Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-28
CAPTAIN PIKE IN COURT.
he HAS NONE BUT GOOD WORDS
FOR THE PROTEUs.

The Witness a Typical "Sad Sea Dog
His Relations with Lieut.. Darlington
Naught but Pleasant-Lieut. Colweu
Recalls an Unpleasant Incident for the
Captain.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-Shortly before
the Proteus Court of Inquiry was called
TO order this morning short, rather fat
and very comfortable looking parsonage,
his ruddy, full, red-bearded face wearing
a smile which indicated good nature, self
content and excellence of digestion,
entered the court room and was intro
duced to two or three officers present as
Captain Richard Pike, of the lost steamer
Proteus. He was the type of the jolly
English mariner of the stage and picture
books, having the nautical dress, tele-
scope and quid of tobacco. His
manner was self-possessed but not
etfusive. During the conversation
which ensued he contented himself with
making brief replies in gruff and some
what husky voice to the observations adj
dressed to him by the officers composing
the court, but sat for the most part in
silence, awaiting the beginning of the
formal proceedings. The journal of the
proceedings of yesterday having been
read and approved, Capt. Pike was called
to the witness chair and sworn. His re-
plies when under oath were lot always
clear, but his purpose to make things
plain was apparent. He seemed to have
nothing to conceal, and to enter
tain no grudges against his fell
lows in misfortune. He described his
experience of twenty-seven years as
master of vessels sailing to Brazil, the
IInftnd taf 1I1, -.
lII short, jerky replies to the inquiries of
the Recorder he said that there was not
at any time during his voyage With Lieu
tenant Darlington or upon the return
journey word of disagreement between
that officer and himself, leaving the impress
sion that the points of difference were mere
ly those of opinion, in respect to which
he had given way as to superior authori-
ty, both being anxious to do all they could
to further the purposes of the expedition.
The points upon which his testimony is
at issue with that of Lieutenant CARING
ton and Lieutenant Colwell were
not volunteered, but were drawn
out by the repeated inquiries
of the Recorder, the Court,
Gen. Hazen and the counsel of Lieut..
Darlington. He declared that there was
no serious fault to be found with his crew,
that they had never been mutinous, nor
hUN hC UloNONClCu pAltcIlH5 pIOp6uSlIlSs.
They did not, perhaps, jump about under
the excitement attending the sinking of
the ship with all the alacrity which might
be expected of men under other circum-
stances, but they did their duty fairly
well. He said that he expressed to
Lieut.. Darlington the opinion that they
were on the ground too early for voyage
north of Cape Sabine, and that after the
wreck, when the parties had reached
Pandora HAFh0r fhDIl
southwark journey, he counselled
waiting there for the Yantic. While at
Cape Sabine after the ship had gone down
he expressed to Lieutenant Darlington
the belief that the stores lett upon the ice
foe or some of them might be saved, but
that the latter declined to let his boats go
out for the purpose, whereupon he Pike
had saved what he could in his own boats.
lie described the equipment of the Pro-
teus, her boats, ETC., as being serviceable
and seaWorthy. In regard to leaving
Payer harbor, Captain Pike said that he
told Lieutenant Darlington that the water
he saw at the north was ''nO good,' and that
he Pike was not ready to go. He wanted
to get coal in his bunkers, etc. Thereupon
Lieut.. Darlington said: 81 can see open
water and | want to go. You shall have
my men to help you in your bunkers."
Upon that the witness said that he would
go and try it. Many inquiries were ad-
dressed to the witness with the object of
fixing the time when he expressed to
Lieut.. Darlington the opinion that the
open water was no good. The witness
stated in reply that he had expressed that
opinion both before entering Payer HarbOr
and when Lieut.. Darlington proposed
to leave Payer Harbor. Being asked the
terms of Lieut.. Garlington's cOmmunica-
tlon to him on that occasion, the witness
said he just said he could see open water
and he wanted to get North and | could
have his men.
Lieut.. Colwell was recalled. Referring
to Capt. Pixies statement that more of the
supplies could have been saved but that
Lieut.. Darlington objected to let his boats
go, the witness said that when they were
on the ice foe one of Capt. Pixies boats,
which had been to shore, came alongside,
and Capt. Pike, with one of his officers,
clambered over the intervening broken
ice, got into this boat and pushed it off.
leaving some of his own crew on the foe
The men thus abandoned cursed Capt.
Pike for leaving them, and spoke of
and keeping along the east coast to
the south, not going ashore at all
at Cape Sabine. When Capt. Pike
afterwards at Cape Sabine proposed to
Lieut.. Darlington to take one of his boats
and get more of the stores off the ice foe,
the witness, with the threats and mutin-
Gus proposals Of the PrOteus crew in his
mind, advised Lieut.. Darlington not to
allow the boats to go with the Proteus
crew, feeling it unsafe to trust them. He
said that the stores which it was pro-
posed to save were the same that he Col
well) had thrown out of his boat to make
room tor the men whom Capt. Pike had
abandoned. In response to Capt. Pixies
proposition, six of Lieut.. GarIngton's
men and as many of the PrOteus'
crew had manned two of the
Proteus' boats and had brought in
portion of the supplies. The witness
estimated the amount of supplies saved
from the wreck of the Proteus, and left in
the cache at Cape Sabine, at mill full of
rations, ana clothing for % men tor six
months. There were also some provisions
from the stores of the Proteus, which the
boats of that vessel We're unable to take
away, but the witness did not know how
much.