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| George W. De Long | |
|---|---|
| Name | George W. De Long |
| Birth date | August 22, 1844 |
| Birth place | Newburgh, New York |
| Death date | October 30, 1881 |
| Death place | Bay of Saint Lawrence (off the coast of Greenland) |
| Occupation | United States Navy officer, Arctic explorer |
| Known for | Commander of the Jeannette expedition |
George W. De Long
George Washington De Long was a United States Navy officer and Arctic explorer who commanded the ill-fated Jeannette expedition in 1879–1881. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and veteran of peacetime cruises, he sought the long-sought Northeast Passage and a route to the North Pole, joining a lineage of polar voyagers that included Fridtjof Nansen, Elisha Kent Kane, and Sir John Franklin. His leadership during the Jeannette disaster influenced later Arctic logistics used by expeditions led by Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Robert Peary, and Roald Amundsen.
Born in Newburgh, New York, De Long was the son of David De Long and Quintina Dolph, raised amid the maritime culture of the mid-19th century United States. He entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and graduated into a navy undergoing reforms after the American Civil War. Early assignments placed him aboard steam and sail vessels connected to the Mediterranean Squadron and the East India Squadron, exposing him to the steam-powered technologies used aboard ships like the USS Susquehanna and USS Richmond. Promotion to lieutenant followed service on survey and patrol cruises tied to the United States Navy Hydrographic Office and to duties at the New York Navy Yard.
De Long became interested in Arctic exploration through contemporary literature and reports by noted explorers such as Charles Francis Hall and Isaac Israel Hayes. He associated with patrons and scientific societies including the American Geographical Society and the Smithsonian Institution, which were instrumental in funding and legitimizing polar expeditions. His naval experience, combined with connections to sponsors in New York City and Washington, D.C., positioned him to propose a privately fitted governmental-support voyage seeking high-latitude routes.
In 1879 De Long secured command of the steam-sloop Jeannette, purchased and refitted with backing from the United States Navy and private donors including interests in James Gordon Bennett Jr.'s circle. The Jeannette sailed from San Francisco under De Long toward the Bering Strait with a crew that included officers and scientists influenced by Arctic traditions exemplified by William Parker Snow and August Petermann. The expedition intended to follow routes advocated by proponents of the Open Polar Sea theory, echoing earlier hypotheses promoted by figures such as Elisha Kent Kane and Isaac Israel Hayes.
De Long's log documented the Jeannette becoming beset in pack ice north of the Siberian coast. Over months the ship drifted within the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea, enduring the ice dynamics studied by contemporaries like Fridtjof Nansen. The crew conducted scientific observations in meteorology, magnetism, and oceanography, submitting findings to organizations such as the Royal Geographical Society and the American Geographical Society.
As the Jeannette drifted, De Long navigated decisions reflecting polar doctrine of the era—attempting to capitalize on supposed transpolar currents linking the Siberian seas to the Atlantic Ocean. He ordered sledging parties and charting missions reminiscent of techniques used by William Edward Parry and James Clark Ross. The ship ultimately sank beneath ice pressure, forcing De Long to lead his party across ice and open water toward known landmasses such as Herald Island and the New Siberian Islands.
De Long aimed to reach the American side of the Arctic by crossing to Wrangel Island and then to the Alaskan coast, hoping to connect with sea lanes used by whalers from New Bedford and San Francisco. The party hauled boats and supplies across treacherous floes, drawing on navigational methods recorded by John Ross and survival techniques described by Arctic whalers and explorers like Charles Francis Hall.
News of the Jeannette's disappearance triggered search efforts by governmental and private agents in Europe and the United States. Relief expeditions were organized from San Francisco, New York City, and St. Petersburg, including contributions from the Russian Arctic Service and interest from the British Admiralty. Search parties combed island chains such as the New Siberian Islands and coasts from Siberia to Alaska, employing steamers, sleds, and local indigenous guides like members of the Yupik and Chukchi peoples.
Recovered journals, scientific specimens, and artifacts from Jeannette parties reached institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History, influencing cartographic and oceanographic understanding. Data from the drift of the Jeannette contributed to later theories on transpolar drift adopted by explorers such as Fridtjof Nansen and informed polar strategy used by Robert Peary and Roald Amundsen.
De Long perished in 1881 during the overland march after the Jeannette sank; his death occurred aboard a small boat or shortly thereafter during the retreat toward Bulun on the Lena River delta region. Several officers and enlisted men also died, while others survived and related firsthand accounts to publications in periodicals edited by figures like James Gordon Bennett Jr. and scientific reports submitted to societies such as the American Geographical Society. Posthumous narratives by survivors, including Charles W. Chipp's associates and published memoirs, cemented De Long's reputation among late-19th-century readers of polar literature.
His command became a case study in leadership, risk assessment, and the limits of contemporary polar technology; analyses appeared in works by historians and geographers connected to institutions like the Royal Geographical Society and the Smithsonian Institution. The human cost and scientific yield of the Jeannette informed later policy and funding priorities for Arctic research pursued by governments and patronage networks in Russia, Britain, and the United States.
Monuments and toponyms commemorate De Long in places tied to his voyage. Geographic features bearing his name include De Long Islands in the East Siberian Sea and various bays and capes recorded on charts by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Memorials and plaques have been installed in locales such as Newburgh, New York and naval institutions like the United States Naval Academy. Artifacts and documents from the Jeannette expedition are preserved in collections at the Smithsonian Institution, the American Geographical Society, and regional museums in Alaska and Russia, ensuring continued scholarly attention and public remembrance.
Category:1844 births Category:1881 deaths Category:United States Navy officers Category:Arctic explorers