The Portland daily press., 1883-11-15
LOSS OF THE pRorEUs.
Lieat. GariirgtOn's Testimony Before she
Court of Euquiry.

Court of Inquiry.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.-The examination of
Lieut.. Darlington, before the Proteus court of
lnquiry,-w was resumed this morning Lieut..
Sisted OF " men. They were not shipped from
sne best class OF men. The vessel was secured
SO late that all the best sailors had made their
arrangements, and men were picked up at st.
5onns The character of the men, however,
oid not interfere with the results of the expe-
ultlon: The witness understood from his in
structions that it was his duty not to stop on
sne way up, but to go as far as he could, and if
ne old not get up to Greeley's station to make
sne oepot OF supplies as he came back, Tot as
no went up. Inc witness went South in his
boats, hoping to meet the Yantic and to come
BACK in order to make depot there, and to re-
main with some of his men and spend the win
ter. The witness always had in view the
chance of the Yantic getting through Melville
Bay. He expected that the Yantic would fur
nish provisions upon hearing the circumstan-
ces OF the loss OF the Proteus and her supplies.
and to carry them with himself and men back
TO Littletou Island.
In reply to counsel, Lieut. Darlington said
na understood his instructions as requiring
MN only to deposit the party and stores at or
near Lie Scat Cove, when 1t became appar-
entity clear that the vessel could not be pushed
10 discovery Harbor. Nothing ever occurred
at tne signal Office before our departure which
contemplated or suggested, so far as he knew,
the leaving of any stores at Littleton Island
upon the way North. To land stores on Lit
tleton Island, on the way North. would have
consumed sixty or seventy hours, if the wealth
or was good during such delay. However, the
entire conditions might change, the move
ments OF the ice pack could not be foreseen.
and the delay might have been disastrous and
IT. was considered best to push Northward
while the conditions were favorable. The in
struelons were to take advantage Of every IA
The witness considered that branch OF his
instructions paramount. This concluded the
examination Of Lieut.. Darlington.
Gen. w. B. Hazen then took the stand and
stated the circumstances and conditions under
which the Greeley expedition and the subse-
quent expedition were fitted ont and dispatch
cd, being substantially as has already been
made public.
In reply to inquiries about memorandum,
Enclosure No A." Gen. Hazen said, immedi-
ately after his return from st. Johns, where he
had hired the Proteus for the expedition, he
was informed that the Navy Department had
asked tor plan OF what he wished done in
the Arctic" / don't think l saw the mem
orandum. l don't remember seeing it at that
time, but was told what it contained, and
that it contained a condition to land stores on
going up. Immediately went to the Navy
Department and had an interview with who
ever was in charge,-either the Secretary or
Commodore Walker-and told him personally
what wanted: that the tender proceed North
ward to Littleton Island, Il with the Proteus, to
DO such things as was usual for an escort or
tender; such things as the DEVELOPMENT of
facts as were found upon the spot might make
1t necessary to be agreed upon. 1 also prepar.
ca, IN place OF the memorandum orders of my
own, those carried or sent to the Secretary of
War. also sent with them letter which
Lieut. Greeley had cent back, on which Mr.
order was based. I thought they
were better. adapted to the purposes of the
Secretary of the Navy than the memorandum.
and tl0V took the nQca of tho ndcx.
as remember, day or two after; perhaps
the next day Lieut.. Darlington brought me his
packet, and in that was memorandum.
he expressed some surprise at finding it there,
ana an asked me how it got there. told him 1 |
didn't know. l told him it was no part of his |
orders, and then gave him the hietory Of the |
papers, as have given it here. Mr. CARING
ton then shove me all his orders, and told |
him he must be controlled by the orders had |
given him, and also by the directions of Mr..
Greedy, on which they were founded, and that |
that letter Of iMr. Greeley's, written as it was
after he had arrived on the spot, was law TO
me, and did not feel / was authorized TO |
change tue order by giving him orders that |
would conflict. told himself also that when |
on the spot he must exercise his own discre- |
ton IN all matters imposed upon him by virtue |
OF his position. Mr.. Darlington had been &C. |
lected for his known high qualities, and the |
Greedy letter was Of that nature and character |
written as il was after he had arrived there |
~'AN AnH al eAO tnctos l6lt L was 6X- 1
cluded from giving Mr.. Darlington any orders |
that would in any manner conflict with that |
letter. Alter Congress, last winter had passed |
the law requiring the Greely expedition be |
brought back, but before the second ship OF |
convoy was thought of, it seemed to me it |
would be necessary for an expedition going up |
to vary the Greely instructions, SO far as to |
land at Littleton Island. The plan was thought |
OF great deal, and discussed as was also the |
pian ei making depot on the west side; but |
WAS Arrn nrnl ls~A
would itself be depot. There being also sew |
eral smaller depots on that coast, I determined |
to return strictly to Greely's memorandum,
winch seemed to me that sending tender OBJ |
vfated the necessity of varying from Greely's |
directions in any way. | was, however, very |
anxious to order Mr.. darlington to stop at Lit |
tleton Island, but it seemed to me, under the |
circumstances that the bare suggestion would |
be all might give him; that ought to leave |
him with bis mind unbiased and unclouded to |
act as circumstances. on the spot might dictate.
with the full knowledge Of Mr.. Greely's let |
ter, and having the memorandum which he |
read to me seemed to me that 1t was sufficient |
and l said nothing further about it.