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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Elisha Kent Kane Biography KANE, Elisha Kent (1820–57). An American Arctic explorer. He was born in Philadelphia, received an academic training in that city, entered the University of Virginia, but later pursued a course in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1842. In July, 1843, he was appointed an assistant surgeon in the United States navy and sailed for China on the Brandywine with Caleb Cushing, United States Minister. At Peking he acted as legation surgeon, and after an expedition to the Philippine Islands practiced privately in China. He served on the west coast of Africa in 1846–47 and returned to the United States in time to take part in the Mexican War, in which he distinguished himself. In May, 1850, he sailed for the Arctic Ocean with the first expedition sent out by Henry Grinnell (q.v.), of New York, under the command of Lieut. E. J. De Haven, in search of Sir John Franklin (q.v:). The two ships, the Advance and the Rescue, in company with eight English ships searched the region around Lancaster Sound. On their return the Advance and Rescue were beset in the middle of Wellington Channel. They drifted 1050 miles, into Baffin Bay, and after eight months extricating themselves from the ice, returned to New York in September, 1851. With the idea that great results might be accomplished by a polar expedition scientifically planned, Kane began to interest others. Henry Grinnell and George Peabody came to his aid, and on May 30, 1853, he sailed northward in command of the Advance, accompanied by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes as surgeon. Kane sailed with a double object—to search for Sir John Franklin and to extend northward the discoveries of Inglefield (q.v.). He proceeded directly up Smith Sound to lat. 78° 43' N., and he wintered in Van Rensselaer harbor, from which point he and Dr. Hayes conducted sledge expeditions, as a result of which much geographical knowledge was obtained. One of these sledge journeys led to the discovery of the famous Humboldt glacier (79° 12' N.). In June, 1854, another party reached Cape Constitution, in lat. 80° 35' N., from which open water was seen. In May, 1855, the Advance was abandoned, and the party after a boat journey of 1200 miles reached Upernavik, whence they returned to the United States with Lieutenant Harstene, U. S. N., commanding a squadron sent for Kane's rescue. The expedition resulted in adding more to the knowledge of the Arctic regions than any single expedition previously undertaken, and Dr. Kane received medals from Congress, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Société de Géographie. He published The United States Grinnell Expedition (1854) and The Second Grinnell Expedition (1856). The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XIII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 88. |