Explorer; born in New York City, Aug. 22, 1844; graduated at the
United States Naval Academy in 1865, and promoted ensign in 1866; master in 1868; lieutenant in 1869; and lieutenant-commander, Nov. 1, 1879.
He was with
Capt. Daniel L. Braine on the
Juniata, when he was ordered, in 1873, to search for the missing Arctic steamer
Polaris and her crew.
On July 8, 1879, he was given command of the
Jeannette, which had been fitted out by
James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (q. v.), for a three years exploration trip via
Bering Strait.
By an act of Congress the vessel was placed under the authority of the government.
After touching at Ounalaska,
St. Michael's and St. Lawrence Bay, the
Jeannette sailed to Cape Serdze Kamen,
Siberia, in search of
Professor Nordenskjold, the Swedish explorer.
Sailing northward the vessel was caught in the pack-ice, Sept. 5, 1879, off Herald Island, and, after drifting 600 miles to the northwest in a devious course, was crushed by the ice, June 13, 1881.
Thus
Lieutenant-Commander De Long and his crew were adrift in the
Arctic Sea 150 miles from the
New Siberian Islands and more than 300 miles from the nearest point of the mainland of
Asia.
With his party he started southward, and on July 28, 1881, arrived at
Bennett Island, and on Aug. 20 at Thaddeus Island, from which place they travelled in boats.
De Long, with fourteen others out of his crew of thirty-three, reached the main mouth of the
Lena River, Sept. 17, having travelled about 2,800 miles, and landing on the mainland about 500 miles from their ship.
With his men he proceeded as fast as he could until Oct. 9, when it became impossible to travel farther owing to the debility of the men. The party had separated into three branches, one commanded by
De Long, the second by
Lieutenant Chipp, and the third by
chief engineer George W. Melville (q. v.). All of
De Long's party, excepting two, perished;
Chipp's boat was lost in a gale, with eight men; but
Melville, with nine others, succeeded in reaching a small village on the
Lena.
The two survivors of the
De Long party, who had been sent by that officer in search of relief, met the Melville party on Oct. 29.
On hearing their report,
Melville with his party started immediately on a search for
De Long and his companions, and on March 23, 1882, found their remains, together with the records of the expedition and
De Long's diary written up to Oct. 30 previous.
The United States government had the remains of
De Long and his companions brought home and they were interred with appropriate honors on Feb. 22, 1884.
See
The voyage of the Jeannette, by
Mrs. De Long; and
In the Lena Delta, by
George W. Melville.
