Edited Logbooks of the USS Jeannette, 1879-1881, 20 July 1880

Events & Observations

This entry contains remarks related to the following subject: Sea Ice

Latitude by observation at noon Sun N. 73° 23' 24"

Using melted ice
Coal consumed during the preceding 24 hours: 110 lbs
Coal remaining on hand at noon: 55 tons 1388 lbs 

The pumping is done as required by hand at the quarter deck bilge pump. 
Sounded in 23 1/2 fathoms. Muddy bottom, a slight drift to N.N.W. being indicated by the lead line. 
Lowered and hauled the dredge.
Weather generally disagreeable. Overcast or very cloudy all day with rain or mist or fog. Light south-
easterly winds veering to S.W. in the afternoon. Slowly falling barometer to noon, thence slowly rising to 
midnight.

Water temperatures and specific gravities
Surface temperature = 34.5° - Specific gravity = 1.001 at 42°
2 fathoms = 33.5° - Specific gravity = 1.003 at 40°
22 1/2 fathoms = 30° x - Specific gravity = 1.0258 at 39.5° x Miller-Casella No 25251

Moon 20° S. 
First quarter

Related Materials

Published Journals of George W. DeLong

See full digitized page provided by the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Excerpt:

Desiring to learn something of the character of the ice at the borders of our island, I started at 
one p.m., accompanied by Melville and Dunbar and a heavy dog team. Going out to southeast, we got 
around to west in about two hours and a half; but as the sledging was in some places very bad over 
broken ice, the time was much longer than the actual distance would have required if on a level. The 
character of the ice is as indicated in yesterday's record, - one season's ice near the ship, and old and 
very heavy ice on the borders. Excepting a very narrow lead at west going a short distance to north, I 
saw no way of getting out of this neighborhood, even if we were afloat and at liberty to move. As far as 
our floating is concerned, that must be left to time. To-day the water-level is at seven feet four inches 
forward, and eleven feet nine and one half inches aft, and our heel 51° to starboard. 
...
As an addition to our trophies, a branch of birch and the skull of a codfish were brought in to-day.

Jeannette Ship's Journal

See digitized manuscript page provided by NOAA PMEL.

Weather Observations

Hour	Wind	Pressure	Att'd	Dry	Wet	Sea	Code
1	sexs	29.51	—	31.5	—	—	oc
2	sse	29.48	—	31.3	—	—	ocr
3	sxe	29.46	—	31.5	—	—	ocr
4	sse	29.43	—	32.0	—	—	ocr
5	se	29.41	—	32.5	—	—	ocmr
6	sexe	29.4	—	32.5	—	—	ocmr
7	ese	29.39	—	32.5	—	—	ocd
8	ese	29.36	—	33.0	—	—	oc
9	ese	29.35	—	33.0	—	34.5	oc
10	ese	29.35	—	34.0	—	—	oc
11	ese	29.35	—	34.0	—	—	oc
12	ese	29.33	—	35.0	—	—	oc
13	s	29.32	—	34.3	—	—	bc
14	sxw	29.31	—	34.0	—	—	bc
15	sw	29.33	—	35.0	—	—	bc
16	sw	29.34	—	33.5	—	—	oc
17	swxw	29.34	—	33.0	—	—	oc
18	sw	29.36	—	33.0	—	—	ocm
19	sw	29.36	—	33.0	—	—	oc
20	sw	29.36	—	33.0	—	—	oc
21	sw	29.37	—	33.0	—	—	oc
22	sw	29.38	—	33.0	—	—	ocf
23	sw	29.37	—	33.0	—	—	ocfm
24	ssw	29.34	—	32.7	—	—	ocfm

Beaufort Weather Codes

b: clear blue sky, c: cloudy weather, d: drizzling or light rain, e: wet air without rain, f: foggy, g: gloomy or stormy, h: hail, l: lightning, m: misty or hazy, o: overcast, p: passing showers or rain, q: squally, r: continuous rain, s: snow, t: thunder, u: ugly appearances of threatening weather, v: variable weather, w: wet or heavy dew, z: hazy

USS Jeannette (1879–1881)

Tuesday, 20 July 1880

Beset and drifting in the pack ice about 160 miles N.W. of Herald Island, Arctic Ocean