Melville, George Wallace

Melville, George Wallace (1841–1912) naval engineer and administrator, and Arctic explorer, born in New York City. As chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering (1887–1903), Melville introduced innovations that made the U.S. Navy competitive with the great European navies. He was also responsible for building the three fastest warships then afloat. Earlier, as chief engineer aboard a vessel on an Arctic expedition, Melville landed on and claimed Henrietta Island for the United States (1881), but the trip and his reputation were marred by his delay in searching for other members of the party once their ship sank. He also served as chief engineer aboard the Thetis, which went in search of the members of the Adolphus Greely expedition, who were lost north of Greenland. During the Civil War, Melville saw considerable hazardous duty, much of it volunteer. He went aboard the Confederate ship Florida as a spy, for example, and he made the suggestion to ram and capture it as it lay in a neutral harbor (1864). He retired from the navy in 1903.