Melville, George Wallace

Melville, George Wallace

(1841–1912) naval officer, Arctic explorer; born in New York City. As chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering (1887–1903), he supervised the design of the machinery of 120 naval ships and introduced the water-tube boiler and triple-screw systems. He performed heroic services during an Arctic expedition (1879–81) and wrote In the Lena Delta (1885), an account of the voyages.