National Republican., 1883-11-20
rnr rRorrus INVESTIGATION.
corarasndsr wndes's Testimony as 90 the
fnsfie!snt Equipment OF the Proteus.

connlsndsr wndss's Testimony ss 10 the
insGe.snt Equipment Of the Proteus.
In tho protcus court OF inquiry Commander
Fmnk Wlldca 4. n ~. commanding the
Unitei states steamship Nantio, was called to
the witntss stand at 100 yesterday afternoon.
Before taking the oath he handed 10 the court
two papers. stating that they were the orders
Of the secretary of the navy under which he
reported 10 the court
Ry the roc1rder-"The oath will be admin.
isiorod 10 you, Capt Wildes.'
Capt. Wilde Before taking the oath, Mr..
president, I would like 90 ask question. IL
is--.n what capacity ! appear before the
cuurt whether 10 have my acts as comman-
der Of the naval part Of the expedition in
quircd into by the court, or simply ~ wit
ntss 10 testify as 20 what ] know regarding
tho acts Of othrrs'
The court directed that the room be cleared
while the subject was considered.
After ten minutes drliborntion the doors
were opened. Commander Wildcs was In.
formed by tho recorder that the court was
convened by order OF tho President 60 invcsti-
gate all the circumstances attending the fail.
ure OF the expedition Of i--3, aud that he
was summoned AZ witness 10 answer any
questions the court might put lie had the
same privilege that any other witness had
tend 10 criminato himself
Commander Wildos. "In that case will take
the oath"
Tho oath having been administered. Com.
mandcr Wildcs Identified tho instructions
under which be had acted ON his voyage.
Being asked by the recorder if upon learn.
ing Of the disaster TO the ProtcuS, II occurred
60 him 90 land stores from the Nantic, aud
mako q cache for the proteus or for the Greedy
party, no replied Ia the Affirmative
"What was your view on the subiectr'
~ decline 10 answer that question
Tho refusal gave rise TO n brief discussion,
resulting in repetition Of the question, 10
which witness replied that the matter had
been fully covered In his letter 20 the secre-
tary Of the navy. The letter was read and
was accepted as an answer 20 the question.
Witness stated that aside from the sheathing
of the Iantio she had no equipment designed
especially for Arctic cruising
Witness said one reason for the failure OF
the expedition was that great aud import
ant enterprise had been undertaken with
very insufficient aud scanty means. Two
ships were sent north very unlike each other
in power. One as q reserve ship. the other
tho leading ship, the ono which was TO do
the work--wns n foreign ship, othcercd and
manned by British officers and British
crew; dying n British flag; the crew picked
up anywhere and everywhere, beach
combors," 'longshoremen," not seamen at
all. An expedition of landsfnen sent upon
service which require knowledge OF
how to live either upon tho water or the
land or upon tho ice as we'll; support
ing ship sent up which was not
suitable for the purpose, carrying too large "A
crew. and not enough of provisions, entirely
untitled for ice encounters. liable TO be caught
in the ice and meet with u much greater dis.
aster than was actually experienced. When
tho navy department thought IL proper 10
send ap expedition north 20 search for the
Jeanette they convened board of high
officers which sat for weeks studying and de-
termining tho equipment down TO the min
utest point which should be fitted 90 thil
ship, what the vessel was TO do, whore IL wa
to go, what men were TO go in her, and ever
then tho ship was lost, though she did worry
we'll so far rs she went
In the present case witness did not know
that anything of the kind had been done
Though there were records Of other Arctic
expeditions in abundance for reference, In
didn't know that any reference was made Il
them. If the commander of the Proteus hat
been familiar with navigation In the ice th
ship, in the opinion of witness, would no
have gone in as she did. Capt. Pike neve
examined for himself, never went aloft, bu
trusted to his son and boatswain for reports
He was supposed to furnish oil tho expert
ence and ice knowledge and soamanship 70
the expedition. lie furnished none that wit
ness was aware Of
Witness stated that the Yantic might hav
been handled by sixty men, with some change
in her equipment. She had been cruising i
West Indian waters before going nortl
Witness did not know, except through Oh
newspapers that his vessel was 20 go nortl
until he received his orders three days bcior
sailing
At 8 o'clock the court adjourned until t
day.