The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-15
A Disposition to Cast the Bulk of RESPONSE
bility Upon Lieutenant Darlington
and General Hazeu.
Fears that the Greely Party May Per
ish for Want of Provisions.
Jmpossibility of Relief Reaching the Ex'
plorers Before Next summer-Sketch of
the Lieutenant and List of His Men.
CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.
Disposition to Lay the Blame on Lieut.
GarIincton and Gen. Hazen.

CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.
Disposition to Lay the Blame on Lieut..
Darlington and Gen. Hazen.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.-No additional re-
ports have been received to-day, either at
the State Department or Navy Department
from the officers of the returned Greedy
relief expedition at st. John. 1t seems to
be generally conceded by those who have
given the most attention to the subject that
the complete and disastrous failure of the
relief expedition was mainly due to the omis-
sion of Lieutenant Darlington to land bis
stores and house at Littleton island, or some
other iceberg point north of Smiths sound
before attempting the hazardous navigation
beyond. If he had done this the destruction
of the Proteus would have been a compare
lively trifing misfortune. and would not
necessarily have imperiled the lives of either
her crew or the party they went north to
rescue. Darlington and his men could then,
after the destruction of their ship, return to
the secure base of supplies thus established.
and could have carried out the remainder
of their plan for the relief of the Lady Frank
lin bay party, by means of sledge expedi-
tions up the coast of Grinnell Land. As it is
now, there is no party at the mouth of
Smiths sound to cooperate with Lieutenant
Greely, and no considerable supply of food
there for him to retreat upon, and the fatal
mistake it is said, which Lieutenant Gar
lington made was in plunging into the ex-
tremely dangerous ice of Smith sound with
out having established at the mouth of that
sound depot of provisions and a house
upon which he could fall back in case of dis
aster. There would seem, however, to be
some justification for the course he pursued
in an order issued to him by General Hazen
on the 7th of June, just before he sailed from
New York. These orders were IN part as fol-
lows:
'If it should become clearly apparent that
the vessel cannot be pushed through, you
will retreat from your advanced position and
land your party and stores at or near Life
boat cove"
These orders clearly imply directions not
to land his house and stores until he should
have run all the risks of Smiths sound, and
have found it impossible to get through.
They virtually direct him to land his stores
late in .he season on his retreat, and not
seem to have been the more prudent course,
The attention of the acting chief signal Of
ficer was called to-day by an Associated
Press reporter to this part OF Gen. Hazen's
original order to Lieut.. Darlington, and he
was asked whether the particular instruction
in question had ever been revoked or modi-
fed. He reported that it mad, by supple
mental orders sent to Darlington just before
the departure of the relief expedition from
st. Johns last summer. sa-;
SUPPLEMENTAL ORDERS.
Those supplemental orders, which have
never been made public, were as follows:
"The naval tender is to join the Proteus at
st. Johns, n. F., and to proceed with her to
the neighborhood OF Littleton island. The
Proteus is to land her stores, except supplies,
for the more northerlv depots, at Littletop is
land on her way Ii she succeeds in reach
ing Lady Franklin bay, she is to pick up the
stores, except the house and depot if pos
sible, on her return The naval tender will
await the Proteus at the neighborhood of
Littleton island and on her return steam to
the south in her company until she reaches
the southern limits of the ice pack, when the
vessels may separate. Should the Proteus
be crushed in the ice her crew will retire on
Littleton island and the tender will BRING to
st. Johns, n. F., the officers and crew of the
Proteus, the rest of the party to
remain at Littleton island until the Proteus
returns, or her crew and expeditionary
force succeed in reaching there. The tender
may go to the south, leaving full particulars
at Ltttleton island. Signals by flags, hello
graph and guns should be preconceived and
communication by this means should be
maintained between the two vessels as long
as possible after they are separated. Nothing
in the northward movement must be allowed
to retard the progress of the Proteus. 1t is
of the utmost importance that she take adj
vantage of every opportunity to get up to
Lady FrankliA bay"
From all information thus far received it
would appear that Lieutenant Darlington
either disregarded or found it impossible
to obey these supplemental orders with
regard to landing, the house and
stores on his way north, since the Proteus
was crushed with all her stores on board,
after she had passed the point where the
stores should have been landed, and while
she was engaged in extra researches concern
ing the navigation of Smiths sound. In
the absence of any definite information from
Lieutenant Darlington as to the reasons for
the adoption of the course he pursued, and
which led to the total failure of the plans for
Lieutenant Greely's relief, the officers of the
signal service have declined to express any
opinion or make any statement for publica-
ton at present. The Secretary of War
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and the
acting chief of the signal Office are in con-
sultation over the situation of affairs, but
have not yet devised any practical plan for
relief of the Lady Franklin bay party.