colvocoresses
designed the monument — a cross with carved icicles hanging from it that sits atop a cairn. The 24 feet (7.3 m)-high structure is in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery overlooking the Severn River
.
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...
officer and explorer.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew 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...
, he was educated at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1879, backed by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
James Gordon Bennett, Jr. was publisher of the New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father....
, owner of the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
newspaper, and under the auspices of the US Navy, Lieutenant Commander DeLong sailed from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on the ship USS Jeannette
USS Jeannette (1878)
The first USS Jeannette was originally HMS Pandora, a Philomel-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy, and was purchased in 1875 by Sir Allen Young for his arctic voyages in 1875-1876. The ship was purchased in 1878 by James Gordon Bennett, Jr., owner of the New York Herald; and renamed Jeannette...
with a plan to find a quick way to 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...
via the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
.
As well as collecting scientific data and animal specimens, DeLong discovered and claimed three islands (De Long Islands
De Long Islands
The De Long Islands are an uninhabited archipelago often included as part of the New Siberian Islands, lying north east of Novaya Sibir. This archipelago consists of Jeannette Island, Henrietta Island, Bennett Island, Vilkitsky Island and Zhokhov Island. These five islands have a total area of...
) for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the summer of 1881.
The ship became trapped in the ice and eventually was crushed and sank. DeLong and his crew abandoned ship and set out for Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
in three small boats. After reaching open water, they became separated and one boat, commanded by Executive Officer Charles W. Chipp
Charles W. Chipp
Charles Winans Chipp was a United States Navy officer and explorer.-Biography:Born in Kingston, New York, he was educated at the United States Naval Academy in Newport, Rhode Island and Annapolis, Maryland. After graduating in 1868, he served in the steam frigate USS Franklin, flagship of the...
, was lost; no trace of it was ever found. DeLong's own boat reached land, but only two men sent ahead for aid survived. (See: William Henry Gilder
William Henry Gilder
William Henry Gilder , was an American soldier, journalist, explorer and writer.-Biography:He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a clergyman, also named William Henry Gilder...
) The third boat, under the command of Chief Engineer George W. Melville
George W. Melville
George Wallace Melville was an engineer of the United States Navy who became a rear admiral.-Civil War:Melville was born in New York City on 10 January 1841. After graduating from Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, he entered the U.S...
, reached the Lena delta and was rescued.
DeLong died of starvation near Mat Vay, Yakutsk
Yakutsk
With a subarctic climate , Yakutsk is the coldest city, though not the coldest inhabited place, on Earth. Average monthly temperatures range from in July to in January. The coldest temperatures ever recorded on the planet outside Antarctica occurred in the basin of the Yana River to the northeast...
, Siberia. Melville returned a year later and found the body of DeLong and his boat crew. Overall, the doomed voyage took the lives of nineteen expedition members, as well as additional men lost during the search operations.
DeLong and five of his men are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
in The Bronx, New York.
Namesakes
Two US Navy ships have been named USS DeLongUSS DeLong
USS DeLong may refer to:, a torpedo boat, launched in 1900 and sold in 1920., a Wickes-class destroyer, launched in 1918 and sold in 1922., a Rudderow-class destroyer escort, launched in 1943 and struck in 1969....
in his honor, as were the De Long Mountains in northwest Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
In 1890, the officers and men of the United States Navy
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...
dedicated a granite-and-marble monument to the memory of Lieut. George Washington DeLong and the crew of the USS Jeannette. Lieut. George Partridge Colvocoresses
George Partridge Colvocoresses
George Partridge Colvocoresses was a United States Navy rear admiral. He was the son of Captain George M. Colvocoresses, the adopted son of Captain Alden Partridge, founder of Norwich University in Vermont. George P...
designed the monument — a cross with carved icicles hanging from it that sits atop a cairn. The 24 feet (7.3 m)-high structure is in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery overlooking the Severn River
Severn River (Maryland)
The Severn River runs through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located south of the Magothy River, and north of the South River.-Geography:...
.
Publications
- DeLong, The Voyage of the Jeannette, comprising his journals, edited by his widow, Mrs. Emma J. (Wotton) DeLong (1883)
- Leonard F. Guttridge, Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1986) ISBN 0-87021-330-X.
- Michael Robinson, The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture (Chicago, 2006)
- John Wilson DanenhowerJohn Wilson DanenhowerJohn Wilson Danenhower was a United States Navy officer and explorer.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Danenhower attended local public schools, then accepted appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1866...
, The Narrative of the Jeannette (Boston, 1882) - Melville, In the Lena Delta (Boston, 1885)
- Edward EllsbergEdward EllsbergRear Admiral Edward Ellsberg, OBE was an officer in the United States Navy and a popular author. He was widely known as "Commander Ellsberg."-Early years:...
, Hell on Ice: the Saga of the Jeannette (New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1938)