The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-01-30
EVANSVILLE md WEDNESDAY MORNING., JANUARY 1876
Gge 9ailp yournaL
DR.. KANE.
A SKETCH BY DR. WEI. E
a. TCoNCLUDED.1

. IEt
/ ssf. 81 A SKETCH BY DR. wM. ELDER.
ss34s.!- elis-L [coNcLUDED.] -
When they reached Puebla, the Doctors
wound proved the worst in the party. He
was taken to the government house, but the
old General, IN gratitude for his generous ser
tvices, had him conveyed to his own house.
General Ghilds, American commander at Pue-
bla, hearing Of the generosity of his prisoner
discharged him without making any terms,
and the old General became the principal
nurse of his captor and beneiactor dividing his
attentions between him and his son, who lay
wounded in the adjoining room. The illness
of our hero was long and doubtful, and he was
reported dead 10 his friends at home.
When he recovered and returned, he was
lemployed in the coast survey. While engaged
in this service, the government, by its cores
Ipondence with Lady Franklin, became COM
mitted for an attempt at the rescue of Sir
j Ohm and his i'll starred companions in Arctic
discovery. Nothing could be better addressed
ito the Doctors governing sentiments than this
adventure. The enterprise of Sir John ran
IeXactly in the current of one of his own en-
lthusiasms-th service of natural science, COM
Ibined with heroic personal effort; and added
to this, that sort oil patriotism which charges
itself with its own full share in the execution
lof national engagements OF honor; and besides
this cordial assumption of his country's debts
and duties, there was no little force in the
laPpeal of a noblybTave, spirited woman to
the chlvalry of the American navy.
lie was bathing in the tepid waters of the
Gulf of Mexico on the 18th OF May, 1852
when he received his telegraphic order to pro-
Ieeed Forthwith to New York for duty upon the
Arctic eXped ton. In nine days from that
date he was beyond the limits of the United
States on his dismal voyage to the North Pole.
|Of this first American expedition, as is we'll
known to the public, he was the surgeon. the
naturalist, and the historian. 1t returned Dis
appointed Of its main object after winter in
the regions of eternal ice and a fifteen months
absence, "A
Scarcely allowing himself day to recover,
from the hardships of this cruise, he set OF
footlthe second attempt, from which he has
returned, after verifying by actual observation
the long questioned existence of an open sea
beyond the latitude of82 deg, and beyond the
temperature, also Of 100 deg, below the freez-
ing point. His personal Narrative,p pub
lished early in 1858, recounts the adventures
Of the first voyage, and discovers his diyersi-
fed qualifications for such an enterprise.
The last voyage occupied two winters in the
highest latitudes, and two years and half of
upiHteTInitted labor, with the risks and reSpon-
sIbiltles attendant. He is now preparing the
history for publication. But tnat part of it
which best reports his own personal agency,
and would most justly present the man to the
reader, will of course be suppressed. We
would gladly supply it, but rs yet this is i'm
possible to US His journal isprivate property;
the extracts which we may expect Will be only
too shy of egotism and his companions have
not spoken yet, as some day they will speak,
of his conduct throughout the terrible strug-
giles which together they endured.
To form anything like an adequate estimate !
of this last achievement, it is to be recolectcd
that his whole company amounted to but
twenty men, and that of this corps or crew he !
was the commander, in naval phrase; and |
when We are apprised that his portfolio of
scenery, sketched on the spot IN pencil, and in
water eolors kept fluid over spirit lamp, 1
amounts to over three hundred sketches, we
have a hint of the extent and variety of the
Offices he filled on this voyage. He was in
fact the surgeon, sailing master, astronomer
and naturalist, as well as captain and leader of
the expedition.
This man of all work, and desperate daring
and successful doing, is in hight about five /
feet six inches; in weight, say one hundred
and thirty pounds or so, if health and rest
" ould but give him leave to ill up his natural
measure. His complexion is fair, his hair
brown, and his eyes dark grey, with hawk
look He is hunter by every gift and grace
and instinct that makes up the character; an
excellent shot, and a brilliant horseman. He
has escaped with whole bones from all his ad- /
ventures, but he has several wounds which are
and with such general health as
his, most men would call themselves invalids, I
and live on furlOugh from all the active duties
of life;yet he has won the distinction of being
the first civilized man to stand in latitude 92S
80 min. and gaze upon the open Polar Sea-If
to reach the northernmost point Of land on the
globe-to report the lowest temperature ever
heaviest sledge journeys ever
the widest life that civilized
man has successfully undergone; and to re-
turn after all to tell the story Of his adven-
lures. ~ -
% The secret spring of all this energy is in his
religious nthusi&sln-discoyered alike in the
spirit Of his adventures in pursuit of
science; in his enthusiastic fidelity to duty,
and in his heroic maintenance Of the point Of +
honor in all his Intercourse with men.
In his department there is that mixture of
shyness and frankness simplicity and hstidi-
business, sandwiched rather than blended,
which marks the man Of genius, and the monk
OF industry. lie seems conh lent IN hlmseiI
but not of himself His manner is remarka-
BILE for celebrity of movement, alert attentive
ness, quckneSs OF comprehension, rapidlty OF
and sententiOus compactness OF dc
ton, which arise from habitual watchfulness
against the BETRAYAL of his own enthusiasm.
He seems to fear that he is boring you, and is
always discovering his unwillingness ito -sit,'
for your admiration. If you question him
about the handsome c1ficial acknowledgements