Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-11-01
THE PROTEUS DISASTER.

Hands of the Secretary of War-Those
Supplementary Orders-Letter of Inquiry
to Commander Wildes from Secretary
Chandler and the Latter's RepIy-He De-
clares the Yantic Unseaworthy from the
Start.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. 10.
The Secretary of War has received from
the Chief Signal Officer the report of Lieu
tenant E. A. Darlington, Commander of the
recent Arctic expedition to Smith Sound
for therelief Of the Signal Service party at
Lady Franklin Bay. The report is very
long, and goes fully into all the details of
the voyage and wreck of the Proteus, and
the retreat of her survivors in small boats
to the North Greenland settlement of Upper
navick.
p After referring in the highest terms to
the courage, skill and good judgment shown
bysL Lieutenant Cplwen during the retreat,
Lieutenant Darlington concludes his report
with the following statement concerning the
so-called supplementary orders:
's"Is desire to call your attention to the
manifest injury done me in the publication
of certain, statements immediately after
news Of the disaster reached here. these
sta en1ents, purporting to have been }au-
thoriZed from the Signal Office, were to the
effect that had been furnished with sup
Elementary instructions prior to my de-
parture from the United States, which in
structions had positively disobeyed. The
only instructions l ever received are origi-
nal instructions, published at the time. An
unsigned written paper was inclosed in
the envelope with my instructions. This
paper is simply an authenticated copy of a
memorandum prepared by an officer in the
Signal office. was informed this memo
randllm was to have been furnished the
Secretary of the. Navyst to form the basis of
Instructions to be given the commander of
teus. When found it among the papers
furnished me at once carried it to you
(Gen. HaZen), and called your attention
specially to that clause relating to landing
supplies on Littleton island. You said in
substance that you did not know how that
had gotten in there, and impressed upon
me the necessity of carrying out, as far as
possible, the Instructions had received.
These instructions were based upon the let
ter of Lieutenant Greedy, and you called
my attention to the fact that Lieutenant
Greedy strongly urged that the officer COM
manding the relief party should have no
latitude of action. The paper was not adj
dressed nor signed, indeed, bore no official
marks whatever. l did not then, nor have
! at any time since, regarded it as an or
der, and was surprised to find the state
ment published that this paper was the
supplementary Instructions" =
ant Garlington's reportto the Secretary OF
War, has written letter in which he says
that the question of supplementary orders,
to by Lieutenant Darlington as
having been raised, and in unfairness to
himself, is, in substance correctly stated by
him, and the structures made on him, SO far
as they refer to- the question of disobedi-
ence, have been unwarranted.
q WAsHINGroN, d. c., Oct. 81.
to Commander Wildes, of the steamship
Yantic, with respect to the failure of the
expedition in which he says, after detailing
the instructions to the Yantic and her
failure to comply with them:
Your attention is also called to an
other point. You had been furnished with
copies of instructions to Lieutenant
darlington, and were aware that he
wss ordered in the event of the failure
of the Proteus to reach Lady Franklin
Bay to establish relief station at Littleton
Island, and that Lieutenant Greedy would
endeavor to reach that point in Sep
tember. expecting. there to find relief
party, houses. food and provisions. Iou
were at Littleton Island on August 8. and
learned that the Proteus had been crushed,
and that Lieutenant Darlington and his
whole party had gone south, leaving moth
ing for Greedy at Littleton Island. You
could have readily landed there provisions
will please explain this omission. Inclosed
you will also find copy of a memorandum
marked Enclosure ~ containing instruc-
lions for the guidance of the naval tender |
whether during your voyage
there any such instructions were sect, by
you or were orally communicated to you.
Very respectfully, VIM. &. CHANDLER,
Secretary of the Navy"
Commander Wi1des replies that the boil
ers of the Yantic were in an unreliable con-
ditiori whensordered.t to fit for the cruise |
Repairs were pushed to hasten departure,
but not being finished on sailing day repairs |
were continued from time to time until |
arrival at Godhaven. $ Knowing that from |
thence northward the main dependence |
would be on the engines, I determined to |
get the boilers in fair condition before leav- |
ing. This took six days, One day was |
then taken to get coal from the brig Peru, |
which had just arrived. Then thick, stormy |
weather set in which delayed our departure |
two days. We arrived at Godhaven with |
buts 20 tons coal, and more time was lost, |
so that it was July % before we could leave. |
Six DAYS more were lost by dense fog. and |
sea. > No time was lost, and no unnecessary |
delay made at any point. Had we sailed |
from Godhaven the same time as the Pro- |
teus, besides being unable to keep up with |
Island with. a coal supply reduced to |
seventy five tons and the boilers in a leaky, |
precarioHs condition. Commander Wildes
says he did not delay one moment after he
considered the ship prepared, but pushed
ahead and only reached Pandora harbor to
find that the boats had gone south six days |
before. He considered it his first and para
mount duty to pick. up the boats, which
contained tfirty-seyen men, and having |
done that it would be time to consider what
next. Having made.ul long and unsuccess-'
frl search for the boats, heavy pack of
ice moved down behind, and leaving no
alternative but to proceed to Upernavik."
The letter concludes as follows:
INSTRUMENTATION marked Enclosure ~
with no date or signature, which I presume
are the supplementary instructions so often
spoken of, was never heard of by me until |
our arrival in ST. Johns, nor seen until now.
am prepared to shoulder all responsible |
ity which properly belongs to me, and if
this statement is not satisfactory, and
there still remains doubts in the depart.
ment that have not done my duty as an
officer of the United States Navy, respect
fully request that a court of inquiry may be |
ordered on my conduct, as do not wish to
rest under the imputstion that have heed.
essly and unnecessarily left Lieutenant