ELISHA KENT KANE
Dr. Elisha Kent Kane was the first-born son of an aristocratic Philadelphia family, a doctor, an explorer, a scientist, a writer, a world traveler, and a military hero. He was also one of the biggest celebrities in America during the 1850's, famous for his untarnished image of intelligence, daring, and honor. Was he a bit of a fraud himself, marketing an image of a hero that he could not manage to live up to?
Certainly, the American public was enamoured of this heroic-seeming young man. They turned out in droves to hear him speak. He wrote two books on his Arctic journeys, the second of which was a best-seller. And when he died, his funeral procession lasted nearly a month with ceremonies of public mourning spread all along the route from Havana to Philadelphia. To this day, his funeral procession has been seconded only by that of Abraham Lincoln.
And yet, in the twenty-first century, he is nearly forgotten. All his "great" discoveries in the Arctic were surpassed by other men. When searching a map of the Arctic circle, one may find a small bay near the northern boundary of Greenland labeled Kane Basin—but that is all. He is left out of almost all lists of American explorers—a slight that would have greatly pained him, if he had known of it.
Could it be that his fame died because he was not as great a man as he at first appeared? His reputation was somewhat tarnished by allegations of incompetence and inconstancy in his command of the Second Grinnell Expedition—supported by the desertion of half his crew at one point in their long Arctic sojourn. This suggestive circumstance, coupled with his handling of the engagement to Maggie Fox upon his return, caused many later historians to view his honor as rather less than sterling.
Dr. Kane made an excellent character in the novel High Spirits, but the real man was a hero of American history who deserves to be resurrected from his obscurity. To read more about the real Dr. Kane and his lively adventures, please follow the link below.
A detailed biography of Kane's life
Website for Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, where Kane is buried
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