New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-17
THE WRECK OF THE PROTEUS
BAD EQUIPMENT OF THE SHIP.

! TESTIMONY BEpORr THE COURT OF INQUIRY
BOILERS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES BOATS.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.-The examination OF
Lieutenant Cazaro resumed to-day before the Proteus
Court of Inquiry. The witness identified the original
draft Of instructions to Lieutenant Darlington and de-
scribed the changes which subsequently hao
] been made. From this 1t appeared that inc
original had been prepared by Captain Clapp and the
amendments made upon suggestions OF PROFESSOR
Able General Hazen Captain Mills and others In reply
TO the the witness stated that the scheme for land
bs stores at ttleton Island the way north was org
| nal with him SO far as he know.
DISCREPANCIES IN THE INSTRUCTION.
In reply TO Lieutenant Garlingons counsel who calico
witnesses attention the statement OF General Hazen
thai he. General Hazen had originally considered TINS
scheme and discussed with his officers the witness SAID
that no such discussion took place IN his presence or
within his knowledge The witness then explained the
reference made 70 Enclosure in the copy OF instruc-
lions furnished the Secretary Of War after the disaster
"a reference which does not appear In the original In
structons given to Lieutenant Darlington. he said 1t
had been found that pencil reference to Enclosure ~
had been made margin of Of the Photographic
copies Instructions and the clerk who prepared the
comics for the Secretaries OF War and the Navy had by
copied the words into the body OF the
instructions. The witness asserted that when the In
strustons were returned from General Hazcn bearing
that officers signature the memorandum was with them,
his attention having been called to It by his
chief clerk The original draft OF the memorandum was
given to Captain Powell and had witness understood,
delivered to the Secretary Of the Navy copy was
given to General Hazen. with the instructions, ana IL
this copy which had been reurnedby General Ha2en
The witness said that about the 9th or 7h OF June he had
Informed by General Hazen that the original draft
| Of the memorandum had been given by him General
Hazen to the Secretary of the Navy and that the plan for
the movements the Yandc would be made or had been
| made cOnformable 10 that plan.
Captain Mills property and dsbursng officer Of the
Signal Service questioned with regard to the dis
crepancies between the instructions given to Lieutenant
Darlington and the copy OF them furnished to the secre
tary Of the Navy after the disaster He subsantiaed
Lieutenant Cazarcs statement with regard to the nser-
ton OF the words Enclosure L." and stated that he had
discovered the discrepancy four days after delivering the
copy to the Secretary of the Navy whereupon he had
| himself told that officer that the words were
| not part Of the instructions given to Leuter-
ant Darlington but appeared in the copy
the result Of clerical He said that the ssCrS
purpOrrg to be an Official copy Ok the records was I'M
and taking the copy Endorsed upon 1t the words signed
| H. B. Hazen Chief Signal Officer"
BAD CONDITION or THE PROTEUs.
Lieutenant Cowe OF the Navy the next witness, when
questioned about the equipment of the PrOeus for Arctic
service said he considered It bad Her boilers were
| defective. Her owners, before the vessel was
chartered for the trip had arranged to have her sent
home to Scotland for repairs to her boilers Her boats
were unseaworthy. She had four boats two OF which
would float and two Of which would not When on the
frames daylight could be through their Be-
ing put into the water two Of them sweled up in two
DAYS 80 as 10 stop their leaks equipment OF the boats
was bad. The rigging OF the ship old. On tho way
northward some standing rigging was fitted. The
ships cOmpasses were uDtrustwOrthy The main reliance
| was placed on q liquid compass which was kept
in the captains cabin The captain had no idea OF the
local deviation OF his compass He stated TO the witness
that ship had been swung for local deviation
she built ten before She had one patent
log which lost by backing and cOing II around her
propeller. The sealing vessels OF ST JOhn were all old
The Proeus being OF the newest. Her rigging could
have replaced in two weeks. New boats might have
been procured once in any seabOard town II would
have taken six months TO REPLACED tho boilers
The first Of the PrOteus was q son OF her
captain twentyone twenty-five years Of age, and had
In the Arctic regions before The second mate
was a cousin Of the captains, also young man He was
rated on the ships books bOatswan. This tTip was
the first which he had been officer. Inc Chlcf
engineer making his first trip In that capacity having
promoted nom senior assistant inst before the vessel
sailed The boats Of Lieutenant Darlington were not rs
carefully they should have been The were pro-
cured from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There were defects
in the fitting OF the sails Cleats and pins, and Delaying
and halyards, and some Of these were missing
I'm one o. the boats the mass didn't nj IN either OF them
Gearing wanting the sails The oaf-loCkS iur-
nshed for the steering were placed too far forward
10 make the oar Of any use
TIE witness thought the Yantic would not be able 10 90
up directly 10 IittletOn Island Ho thought however,
she might follow the edge Of the pack 20 the westward
and 90 ud that along the west coast OF Bln Bay
when the PrOeus got up the ice appeared u be less close
10 the westward than 10y the route she had come. The
chances Of her coming up at all rot such would
have induced the witness to walt for her,
BY the COur-Wen then, why was the Yantic sent up
thrrei
Answer-I don't know.
The Court then adjourned until Monday.