Background
George Wallace Melville was born on 10 January 1841 in New York City, and was the son of Alexander and Sarah Douther (Wallace) Melville. He was also the grandson of James Melville of Stirling, Scotland, who emigrated to America in 1804.
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
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(Excerpt from Views of Commodore George W. Melville: Chief...)
Excerpt from Views of Commodore George W. Melville: Chief Engineer of the Navy It has been well said that With the development of the marine engine the sea unites rather than divides widely separated lands, and to this it may be added that the swift progress of steam in marine pro pulsion has been a most potent factor in shaping the exterior policy of maritime nations, and still more in modifying, not the principles, but the scope and methods of naval strategy. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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engineer explorer military author
George Wallace Melville was born on 10 January 1841 in New York City, and was the son of Alexander and Sarah Douther (Wallace) Melville. He was also the grandson of James Melville of Stirling, Scotland, who emigrated to America in 1804.
Manifesting a taste for mechanics, young Melville went from the public schools to the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, and from there to the engineering works of James Binns of East Brooklyn. On July 29, 1861, he entered the Engineer Corps of the navy as a third assistant engineer.
Melville served on various vessels throughout the war. He was on board the Wachusett at Bahia, Brazil, when she captured Florida. Previous to the engagement he attempted to board Florida in broad daylight in civilian clothes for the purpose of obtaining information respecting her fighting strength, thus taking the risks of a spy. At the capture of Fort Fisher, he served on torpedo boat No. 6 in Admiral Porter's fleet. In October 1863 he was promoted second assistant engineer; 1865, first assistant engineer; and 1881, chief engineer. After the Civil War, he served in various positions at sea and at the navy yards and shore stations. In 1867 he was on board the Tacony during the French evacuation of Mexico; from 1869 to 1871 on the Lancaster, the flagship of the South Atlantic Squadron; and from 1875 to 1878 on Tennessee, the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron. For his successful performance of the routine duties of his profession, he was often commended by his superior officers. Thus it was said officially that he exhibited as an officer of the Lancaster an "amount of mechanical ability, energy, and engineering skill rarely found". Ambitious and enterprising, Melville was not content to rest on the laurels that might be won in ordinary naval occupations. In the spring of 1873, when the Tigress was chartered for the rescue of the missing members of the crew of the Polaris, originally commanded by Capt. Charles F. Hall, Melville volunteered to serve as her chief engineer.
At the end of the search, he was strongly commended for his "great fertility of resource, combined with thorough practical knowledge". Fascinated by polar exploration, six years later he again volunteered for Arctic service, this time as the chief engineer of the Jeannette, Lieut. George W. De Long. Held in the ice almost two years as she drifted in the Arctic Ocean westward of Alaska, the Jeannette was kept afloat largely by reason of the energy and skill of Melville. His taking possession of Henrietta Island on behalf of the United States was described by De Long as a "brave and meritorious action. " After the Jeannette sank, for many days he led the working force on its fearful march to Bennett Island. He commanded one of the three boats upon which the expedition embarked when it came to the open sea. His boat was one of the two that reached Siberia, and he was the only boat commander to survive and bring his crew to safety. After a few weeks of rest, although still feeble, he again turned northward and led a fruitless expedition in search of De Long. A few months later he was once more in the field and finally found his dead shipmates and gave them a respectable burial. Recognition by the government of his extraordinary efforts was tardy and inadequate, owing to jealousies largely within the navy. In 1882 his friends introduced a resolution in the Senate tendering him the thanks of Congress, advancing him forty numbers, and giving him a pecuniary reward. On September 3, 1890, a law was passed omitting the "thanks, " advancing him fifteen numbers and giving him a medal. In the meantime, in 1884, as the chief engineer of the Thetis in the Greely Relief Expedition, he had brought to a close his Arctic services, being among the first to reach the dying explorers at Cape Sabine. On August 9, 1887, Melville was appointed by President Cleveland, over forty-four senior officers, chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering. He remained in that office sixteen and a half years, an epoch-making period in the construction of the new navy. On March 3, 1899, he was made a captain with the rank of rear admiral, and on January 10, 1903, was retired in the latter grade. He died on 17 March 1912 in Philadelphia.
Melville superintended the designing of the machinery of 120 ships. Among the innovations that he introduced, often in opposition to conservative opinion, are the water-tube boiler, the triple-screw system, vertical engines, the repair ship, and the "distilling ship. " He designed the machinery of the Columbia and Minneapolis, two vessels that held the record for speed among warships for almost a decade. He was influential in obtaining the amalgamation of the Engineer Corps with the Line and the establishment of a post-graduate school in naval engineering. He received many honors from governments, scientific societies, and universities, and in 1899 served as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He wrote many technical articles and one book, In the Lena Delta (1885), which contains accounts of some of his Arctic experiences. The U. S. Navy has named two ships in honor of George W. Melville: Melville (Destroyer Tender #2, later AD-2), 1915–1948; and the oceanographic research ship Melville (AGOR-14), 1969–present. The fuel depot at the Newport Naval Station in Portsmouth, Rhode Island was named Melville Point. A nearby elementary school is named Melville School. Melville, Montana, founded in 1877 and now in Sweet Grass County, was named after the arctic explorer and hero. There is a statue of Admiral Melville in Navy Park at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The Navy's George W. Melville Award recognizes outstanding engineering contributions in the applications of knowledge toward research and development of materials, devices, and systems or methods; including design, development, and integration of prototypes and new processes. The Melville Medal is awarded periodically by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in honor of the best original paper from its transactions. Melville Hall, built in 1937 on the campus of the United States Naval Academy, was used as classroom and laboratory space for the steam and electrical engineering departments. The hall housed an internal combustion engine laboratory, working engines, and a heat laboratory. It was razed in 1982 to make space for the Academy's new Alumni Hall. Melville's name lives on as the new hall's Melville Entrance.
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
(Excerpt from Views of Commodore George W. Melville: Chief...)
Sometimes gruff and irascible, George Wallace possessed a dauntless and masterful spirit, which suited his massive frame, leonine head, and great dome-like forehead.
In 1867, Melville married Henrietta Beatty Waldron of Buffalo, NY. The couple had three children. Melville was divorced from his first wife and on October 18, 1907, he was married in New York City to his second wife, Estella Smith Polis.
