Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-11-01
THE PROTEUs DISASTER.

to Commander Wiides from Secretary
Chandler and the Latter's RepIy-Hs De-
cIares the Xantic Unseauorthy 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 &C the Signal Service party at
Lady FrenklirS Bay. The report is very
long, and goes fully into all the details of
the voyage and wreck of the Proteus, 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 an7gOod Judgment shown
by Lieutenant ColweH during the retreat,
Lieutenant Garlingto9 concludes his report
with thefOllowing statement concerning the
so-called supplementary orders:
- desire to call yoaI' attention to the
manifest injury done me I'm the publication
of certain statements InTnediately after
news OF the disaster reached here. These
statements, purporting to have been au-
thor1Zed from the Signal Offee, were 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 disobeyed. The
only instructions I ever received are 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 copy of q
memorandum prepared by an officer in the
Signal office. 1 was informed this 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 1T among the papers
furnished me at once carried it to you
(CTen. HaZen), and called your attention.
specially to that clause relating to landing
supplies on Littleton Island. You said in
substance that you did not know how that
had gotten in there, and impressed upon
me the necessity of carrying out, as far as
possible, the instructions I had received.
These instructions were based upon the let
ter of Lieutenant Greedy, and you called
my attention to the fact that Lieutenant
Greedy strongly urged that the officer COM
handing the relief party should have no
latitude of action. The paper was not adj
dressed nor signed, indeed, bore no official
marks whatever. I did not then, nor have
1 at any time since, regarded it as an or
der, and l was surprised to find the state
ment published that this paper was the
supplementary Instructions"
General Hazen, in transmitting Lieuten
ant Garlington's report to the Secretary OF
War, has written letter in which he saws
that the question of supplementary ordersy
referred to by Lieutenant Darlington as
udN1AS O0Sn IdiSSO3 duO dlIu6SS 10
himself, is in substance correctly stated by
him, and the structures made on him, so far
as they refer to the question of disobedi-
ence, have been unwarranted.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. q.
Secretary Chandler has written a letter
to Commander Wldes, of the steamship
Yantic, with respect to the failure of the
expedition in which he says, after detailing
the instructions to the Yantic and her
failure to comply with them:
Your attention is also called to an
other point. You had been furnished with
copies of instructions to Lieutenant
harrington, and were aware that he
was ordered in the event of the failure
of the Proteus to reach Lady Franklin
Bay to establish relief station at Littleton
Island, and that Lieutenant Greedy would
endeavOr to reach that point in Sep
TENDER, expecting there to find relief
party, house, food and provisions. You
were at Littleton Island on August 8, and
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. You
will please explain this omission. Enclosed
you will also find copy of a memorandum
marked Enclosure A. containing instruc-
tions for the guidance of the naval tender
and the Pfoteus, and you will inform the
uepaTUu16uG Wu0IQST your voyage
there any such instructions were seen by
you or were orally communicated to you.
Very respectfully, WIN. E. CHANDLER,
f 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 leav-
ing. This took six days. One day was
then taken to get coal from the brig Peru,
which had just arrived. Then thick, stormy
weather set in which delayed our departure
two days. We arrived at Godhaven with
but ITO tons coal, and more time was lost,
so that it was July % before we could leave.
Six DAYS more were lost by dense fog, and
on the 31st we cleared e om 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 would have arrived at LittletOn
Island with a coal supply reduced to
seventy-fiye tons and the boilers in leaky,
precarious condition. Commander Wildes
says he did not delay one moment after he
considered the ship prepared, but pushed
ahead and only reached Pandora harbOr to
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 unsuceess-
full search for the boats, heavy pack Of
ice moved down behind, and leaving no
alternative but to proceed to UpernaVik.'S
The letter concludes as follows:
'tThe memorandum marked Enclosure -
with no date or signature, which presume
are the supplementary instructions so often
spoken Of, was never heard OF by me until
our arrival in st. Johns, nor seen until now.
I am prepared to shoulder all responsible
ity which properly belongs 60 me, and If
this statement is not satisfactory, and
there still remains doubts in the depart
ment that have not done nay duty as an
officer OF the United States Navy, I respect
fully request that court Of inquiry may be
ordered on my conduct, as do not wish tn
rest under the imputatiOn that / haveh heed
1essly and unnecessarily left Lieutenant
Greedy and party to the possibility of per-