Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Danenhower, John Wilson, 1849-1887

Explorer; born in Chicago, Ill., Sept. 30, 1849; graduated at the United States Naval Academy in 1870; served on the Vandalia during Gen. U. S. Grant's visit to Egypt and the Levant; and was promoted lieutenant in 1879. He joined the Arctic steamer Jeanette as second in command in 1878. The vessel sailed from San Francisco on July 8, 1879, through Bering Straits into the Arctic Ocean, where [9] it was held in the ice-pack for twenty-two months. From the place where the steamer was caught the crew travelled south for ninety-five days over the ice, drawing three boats with them. They then embarked, but were separated by a storm. Lieutenant Danenhower's boat reached the Lena delta, where the Tunguses saved the crew, Sept. 17, 1881. After making an unsuccessful search for the other boats he left engineer George W. Melville (q. v.) to continue the search for Lieut. George W. De long (q. v.), and with his crew made a journey of 6,000 miles to Orenburg. He arrived in the United States in June, 1882. He published The narrative of the Jeannette. He died in Annapolis, Md., April 20, 1887.