New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-22

ing for explanations of his course in the recent
Greely Relief Expedition, which failed so COM
pletely. The letter from the Secretary anu Ooni.
mander Wildes's reply are given herewith IL
is stated that the Secretary of War IS ny no
means satisfied with Lieutenant Oarlihs'on
defence of his conduct of the expedition ana
an official investigation is likely to DC ordereu'
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE YANTIC.
COMMANDER WIIpEs STATS WHY HE COULD MOI
KEEP PAC WITH THE PRoTtUs.
w veu,>,croS Oct 2I-On October 10 the Secre-
larry of the Navy addressed to Commander Wides'
If the L. s Ship Yantic, an official letter asKlug Ior
fprtber and fuller explanations with regard TO the
,nparcnt foilure of the Yantic to cooperate with
The Proteus during the voyage made by tho two
sbips to Smiths Sound, for the purpose OF relieving
Iieutenant Greedy and the Signal Service party at
Iodv Franklin Bay. The letter is as follows:
"Your report from st. Johns n. F., dated Septem-
Der 7, 1888, of your cruise in the Iantic to the
west coast of Greenland, as a reserve ship for the
Greely Relief Expedition, was duly received
and has been carefully considered. The
zeal, energy, and general good conduct
of yourself as commanding officer, and of all the
naval officers connected with the relief expedition
are not doubtful, and call for the sincere commeh-
dation of the Department; but the failure OF the
expedition to accomplish anything for the reneI
fore forced if now living. to contend with the
bardsbips and perils of a third Arctic winter,
arouses the reasonable inquiry: Did every member
of the relief expedition, whether officer, seaman,
soldier OF civilian do his utmost to accomplish sue
cess, and TO succOr and rescue the unfortunate
explorers for whom he went in search 1t is proba-
ble that the Greey party will be saved in spite of
the failure you have recorded. 1t is possible 1t
might have been lost, Notwithstanding the wlseSt
and most energetcally conducted efforts for its re-
lief. But those to whom committed the recent
expedition must to-day be judged upon the hypothe-
sis that their success would have saved the Ice
bound band and that their failure will lead TO its
destruction. Nothing which good Judgment, fidelity,
persistency and courage on the part of any naval
officer might have accomplished, can have been
omitted, without the condemnation of the Navy De-
partment and of the whole anxious American
people.
VARIANCE FROM INSTRUCTIONS.
"Your Instructions under date ofJune g. were to
proceed to the northward through Davis's Straits
IN company uih the steamer PrOteus if practicable'
but not to go beyond Littleton Island. 1t appears
that the Yantic and Proteus together at Disco
Island on July Is, when the Proteus sailed north
ward but that the Yantic did not finally leave
that island until July 20; the Proteus reached
Carey Island, July 26 the Yantic not until August
2; the ProteUs passed LittletOn Island, July
% and was crushed in the ice July 90
the Yantic had not reached Littleton Island
until August 8. Between July % and August s.,
namely, on July 26 and %, Lieutenant Darlington
and the whole party of the Proteus had come TO
Iittleton Island and Pandora HarbOT, and, not find
ing the Yantic had continued 10 the south IN open
boats in search of her. notwithstanding the orders
of the War Department given for such cOntin-
tingency, 10 land with their stores at or near Life
boat Cove in Litteton Island, and to prepare to re-
main until next year.
Had the Yantic, however, been at Littleton
Island July % instead Of being twelve days be-
hind the Proteus Lieutenant Garlington's relief
party would have remained at that point with
ampe supplies keeping "their telescopes on Cape
Sabine and the land to the northward" and waiting
for Lieutenant Greely, whose orders required him
TO endeavOr to reach that vicinity not
later than September, 1883, and who would
not then have found awaiting him, as IS now the
case if he has successfully Obeyed his orders neither
house nor provisions, but only the record of the
complete failure of the mission OF the Proteus and
the Yantic 1t does not, therefore, in the present
aspect of the facts, to the Department
that the Yantic properly fulfilled her duty
as a tender to the Proteus with which she
had been ordered to proceed in company, while
keeping twelve days behind her, and thereby de-
feating the object of the expedition. You will make
such full explanation this point you are able.
FAILURE To LEAVE P.ovI>I Ms FOR GRr ELY.
"Your attention is also called TO another point.
You had been furnished with copies of the
instructions to Lieutenant Darlington, and
were aware that he was ordered, in
the event Of a failure of the Proteus
to reach Lady Franklin Bay, to establish relief
station at Littleton Island and Lieutenant Greely
would endeavor to reach that point in September,
expecting there to find relief party house, food
and provisions. You were at Littleton Island on
August and learned that the PToteus had been
crushed and that Lieutenant Darlington and his
whole party had gone south, leaving nothing for
Greely at Littleton Island You could have readily
landed there provisions aud supplies, but omitted
to do You will please explain this omission, and
will furnish the Department schedule i'll detail of
the provisions of all kinds which you then had on
board the Yantic and a similar schedule
Of those you had on hand when you ar
rived at st. Johns on September 49,
In the instructions of the War Department TO Lieu
tenant Darlington, dated June 4, 1888 is the fol-
lowing clause: a ship of the United States Navy,
the Yantc, will accompany you as far as Littleton
Island, rendering you such aid as may become
necessary and as may be determined by the cap
tain of that ship and yourself when on
the spot You will inform the Depart
ment whether not you had knowledge Of
This clause. Inclosed you will also fud copy Of
memorandum marked Enclosure H. containing in
sructions for the guidance Of the naval tender and
the PrOteus, and you will inform the Department
whether during your voyage these or any such in
Hruetons were seen by you or were orally commu-
aeated to you"
Ihe Enclosure referred TO in Secretary
Chanders letter is a copy of the so-caled supple
nentary orders of Lieutenant Darlington.
THE REPLY OF COMMANDER wILDES,
Commander Wildes's reply to the Secretary's
or Vtu H. - l.