In 1845, British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) embarked on his third and final expedition into the Canadian Arctic to force the Northwest Passage. After two years with no word, a 20,000 reward was offered to anyone who could find the expedition, leading to many rescue attempts. Two such attempts were undertaken by Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857), American explorer and United States Navy medical officer. Despite...