Emil Bessels

Emil Bessels (born June 2, 1847 in Heidelberg , † March 30, 1888 in Stuttgart ) was a German naturalist and North Pole driver .

Life

He studied science and medicine in Jena and in his hometown and, at Petermann's instigation, began his first North Pole voyage on the steamer Albert in 1869 to investigate the Eastern Arctic Ocean between Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya and to explore Gillisland . The unfavorable ice conditions did not permit exploration of Gillisland, but important hydrographic work and a full series of sea depth measurements were carried out. In addition, the existence of the Gulf Stream east of Spitsbergen could be proven for the first time .

In 1871 Bessels was called to the United States to take over the scientific management of the North Pole expedition under Charles Francis Hall . 1871–1872 one penetrated in the northern extension of the Smithsundes to the height of 82 ° 26 'north latitude reached by no other ship. After the captain's death under unexplained circumstances, the ship, the Polaris , was shipwrecked on October 15, 1872, and all collections were lost. From the direction of the tidal wave and found walnut driftwood, Bessels, who survived on an ice floe, concluded that this part of the sea was connected to the Bering Sea in the north . Bessels then worked for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC for nine years. Emil Bessels was a corresponding member of the Thuringian-Saxon Geography Association.

Works

In addition to articles in German journals and the bulletins of the United States geological and geographical survey , Bessels wrote:

Scientific results of the United States Arctic expedition. Polaris steamer. CF Hall commanding , Volume 1, Physical observations , United States Government Printing Office , Washington 1876
A few words about the Inuit (Eskimo) of Smith Sound and some remarks about Inuit skulls . Smithsonian Institution, Washington 1875
The American North Pole Expedition . Engelmann, Leipzig 1879 ( digitized version )

literature

Viktor Hantzsch: Bessels, Emil . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 46, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1902, pp. 479-481.
Klaus Schroeder: Bessels, Emil Israel. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 2, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1955, ISBN 3-428-00183-4 , p. 181 ( digitized version ).

Web links

Commons : Emil Bessels - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Literature by and about Emil Bessels in the catalog of the German National Library
Works by Emil Bessels in the Gutenberg-DE project

Individual evidence

^ Directory of the members of the Thuringian-Saxon Geography Association on March 31, 1885 ( Memento from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive )

personal data
SURNAME	Bessels, Emil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German naturalist and North Pole driver
DATE OF BIRTH	June 2, 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH	Heidelberg
DATE OF DEATH	March 30, 1888
Place of death	Stuttgart

[1] Directory of the members of the Thuringian-Saxon Geography Association on March 31, 1885 ( Memento from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive )