Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-10-23
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Annual Repor, OF Gen. Haxeu. Chief
Signal Officer.
WASHINGTON. Oct. -

WASHINGTON, Oct. 80
Gen. Hszen, chief signal officer, in his
annual report 10 the secretary of war. SAYS
that the course of instruction pursued az Fort
Myer has been enlarged and otherwise i'm
proved. During the year FIVE officers COM
pleted the course of instruction in meteOro-
logy at Fort Myer and 69 enlisted men were
instructed in signalling, telegraphy, element
AIRY meteorologv and duties as soldiers In
addition, two officers completed the course of
instruction at the signal office in the prepara-
tion of weather predictions. The attempt
made during the last three years TO secure
the enlistment of young college graduates
has met with success. OF the PSI enlist
ments made during the time 90 were college
graduates. The increased demands for spec
ial predictions in the interests OF agriculture,
special trades and commerce, indicate in a
measure, the report says, the value and
importance of indications, and adds that
further improvements could be made by an
increase of stations, and especially in the
west and northwest. The report says that no
general storm passed over the country during
the year without warning.
In relation to the arctic expeditions, Gen.
Hazen says, referring to the departure
of the Yantic after the loss of
the Proteus. from Littleton Island TO
This abandonment of Lieutenant Greedy and
party to probable starvation by officers whose
only mission in those waters was 70 succor
them displayed lamentsble disregard of grave
responsibilities. He holds that if Darlington
had insisted on leaving rations from the
Yantie or if another relief vessel had been
sent from ST. Johns as, he says, he himself
urged, the loss of life and disaster would
have been averted. Hazen says Lieutenant
Greedy carried out his instructions hberally
and the signal bureau carried out the pre-
arranged plan.
He continues, after referring 10 Lieutenant
Greely's retreat to Cape Sabine and the sue
cess of the relief expedition under Com
mander Schley, as follows: up to the
return of the expedition this year l had hoped
that there would be no chance for raising the
question of blame at this or any other future
time, but new light has been cast on the
subject and with II my duty becomes plain
and the truth OF history and justice TO all
calls for such impartial inquiry and auth
oritative judgment as the tribunal broad
enough to embrace the whole question shall
institute and pronounce, and the Congress of
the United States is manifestlv such a tri-
bunal. therefore trust that this whole
matter of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition,
and the expeditions organized for the relief,
will be deemed worth of thorough investi-
CATION by Congress"
General HaZen regards the Greely expe-
dition as 'among the foremost of its kind"
and insists that ''both Lieut.. Greedy in the
Arctic and the signal bureau in Washington
carried out their parts of the prearranged
plan literally and successfully in every par
ticular.'
He refers to the failure of Lieut. CARING
ton 10 replace the spoiled provision at Cape
Sabine and quotes from letter by Greely
to him, April 30th. supposing himself at the
point of death. as follows: Had Lieut..
Darlington carried out your orders and re-
placed 240 rations of rum and I20 alcohol
on the English cache, here, and the 2l0
pounds of mouldy English bread spoiled
English chocolate and potatoes, melted sugar
and 2l0 pounds of rotten dog buiscuit we
would without doubt be saved
Gen. HsZen says Darlington should have
left two-thirds of the stores rescued from the
Proteus at Cape Sabine. In concluding the
report, the chief signal officer recommends
the following officers be added to the signal
corps with rank and pay of cavalry officers :
One colonel, one lieutenant colonel, one
major and disbursing officer s captains and
the appointment of I'd lieutenants to lst lieu
tenants after eight years and to captains after
IA years service. He recommends the $50
sergeants of the corps be composed of three
classes; % with pay Of $50 per month 30
with pay of $40, and 70 with pay of S34 and
all sergeants. corporals and privates of the
first class of the corps be known as observers
of the signal service.