New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-20
THE LOSS OF THE PROTEUS.
REPORT BY LIEUTENANT DARLINGTON.
INCOMPETEvoH OF THE CAPTAIN AND WORTHLESS
NESS OF THE CREw-wHY HE DID NOT WAIT
FOR THE YASIIC.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.-The Secretary OF
War has received from Chief Signal Officer the official
report Lieutenant E. A Darlington commander OF the
recent Arctic expedition TO Smiths Sound for the reheI OF
the Signal Service party at Lady Franklin Bay.
The reports very long and goes fully into all te oo
tails OF the voyage and OF the Proteus and the
retreat Of her survivors in small boats to the deenau
settlement Of Upernavik Many points OF the harau'o
have been covered by previous accounts IRON various
sources but the detailed description OF the loss OF 'he
ship and the behavior Of her crew, the explanation oI
the reasons for the retreat to Upcnavk the comments
of Lieutenant Darlington upon the seamanshp OF captain"
Pike and the review Of Lieutenant Greeys chahoeSo'
escape all and full OF interest INC iopo'' III
substance as follows:
The Proteus sailed from Johns n F., on the Goth
of lime and arrived at Godhaven, Greenland on the 9th
OF Juv after an unevcntfl voyage OF eight days Cap
tain Pike at first ran past the harbor III entire ignorance
Of its proximity although the weather was clear ana
pleasant but the ship was finally oyerhaued by the
Godbayen pilot boat and guided to its destination
Upon landing Lieutenant Darlington found no instructions
had been received by the Danish authorities there with
regard to assistance be rendered to the expedition ana
consequently that skin clothing had been prepared
and no dog drivers engaged. such supplies how"
ever, obtalnabe at short notice were
procured the stores left at GOdhaven by the
expedition Of last year taken on board, four
depots of $50 ratiOns each to De left along the
coast Of Smiths Sound prepared and packed ana
every possible preparation made for an encounter
with the ice.
On the 18th Of July the United States steamship Nantc
arrived and on the 18th the swedish steamer sophia
Professor NordcnsJOd's ship touched at Godhayen Oh
her way north Her captain told Lieutenant Darlington
that after landing his scientific party at Deser Island and
taking on coal at Rtcnbank he should proceed 70 Cape
York and remain there thirty days.
Lieutenant Darlington after completing his purchases
and preparations Godhaycn, determined TO resume his
voyage without waiting for the Yantic, since the latter
would be detained time by repairs to her boilers
and by the necessity OF cOalng.
THE PROT Us AGHOUND.
On the 10th Of July the PrOtous sailed for small native
settlement in Disco FiOrd where Lieutenant Darlington
expected get squmau driver Just of the entrance
to the ford, with her first accident running
aground and injuTng her false keel, as consequnce
Of the captains neglect to take sOuDdings When the
ships lead line finally brought into requiItion by
Lieutenant COwou il indicated five fathOms OF water
where in reality there were only twelve feet An nyesd
CATION revealed the fact that at time in the past
three fathos had been cut from the lead line and used
for some other purpose, that even soundings had
! been made they would have shown plenty OF water
for the Proteus where in reality there was
hardly enough for kayack Lieutenant Darlington
SAYS 1.-THE careless In which the ship was being
nayigated thus again brought forciby to my mlnd
and although was determined 10 interfere in the
slightest way with Captain Pike in his duties MASTER
could not refrain from calling his attention to the mat
ter, and insisting more care in the future"
The shipwas finally gotten off without serious INJURY
and on the same afternoon sailed for the North At
D. H. July 49, she brought up against a solid Zoe, be-
hind winch could be land, which the
CAPTAIN said was Bushman Island, near Cape
York. Observations, however, made by Lieutenant
Colwen showed that the ship was near The
bottom of Melville Bay 100 miles or more from Cape
York. and that the land in sight ahead one OF the
islands of the Begoni group near Cape walker 81 was
/ not surprised" Lieutenant Darlington says d" ut
/ the error made by Captain Pike, as he had
/ no idea OF what was the local deviation OF
his compass which must have been great ard variable,
for different courses, due 20 the large amount and u-
! equal distribution OF iron around The bnnarlo.'
On the goth Cape York sighted and on tho 2l-t
the ship passed to the lccwTd OF : r. Cary Island and
lay there while Lieutenant Darlington landed ana
amucd the depot OF provisions left bF the Mares cEP.d
| ton in 1879. 1t found 10 hc In fairly good
| condition, - per cent of the food being catahc
in an emergency After taking copies OF the records
LETT there 10y Maze, and Ggccly Lieut. uaut Darlington
proceeded u0rihward, and al a. u. July %, rounded
/ Cape Alexander and entered Pandora hlIbyr Tho
weather" he says, was perfect, calm, warm and de
Hglfu ana tAch hills green with the pretty noH "rlnE
moss those regions, with occasional patches OF grass Of
| uxuriaut growth There was c" far could
| be seen from the Grow Nest with the aid OF
very powerful telescope. determined n conditions con
tuued the stop to leave record at Lct5n
Island, but take advantage Of the open wator and
auspicious circumstance, and push 10 the uoTwaId
/ first cache Of provisions and 10 leave whalc1'aL'
II THE ICE PACKS.
Atl1.3O a. m the PTOrus came 10 the edge OF tie Tee
which was found 10 extend in uuhroEen pack en-
tiTely across the sound While waiting for IN opening
! Lieutenant Darlington landed on Cape Sabine
and examined the cache let by the expedition Of Last
year Everything was found 10 DE in good condition cN
ccpt the tarpaun covering of the stores. which had bccn
| torn TO pieces, aud the whaaboat which had boon
scratched and injured by bears but not TO such
! an extent as 10 render It unscrylccabla.
the afternoon Of July % lanes Of open water mp
pcarcd the side Of the Sound and seemed 20
extend from Buchanan strait to the vicinity of Cape
Hawks. Tho Procus worked her way slowly and with
| frequent "Tammug" through the narrow leads in the
pack until about a. M, July %, when she was within
four miles Of Cape Albert 1t then discovered that
all the open water in the direction Of Cape Hawk, had
disappeared the pack having closed up during the night
The attempt tOprocced uOuhwnrd therefore tempo
rary abandoned and Captain Pike cHd"ayorod 10 work
his ship the ice 70 the open water n the vicinity of
Cape Sabine At 2:4J p. the Protcus was brought TO
standsu within 400 yards Of open watr and the heavy
/ ice closed in upon her with enormous pressure,
smashing in the STAFFORD rail and squeezing up the deck
planks to open al the and finally forcing is
way through the ships side into the staTJOtrd coal
bunker Lieutenant Darlington at this time was in the
manifold with q detachment Of men, getting ont pro
visions while Lieutenant COwcl Bupennendcd the clear
ing away of the boats
All the stores on deck and those near at hand in the
hold were thrown overheard upon the ice but the ship
filed 80 rapidly with water that the below were
driven out long before they had completed their task
Lieutenant Colwe succeeded in saving two whacboats
and the dngy, and Lieutenant Darlington super
/ Intended the removal Of boats and stores 10
a place of safety greater distance from the sinking
ship The chrOnOmctcrs seXtans and records were then
gotten out Of the cabin ana safely placed on the Zee
AT $50 p. H." Lieutenant Darlington says. those
who stl the ship, saving whatever they could,
left her, Lieutenant C0weil leaving last. At7l5 y.
she began sink and slowly passed out OF sight an
even keel"
MUTINDUS CONDUCT or TIE CREW
Lieutenant Darlington warmly comments Lieutenant
COwes courage and presence OF mind during this trying
time and says that but his cXerons of the whale
boats would have been lost and this would have scr-
ously embarrassed even If 1t did not prevent