, 1889-07-26
A NAVAL SCANDAL.
1t Peters Out When Brought
Under Investigation.
Death of the Well Known
~Charlemagne Tower.
The Great Ten Strike He Made
in Iron Ore.
A.NavaI Scandal.

WASHINGTON, July 25.-On June Is
San Francisco papers contained state
ments OF certain survivors of the disaster
t. American vessels at Samoa and the
enlisted men on the Trenton and Vandalia
which, il true, presented a severe indict-
ment against the authorities of the
country, especially of the navy depart
ment, for cruel treatment and heartless
abandonment of the sufferers by that dis
aster. The papers practically endorsed
The statements of the men and reported
that about thirty OF them were roaming
around the water front of San Francisco
unable to secure the wages due them,
destitute and dependent upon charity for
their subsistence. The charges were IN
substance that they had not teen paid
rag money" 500, which q e United
| States contracted to pay in case of loss of
their clothes by the sinking of the
| vessels.
Their wages prior to the date OF the
disaster have not beer paid them and they
had been discharged aud sent adrift, none
of them with more than $25; that the
clothes furnished them III Samoa had been
charged Tor at regular rates, leaving them
little or nothing to live on after the cost
had been deducted from their pay; that
Lieut.. Carlin executive officer ofthe Van
dalia had refused TO sign a certificate for
| one OF the seamen to be presented to the
fourth auditor by which he would be en-
abled to procure his rag money" and
finally that when the men disembarked
from the Rockton. IN ARRIVING III San
Francisco. they gave three groans tor
l (N.-. h.--vhur 90 s1a nrnnfnn and fhaWr
were deprived of what was Justly due
them by the subsequent action taken by
him in a spirit of revenge.
A cOpy of the newspaper articles was
sent to President Harrison and six OF the
sailors Joined in a petition to Secretary
Blaine asking that he use his influence to
have Justice done them. Attached to the
petition was a copy OF the newspaper ar
ticles. These were referred to the secre-
tary who ordered an investigation made
as to the truth oil the statements. The
papers in the case have just reached the
navy department and made the following
showing: Commodore Benham of Mare
Island navy yard says the newspaper ar.
| ticles have a grain of truth in them and a
great deal of exaggeration; that the at
tack upon Lieut.. Carlin is unjust in the
extreme for the reason that he remained
at San Francisco by his own request and
was temporarily assigned to the receiving
ship Independence in order that he might
be able to look after the interests OF the
Vandalia's men and aid them in securing
an early settlement of their claims.
AZ 8 The complaints Of the diachar-
ged men the commodore says its hardly
necessary to remind the authorities that
the men cannot be held beyond the date
of their enlistment. He further fur.
nishes the statement made by Lieut.. Ben
nett showing the amour paid to the
men who reached San Francisco, fifty,
nine in all. These range from $2,6SI to
81, 72S. Eighteen of the men are repre-.
scented TO have deserted after their arrival
and OF course they received nothing.
Lieut.. Carlin states of the nineteen Van
dalia men whom it was possible were
roaming about the water 'front.' one was
discharged at his own request, two dis
charged at the expiration of their enlist
ment, three discharged by sentence of the
courtmartial and thirteen we're deserters.
The clothing issued to the men at Samoa
was charged to them at a discount OF
Cos per cent. 1t was good clothing such
as is worn BY the officers and men.