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George W. Melville
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George W. Melville
George Wallace Melville (January 10, 1841 – March 17, 1912) was a United States Navy officer, engineer and Arctic explorer.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1861 and served as an engineer during the American Civil War. He was a member of three Arctic expeditions; the Polaris expedition in 1873, the ill-fated Jeannette expedition in 1879 and the Lady Franklin Bay expedition in 1884. During the Jeannette expedition, in search of the Open Polar Sea, Jeannette became icebound and was eventually crushed. Melville was one of the 13 survivors from the thirty-three men that began the expedition. The United States Congress awarded Melville the Congressional Gold Jeannette Medal for his gallantry and resourcefulness. He published a book in 1884 titled In the Lena Delta, about his experiences on the Jeanette expedition.
He was promoted to engineer in chief of the Navy in 1881, where he reformed the service and increased the professional status of Navy engineers. He established an engineering experimental station near the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis to test machinery and equipment before its installation in Navy ships as well as to aid in training engineering officers.
He served as chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering from 1887 to 1903 and was promoted to rear admiral in 1889. He oversaw the design of 120 ships and introduced innovations including the water-tube boiler, the triple-screw propulsion system, vertical engines, the floating repair ship, and the distilling ship.
Melville was born in New York City on January 10, 1841, the son of Alexander Melville, a chemist, and Sarah Wallace. He was educated at the School of the Christian Brothers, a religious academy, where he studied mathematics, and at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute.
He entered the U.S. Navy on July 29, 1861, and became an officer of the engineer corps, with the rank of third assistant engineer. His first year afloat was spent on the Great Lakes' gunboat Michigan, during which time he was promoted to second assistant engineer. Melville served in the sloops of war Dacotah and Wachusett from mid-1862 until late in 1864, taking part in the capture of CSS Florida in October 1864.
He finished the Civil War in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area working with torpedo boats and as an engineer on the gunboat Maumee. After the war was over, First Assistant Engineer Melville served aboard several ships, among them the experimental cruiser Chattanooga, gunboat Tacony, steam sloop Lancaster and Asiatic Squadron flagship Tennessee. For the remainder of his life, Melville belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, serving as national commander-in-chief of the Loyal Legion from 1911 to 1912.
In 1867, Melville married Henrietta Beatty Waldron of Buffalo. The couple had three children.
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George W. Melville
George Wallace Melville (January 10, 1841 – March 17, 1912) was a United States Navy officer, engineer and Arctic explorer.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1861 and served as an engineer during the American Civil War. He was a member of three Arctic expeditions; the Polaris expedition in 1873, the ill-fated Jeannette expedition in 1879 and the Lady Franklin Bay expedition in 1884. During the Jeannette expedition, in search of the Open Polar Sea, Jeannette became icebound and was eventually crushed. Melville was one of the 13 survivors from the thirty-three men that began the expedition. The United States Congress awarded Melville the Congressional Gold Jeannette Medal for his gallantry and resourcefulness. He published a book in 1884 titled In the Lena Delta, about his experiences on the Jeanette expedition.
He was promoted to engineer in chief of the Navy in 1881, where he reformed the service and increased the professional status of Navy engineers. He established an engineering experimental station near the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis to test machinery and equipment before its installation in Navy ships as well as to aid in training engineering officers.
He served as chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering from 1887 to 1903 and was promoted to rear admiral in 1889. He oversaw the design of 120 ships and introduced innovations including the water-tube boiler, the triple-screw propulsion system, vertical engines, the floating repair ship, and the distilling ship.
Melville was born in New York City on January 10, 1841, the son of Alexander Melville, a chemist, and Sarah Wallace. He was educated at the School of the Christian Brothers, a religious academy, where he studied mathematics, and at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute.
He entered the U.S. Navy on July 29, 1861, and became an officer of the engineer corps, with the rank of third assistant engineer. His first year afloat was spent on the Great Lakes' gunboat Michigan, during which time he was promoted to second assistant engineer. Melville served in the sloops of war Dacotah and Wachusett from mid-1862 until late in 1864, taking part in the capture of CSS Florida in October 1864.
He finished the Civil War in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area working with torpedo boats and as an engineer on the gunboat Maumee. After the war was over, First Assistant Engineer Melville served aboard several ships, among them the experimental cruiser Chattanooga, gunboat Tacony, steam sloop Lancaster and Asiatic Squadron flagship Tennessee. For the remainder of his life, Melville belonged to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, serving as national commander-in-chief of the Loyal Legion from 1911 to 1912.
In 1867, Melville married Henrietta Beatty Waldron of Buffalo. The couple had three children.
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