William John Peters (February 5, 1863 – July 10, 1942) was an American explorer and scientist who worked extensively in the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
and tropics. His significant contributions the study of geomagnetism at sea in the early 1900s helped lay the foundation for the current scientific understanding of
Earth's magnetism
Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...
.
Early life
Born in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, in 1863, Peters was son of William Bonaventure Peters and Margaret Major. He took courses in botany and chemistry at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
. Before obtaining his degree, he was recruited to conduct boundary surveys in some western states with his uncles, the Major brothers. From 1884 to 1898, Peters worked as a topographer for the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
, primarily in the western states, including
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
the Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econom ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, and
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
.
Arctic exploration
From 1898 to 1902, Peters continued his work for the United States Geological Survey, mostly in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, where he worked with
Alfred Brooks exploring the
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
and
Tanana River
The Tanana River (Lower Tanana: Tth'eetoo', Upper Tanana: ''Tth’iitu’ Niign'') is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon (Athabaskan) ...
basins (Brooks 1900, Brown 1984). They traveled by foot and
dog teams more than across difficult terrain and harsh climate. Numerous topographic features in Alaska were named after William Peters, including Peters Basin,
Peters Dome
Peters Dome is a mountain in the central Alaska Range, in Denali National Park, northwest of Denali. It is separated from Denali by a deep glacial valley, the Peters Basin, which is the source of Peters Glacier, about below Peters Dome's summi ...
, Peters Glacier, and Peters Pass north-northwest of
Denali
Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thir ...
Peak and
Lake Peters and
Peters Glacier in the
Brooks Range
The Brooks Range ( Gwich'in: ''Gwazhał'') is a mountain range in far northern North America stretching some from west to east across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. Reaching a peak elevation of on Mount Isto, the range is believ ...
.
In 1901, the
Schrader-Peters expedition explored the
John River, the
Anaktuvuk River
The Anaktuvuk River ( ik, Anaqtuuvak) is a river in Alaska's North Slope. long, it flows west from glaciers in the Endicott Mountains changing direction just north of Anaktuvuk PassPorter, Stephen C. (1966) ''Pleistocene geology of Anaktuvuk Pass, ...
, and then continued onwards to
Point Barrow
Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow). It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at , south of the North Pole. (The northe ...
.
Peters was the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...
's representative, Chief of the Science Staff, and Second in Command to
Anthony Fiala
Anthony Fiala (September 19, 1869 – April 8, 1950) was an American explorer, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City, New Jersey, and educated at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design, New York City. In early life he was engaged ...
on the
Ziegler Arctic Expedition (1903–1905).
The main goal of the expedition was to reach the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
or
farther than the record of 86 degrees, 34 minutes, north, set by
Umberto Cagni
Umberto Cagni (24 February 1863 in Asti – 22 April 1932 in Genoa) was a polar explorer and an admiral in the Royal Italian Navy. He is best known for his leadership in a probe, by dogsled, northward over the surface of the Arctic Ocean in 190 ...
, Captain of the Italian expedition led by
Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of Abruzzi (Fiala 1906). Due to extraordinarily challenging ice conditions in both 1904 and 1905, the expedition could not progress much north of their home base,
Franz Josef Land
, native_name =
, image_name = Map of Franz Josef Land-en.svg
, image_caption = Map of Franz Josef Land
, image_size =
, map_image = Franz Josef Land location-en.svg
, map_caption = Location of Franz Josef ...
, north of Russia. However, the scientific information Peters and his staff collected, including geomagnetic, aurora, astronomical, tide, and weather observations (Ziegler Polar Expedition 1907), contributed significantly to our knowledge of Arctic science.
Work with the Carnegie Institution
Peters found his interest in the Earth's magnetic forces closely aligned with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington
The Carnegie Institution of Washington (the organization's legal name), known also for public purposes as the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS), is an organization in the United States established to fund and perform scientific research. Th ...
, which had begun a program to conduct magnetic surveys of all of Earth's oceans. Such an ambitious project contributed not only to theoretical knowledge, but also to practical application of correcting errors in magnetic charts. With his navigational skills, scientific experience, and adventuresome spirit, Peters was well suited for his next assignment.
In January 1906, the DTM selected Peters to be Commander of the ''
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
'' and Chief Magnetic Observer. During two cruises, totalling , primarily in the Pacific Ocean, Peters invented a specialized compass used for making
declination
In astronomy, declination (abbreviated dec; symbol ''δ'') is one of the two angles that locate a point on the celestial sphere in the equatorial coordinate system, the other being hour angle. Declination's angle is measured north or south of the ...
determinations. The ''Galilee'', constructed with some magnetic materials, produced disturbing effects on observations. The DTM, therefore, built a new non-magnetic ship, the ''Carnegie''.
Peters commanded the first two cruises of the ''
Carnegie'' between 1909 and 1913, the first of which included within the Atlantic Ocean. The second cruise, totaling and lasting three years, occurred primarily in the tropical areas of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. During this cruise, Peters and his colleagues found and corrected many magnetic chart errors, which greatly benefited navigators in these oceans.
In 1914, Peters returned to the north as commander of an expedition to
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
,
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...
, and
Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait (french: Détroit d'Hudson) links the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea to Hudson Bay in Canada. This strait lies between Baffin Island and Nunavik, with its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley in Newfoundland and Labrador and ...
aboard the
Grenfell Mission The Grenfell Mission was a philanthropic organization that provided medical and social services to people in rural communities of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It was founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in 1892 as a branch of The Royal National Mi ...
's schooner, ''George B. Cluett'', the vessel that would later, in 1915, carry supplies for Arctic explorer,
Donald B. MacMillan
Donald Baxter MacMillan (November 10, 1874 – September 7, 1970) was an American explorer, sailor, researcher and lecturer who made over 30 expeditions to the Arctic during his 46-year career.
He pioneered the use of radios, airplanes, an ...
and the
Crocker Land Expedition
The Crocker Land Expedition took place in 1913. Its purpose was to investigate the existence of Crocker Land, a huge island supposedly sighted by the explorer Robert Peary from the top of Cape Colgate in 1906. It is now believed that Peary fraud ...
. In spite of exceedingly difficult wind, ice, and temperature conditions, Peters continued to complete magnetic observations on land and at sea.
After his return in 1914, Peters continued his work with DTM in Washington, D. C. until he retired from active duty in 1934. However, with over fifty scientific papers to his name, Peters continued to assist with various research projects, including for the
British Admiralty
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...
(Fleming 1942). Harradon (1942) summed up Peters' role in laying the foundation of our current knowledge: "The work of the ''Galilee'' and ''Carnegie'' is one of the outstanding achievements in the history of geomagnetism, particularly as it will serve as a prototype of similar projects, like that of the ''Research'', which may be undertaken in the future. The prominent part played by Captain Peters is reflected in every aspect of this great work from the planning and preparation to the actual accomplishment of the early cruises and the discussion of the final results for publication. Few geophysicists have accomplished more in establishing the premises upon which others have built fruitful theories in the attempt to solve the difficult problems encountered in the investigation of the Earth's magnetism."
Memberships
* Aeroarctic
*
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
*
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's act ...
* American Section of the
International Union of Radio Science
The International Union of Radio Science (abbreviated ''URSI'', after its French name, french: link=no, Union radio-scientifique internationale) is one of 26 international scientific unions affiliated to the International Council for Science ( ...
*
Arts Club of Washington
The Arts Club of Washington is a private club to promote the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Founded by Bertha Noyes in May 1916, its first president was Henry Kirke Bush-Brown; Mathilde Mueden Leisenring was among its original members, as were Sus ...
*
Cosmos Club
The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C. that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...
*
Ends of the Earth Club The Ends of the Earth Club was a group of artists and explorers founded in 1903. Its members included Mark Twain, General John Pershing, Admiral Robert Peary, Gutzon Borglum (the sculptor of Mount Rushmore), Herbert Adams Gibbons (a Princeton pr ...
*
Philosophical Society of Washington
Founded in 1871, the Philosophical Society of Washington is the oldest scientific society in Washington, D.C. It continues today as PSW Science.
Since 1887, the Society has met regularly in the assembly hall of the Cosmos Club. In the Club's pr ...
*
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
Family
On September 2, 1908, Peters married Beatrice Speaight Boyd, daughter of William Augustus Boyd and Adeline Todd Speaight. They had one son, Geoffrey Lloyd Peters, and seven grandchildren: William T. Peters, Melody Peters, Catherine Peters Ortega, Geoffrey Peters, Chela Zabin, Atiq Zabinski, and Manuel Peters.
References
Further reading
* Brooks, A. H. 1900. A reconnaissance in the White and Tanana River Basins Alaska in 1898. In Twentieth annual report of the United States Geological Survey, Part VII, Washington, D.C. pp 431–494.
* Brown, C. M. 1984. Indians, traders and bureaucrats in the Upper Tanana District: A history of the Tetlin Reserve. Bureau of Land Management, Anchorage, AK.
* Capelotti, P. J. 2016. The greatest show in the Arctic: The American exploration of Franz Josef Land, 1898–1905. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK.
* Coffin, E. 1903–1905. Edwin Coffin and the Fiala-Ziegler Expedition, 1850–1917, Martha's Vineyard Museum, Captain Record Unit 268, Martha's Vineyard, MA, USA.
* Fiala, A. 1906. Fighting the polar ice. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company.
* Harradon, H. D. 1942. William John Peters 1863–1942. Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity 47:186–193.
* Porter R.W. 1976. The Arctic Diary of Russell Williams Porter. H. Friis, Ed. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
* Seitz, C. L. 1901–1905. The polar diaries of Charles Lewis Seitz, M. D. Transcribed by Carolyn Seitz Farone, Betsy Seitz Martin, and Philip Rubovits-Seitz with the assistance of John Martin. Unpublished; obtained from family.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, William John
1863 births
1942 deaths
American polar explorers
Scientists from Oakland, California
University of California, Berkeley alumni
United States Geological Survey personnel
Explorers of the Arctic