Elisha (Kent) Kane

Physician and Arctic explorer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Entering the US Navy as a surgeon, he visited China, the East Indies, Arabia, Egypt, Europe, W Africa, and Mexico. He sailed as surgeon and naturalist with the first expedition (1850–1) in search of Sir John Franklin, who had been missing since 1845. He then commanded a second Arctic expedition (1853–5), which had no greater success. The Kane Basin is named after him.

Elisha Kent Kane (28 February 1820 – 16 February 1857) was a medical officer in the United States Navy during the first half of the 19th century.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kane was the son of John Kintzing Kane, a U.S. district judge, and Jane Duval Leiper.

Kane became senior medical officer of the unsuccessful Arctic expedition searching for explorer Sir John Franklin in 1850 and 1851. Kane organized and headed a second rescue expedition which sailed from New York 31 May 1853, and wintered in Rensselaer Bay. Though suffering from scurvy, and at times near death, he resolutely pushed on and chartered the coasts of Smith Sound (later called Kane Basin) and penetrated farther north than any other explorer had done up to that time.

Kane finally abandoned the icebound brig Advance 20 May 1855 and escaped the clutches of the frozen north by an 83-day march of indomitable courage to Upernavik. Kane returned to New York 11 October 1855 and the following year published his two-volume "Arctic Explorations."

After visiting England, he sailed to Havana, Cuba, where he died.

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.