Cole, John, 1834-1884

John Cole (b. 1834-d. April 1884, Washington, D.C.), served as Boatswain's Mate aboard the USS Jeannette that sailed from San Francisco on July 8, 1879, in search of the "Polar Sea". The ship became trapped in the ice and eventually crushed forcing its abandonment on June 6, 1881. The ship's crew set off across the ice fields in search of open water, towing three small boats and as many supplies as possible. In September they finally were able to launch their boats, Cole and ten others in a whaleboat skippered by George W. Melville, the Jeannette's Engineering Officer. The small flotilla soon encountered a violent storm and the boats were separated. Cole's boat eventually landed on the east side of the Lena River Delta and all were rescued by natives of that region. Of the other two boats, one was lost and no sign of it was ever found and the other skippered by George W De Long, the Jeannette's captain landed on the west side of the Lena Delta. Of this last boat, all but two members died of starvation and exposure.