Huntsville gazette., 1883-10-27

Lieutenant GarIingtOn's Report in the
Hands of the Secretary of War Those
Supplementary Orders-Letter of Inquiry
to Commander Wildes from Secretary
Chandler and the Latter's Reply-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 the relief 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 Proteqs, and
the retreat of her survivors in small boats
to the North Greenland settlement of Uper-
navick.
After referring in the highest terms to
the courage, skill and good Judgment shown
by Lieutenant Colwell during the retreat,
Lieutenant Darlington concludes his report
with the following statement concerning the
so-called supplementary orders:
II desire to call your attention to the
manifest injury done me in the put 1ication
of certain statements Immediately after
statements, purporting to have been au-
thorized from the Signal Office, we're 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 disobeybd. The
only instructions L ever received ate 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 cbpy of a
memorandum prepared by an of1icfi' in the
Signal office. l was informed thlS memo
randum was to have been furnished the
Secretary of the Navy to form the basis of
instructions to be given the commander Of
the vessel ordered to accompany the Pro-
teus. When [ found it among thef papers
furnished me l at once carried it'll to you
(Gen. HaZen), and called your attention
specially to that clause relating to Handing
supplies on Littleton Island. You fsaid in
substance that you did not know hSw that
had gotten in there, and impressed upon
me the necessity of carrying out, at far as
possible, the instructions | had received.
These Instructions were based upon the let
ter of Lieutenant Greely, and yo4 called
My attention to the fact that Lieutenant
Greely strongly urged that the offic PR COM
manding the relief party should 4ave no
latitude of action. The paper was mot adj
dressed nor signed, indeed, bore mol official
marks whatever. I did not then, nSr have
| at any time since, regarded it as an or
der. and | was surprised to find tho state
ment published that this paper Was the
supplementary instructions"
General Hazen, in transmitting Hieuten-
ant Garlington's report to the Secretary of
War, has written a letter in which He says
that the question of supplementary orders,
referred to by Lieutenant Garlin4ton as
having been raised, and in unfaiIbless to
himself, is in substance correctly sthted by
him, and the structures made on hint SC far
as they refer to the question of dRObedi'
ence, have been unwarranted.
WASHINGTON, D. c., qct. 2l
Secretary Chandler has written I letter
to Commander Wildes, Of the steamship
Yantic, with respect to the failurd of the
expedition in which he says, after dftailine
the instructions to the Yantic dpd her
failure to comply with them:
Your attention is also calledkto an.
other point. You had been furnished with
copies of instructions to Lieutenant
Darlington, and were aware hat he
was ordered in the event of the failure
of the Proteus to reach Lady F4anklin
Bay to establish relief station at Itttleton
Island, and that Lieutenant GreelH would
endeavor to reach that point fn Sep
tember, expecting there to find d relief
party, house, food and provisions! You
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
and supplies, but omitted to do so. GU
will please explain this omission. lnclosed
| you will also find copy of a memorandum
marked Enclosure A. containing instruc-
tions fo' the guidance of the naval tender
| and the Proteus, and you will inform the
departr tent whether during your voyage
there any such instructions were seen by
| you or were orally communicated to you.
Very respectfully, VIM 3. CHANDLER, :,
| Secretary of the Navy"
Commander Wildes replies that the boil
ers Of the Yantic were in an unreliable con-
dition when ordered 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, | determined to
get the boilers in fair condition before leay-
| ing. This took six days. One day was
then taken to get coal from the brig Peru,
which had lust arrived. Then thick, stormy
weather set in which delayed our departure
! two DAYS. We arrived at Godhaven with
/ but ITO tons coal, and more tlme was lOSC,
SO that it was July 25 before we could leave.
Six days more were lost by dense fog, and
on the 3lst we cleared from Uppernavik for
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
her we would have arrived at Littleton
Island with a coal supply reduced to
| seyenty-fve tons and the boilers in leaky
precarious condition. Commander Wildes
saws 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 thirty-seven men, and having
done that it would be time to consider what
next. Having made long and unsuccess
full search for the boats, a heavy pack OF
ice moved down behind, and leaving nc
alternative but to proceed to Upernavlk'
The letter concludes as follows:
'sThe memorandum marked 'inclosure A.,
with no date or signature, which presume
are the supplementary instructions SO Otter
spoken Of, was never heard of by me unit
/ our arrival in st. Johns, nor seen until now
am prepared to shoulder all responsible
ity which properly belongs to me, and /
! this statement is not satisfactory, anc
4 4Loxo c+,lI doubtc in the dpnart