Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-12
E.K. KANE, EXPLORER,
BORN CENTURY AGO
R;rthdav Centennial Celebrated
by Masonic Lodge Named
for Him.

Arctic explorers, WIS boih' iNSia'
f. and A. NJ, founded IN New YORK IN
1858. year after Kane S death, was
named after him. Last evening March oO)
ii the Grand Lodge room of the Masonic
Temple in New York, Kane Lodge cele-
llrated the centennial.
In 1857. when Elisha Kane died at the
ave Of 81, the country rang. with praise
for the intrepid discoverer; III search oi
the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin
he had made two voyages into the Arctic
and had planted the standard OF the
United States nearer the pole than any
Hac had flown before He was not a pro-
ftssional explorer nor even sailor, mere
ly a surgeon in the United States navy,
and he had not reached his 33d birthday
when he assumed command OF the eXpedl-
tion for which he is famed.
Kane died in Havana, Cuba, where he
bad gone in search of health. lie had lust
messed his 37th birthday. While studying
n the University of Virginia, he suffered
from rheumatic attack which injured
his heart and from its effects he was all his
life more or less of an Invalid tie was
compelled TO leave the university and
in IS4O he became an inferno IN the Penn
sylvania Hospital At his graduation hls
father applied for q warrant for hls cX-
animation as n surgeon IN the navy lie
Dassed the test handsomely, and shortly
aftcrward he was attached 10 special
embassy to China.
The work of the embassy was soon done
and treaty negotiations closed, but the
taste he had for travel and exploration
had been depend so he resigned his post
as physician TO the legation and set up an
office on Whamposa Reach OF the Canton
river. The rice fever nearly Killed nun
and on recovering he abandoned his prac-
ticc and started to return home by the
overland route. He visited Borneo,
Sumatra. India, Persia and Syria, and at
Alexandria almost lost his life from the
nlarue. After getting we'll he set out Tor
Greece and iourncycd noTthward through
Switzerland and Germany Ills travels
always bore the aspect OF scientific IN
vcstigations.
When he returned in October he found a
world moved to its depths by the appeals
of Lady Franklin for the rescue OF her
husband and his companions. They had
cone in search of the Northwest passage
and had not been heard Of since 1915.
Kane promptly volunteered as surgeon OF
the rescue party, which came to be known,
from the generosity OF its hacker, as
"thc first" or United States "Grlnnell
Expedition" No response from WASH
ington came to the volunteer tor several
months, then suddenly while he was on
the shores Of the Gulf OF Mexico he re-
ccived a curt telegram, instructlng hiin
to proceed forthwith 70 New ork Tor
dutv 11pon the Arctic Expedition. In
less than eight DAYS he was in New York
and a few hours later saw him aboard and
at sea.
Kane now ranked as past assistant
surgeon and senior medical officer Of the
exncdition. Lieut.. De Haven command
e1 The start was made in May, 1880,
AMI tho return to New York in September,
1881. For nine of the l6 months the vcs-
:. Is were ice-locked and adrift in the frozen
- But SIR John Franklin had not been
fc.lrd though news had come of his winter
quarters at Beechey Island in lS45-46.
rms revived hopes Of his survival and II
Ras determined that the field Of search
should bc more thoroughly explored DIR.
Kane was eager to participate By mani
fold efforts and largely through the further
generosity of Mr.. GrInncIl OF New ork
and MIR. Peabody Of London, he was given
the opportunity TO take out the same brig
the Advance-in which he had sailed
with De Haven.
The little vessel turned once more to
the North on May 50, 1858. She was
bound for Smiths Sound, through which
the commander hoped 10 reach an open
Polar sea. The hope was never realized.
The vovaCe to the Sound was safely made.
but there in Rensselaer, Bay the ice caua ht
her and held her, and TO Use Kane S
words ''thc same ice Is round her still.
There followed two stern winters with
lessening fuel and supplies and increasing
inroads 0f disease. Death took two of the
little party and stared the others IN the
face. They capitulated at last. The
stripped and ,lesolatc ship was abandoned
and the long and hazardous journey to the
South begun. Incredible courage made 1t.
but it was a feeble and famished band
which hailed the Danish 'oil boat weeks
later under the shadow Of karamoot.
For four and eighty days the commander
and his men had fought the ice pack and
the storm. had sailed / 300 miles and had
won their goal with but one small boat
left Of all their equipment.
4 relief expedition under Lieut.. Hart
stelIe, L. s \, with DR.. John i. Kane, a
brother of Elisha, had been searching
meanwhile for the Advance. It found the
survivors and brought them back to New
York in October, 1856. From the hard
ships he had endured, Kane never re-
covered He made hurried trip To Eng
land In search OF health, but he was worse
there and in few weeks he left England
for Cuba. He reached Havana on Christ
mas day and for few weeks seemed bet
ter. but early in February he had a stroke
Of paralysis and death soon followed.
Prominent among the historically inter
esting possessions of Kane Lodge are the
portrait Of Elisha Kent Kane, the Masonic
flag presented by the explorer, Isaac /
Hayes, and carried by him and planted
along with the United States flag on
Grinnell Land; flags presented by Adol-
phus W Greeley, U. S. A, and Command
er Robert T. Peary, L. S. n; also the
figure head of the Advance, removed
from the ship when DR. Kane and his
companions abandoned her at Rensse-
laer Harbor, Greenland, May, 1855
BESIDES these relics are a number OF
others Of the Sir John Franklin Expedi-
ton and of other later expeditions to the
far North including ashlars or bouldars
found under the huge meteorite which
Peary brought back from the Arctic and
presented TO the American Museum oil
National History
The Kane Lodge has membership OF
about 500, among whom are Is clergy
men More than 60 lawyers and 40 physi-
clans are members. The meetings are held
II the Renaissance room Of the Masonic
Temple Kane Lodge has also reser we'd fol
itself in the temple, q large room for recre-
ation and the display Of IFS Arctic treasures
This goes under the name of the Elisha
Kent Kane room. Above the mantel piecc
is a portrait of the explorer.