Detailing and Fitting
In March, Congress authorized the detailing of naval officers to the expedition, and Lieutenant Commander George W. DeLong — a veteran Arctic explorer — accompanied Bennett to Europe to select a ship. After Jeannette was chosen and named, DeLong sailed her from Le Havre to San Francisco, California during the summer and fall of 1878.
At Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Jeannette was fitted with new boilers and other equipment. Her hull was massively reinforced to allow her to navigate the Arctic icepack.
Although privately owned, Jeannette was to sail under orders of the Navy, subject to naval laws and discipline. The crew consisted of 30 officers and men, and three civilians. The ship contained the latest in scientific equipment; in addition to reaching the Pole through Bering Strait, scientific observation ranked high among the expedition's list of goals.
Read more about this topic: USS Jeannette (1878)
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