Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-12
THE WAR

Hazen'S Opinion on the Greedy Expedi-
ton.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-Robert I. Lin
coin, Secretary of War, makes his annual
report to the President. The total expen-
diturcs for the fiscal year ending June SO,
1854, are SS42,3352 SIG p, the appropriations,
$45, $40, 551.53. The estimates for the ifs
cal year ending June 80, 1856, are $50, $780,
5O0.5S, being less than the estimates for
1885. Qualification is expressed that Lieut.
elant-General Sheridan reports that the
army is now, and has been for some time
past, enjoying almost absolute rest, en-
ccpt that part of it on the frontier of
Canada and Mexico and stations near
the Indian Agency. The number of
cadets at West Point September /, 1884,
was 314, and their conduct has been excel
lent. The number of patients in the Gov
eminent Hospital for the Insane is %; num-
Der Of prisoners at the military prison. ACT.
1t is recommended that the officer in charge
Of this prison be given the rank and pay of
Colonel. The number of trials by general
~cQurt-martial during the year was 2,2S0, an
increase over last year OF 495; number of
convictions for desertion, 700: number of
trials by garrison and rcgimental courts
martial, 10,3S3, an increase over last year
OF 1865; total increase of trials by courts
martial of 1860.
The report of the Quartermastel-Gencral's
Department shows. that at the beginning of
the last fiscal year there remained i'm the
Treasury as balances applicable to expenses
of prior years the sum of Sl,29o,2T9.Ol.
There was appropriated for the year the
sum of $40. 1856, 734.S5, including 100000
for military posts and $4,000 Tor road to
National Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn.
The balance undraWn on the 30th OF June,
1854, was 81, 1913, 962. 81.
OF the 100000 appropriated by Con-
gress for persons made destitute by the
Hoods of the OHIO and Mississippi Rivers
1926, GlS.24 was expended on the Ohio and
its tributaries and $160, 439.34 on the Mis-
s1ssippi, leaving unexpended SD, 942. 42
Tie Paymaster-Gcneral, in his report, ac-
counts for SIS, $50, 100. sc. He recommends,
with the Secretary's concurrence, that Off
GERS of the army be permitted to furnish the
ponds OF an approved guaranty company.
: Ihe Chief OF Engineers shows the urgent
Oecassity OF beginning at once the construc-
Gion of coast defcnses. Steel forts and tur-
iYets to resist guns which send a projectile
weighing a ton through sixty feet of sand.
,and which must have like guns, with ma
chinery to load and manipulate them, can
mot be built in the time an enemy would
give after the cessation OF diplomatic inter
course.
The balance in the Treasury July /,
1855, for improving harbors and rivers was
i$10,Oa1 .649.55. The amount appropriated
FOR 1854 was S1,319,63 .G2, and the amount
|drawn from the Treasury was IS, 22S, 1888
lcaving a balance of So, IL, 5So.G3 in the
Treasury July l, 1854. OF the lat
IplaceS enumerated in the River and uar-
Ibor act OF August 3, 1882, seventy
lSiN were reported as not worthy ofimprove-
pment. During the year ending September
3, 1854, the hamnc of the South pass of
tine Mississippi River was maintained unin-
t~erruptedly. During that time 500, 600
taTaS paid for maintenance of the pass and
$50, 600 i'll interest on the 81, 000, 900 re-
Named was paid Mr.. .Eads, making the tota!
expenditure for the Improvement to the
Halter date of So, 900, 600.
: The Secretary urges Congress to make
Liberal and permanent appropriations to the
lOrdnance Department for the purchase of
igun material. The stecl-makers Of the coun-
TRY require the inducement of being fairly
TemuneJated for OUTLAWS necessary to enlarge
aheir plants sufficiently to produce steel
'n masses of sufficient size and of suit
able quality for gun construction. The
manufacture. and test Of experimental guns
tWlll require four or five years, and prompt
,aftion by Congress in making this appro-
griation and establishing Government gun
Factories to secure within a reasonable time
efficient means of coast defense.
I Under the head of the Chief Signal Off
GERS report, the Secretary goes into the
Gree]y expedition and the Proteus matter.
Ut is given in full: 81" G Chief Signal Off
snnr 1acorjbaC will, c,Fioiopf Jo%,;l @I,o
eyents connected with the closing OF the
tNork of exploration i'll the Arctic region
and the return of the survivors of the party
knder Lieutenant Greedy. The survivors
ANere relieved at Cape Sabine on 1nne %,
H8S4, by a naval expedition under the COM
snand of Commander ". S. Schley. The
zeal and enterprise of the reliev-
ing expedition were such as to ell
title all its officers and men to the
olighest commentators; and while it
Feaclled Cape Sabine at the earliest possible
snoment, the final catastrophe to the few
SURVIVORS. OF Lieutenant Greely's party was,
0ut for the rescue, only a few hours dis
can't. The Greedy party numbered twenty
i've ~pelSOnS-Of whom only seven were
rescued alive and one died after the rescue.
Of the dead ali persisted from starvation ex-
ccpt an Esquimaux, who was drowned, and
RIivate Henry, who was executed by order
OF Lieutenant Greedy for repeated thefts of
food from the insufficient supply Of the ell
deebled and distressed company.
The Secretary of War observes with regret
that the Chief Signal Officer has chosen to
mako in his annual report a formal express
ion of opinion that, after the arrival of the
Wrecked Proteus party on September Is,
1883, at st. Johns, there was still time, as
known from previous experience and shown
by subsequent facts, to send efficient relief,
Stating that Captain Melville and others
Volunteered to go, giving their full plans for
fhe relief.
A contention as to What would have been
the probable result of an expedition to the
Arctic regions started in the autumn, with
such preparations as could be made after
che middle ofSeptember. is now useless for
any practical purpose, but a few words may
properly be given to the subject, as there
may be persons whose humane considera-
tipn for the terrible situation in which
lieutenant Greedy and his party existed for
months may NOT be accompanied by a
knowledge of the opinion of experienced
persons as to the danger of disaster and the
littlc hope of success of any attempt to ap-
QrOac1l him at that season.