, 1889-08-01
NEWS FROM THE EAST
Charges Preferred Against Officers
of the South Pacific Naval
Squadron.
A Northern Pacific Omcial Makes
Some Suggestions of Finan-
oial Importance.

the statements Of certain survivors OF
the disaster to the American vessels at
Samoa, the enlisted men on the Trenton
and Vandalia which, If true, will pre-.
sent n severe indictment against the
of the country, especially of
the navy department for the
CRUEL TREATMENT
and heartless abandonment ofthe suffer-
ers by that disaster The papers practi-
cally 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 de-
pendent upon charity for their subsist.
ence.
The charges by the men were, in sub
stance, that they had not been paid their
States contracted to allow them in case
of the loss of their clothes by the sink
ing of the vessel that their wages prior
to the date of the disaster had not been
paid them; that they had been dis
charged and sent adrift, none of them
with more than $25; that the clothes
furnished them at Samoa had been
ohui uiScu III at tiie rcRular ratsbi ledFlHk
them little or nothing to live on after
the cost had been deducted from their
pay that Lieutenant Carlin, executive
officer of the Vandalia, had refused to
sign certificate for one of the seamen,
to be presented to the fourth auditor, by
which he would be enabled to procure
his rag money" and finally, that when
the men disembarked from the Rockton
on arriving in San Francisco,
THEY GAVE THREE 6RoANs
for Captain Farquhar of the Trenton
and they were deprived of what was
justly due them by the subsequent ac-
ton taken by him in spirit of revenge
Copies of the newspaper articles We're
sent to President Harrison, and six of
the sailors joined in a petition to Secre-
tary Blaine, asking that he use his in
fiuence to have justice done them. At
tached to this petition was copy of
one of the newspaper articles. Those
were referred TO Secretary Tracy, who
ordered an investigation made as to the
truth of the statements. The papers in
the case have just reached the navy de-
partment and make the following show
ing:
Commodore Benham of the Mare Is
land navy yard says the newspaper ar
ticles have grain OF truth in them, and
a great deal of exaggeration; that the
attack OH Lieutenant Carlin is unjust in
the extreme for the reason that he re-
mained at San Francisco by his own re-
quest and was temporarily assigned to
the receiving ship Independence, in or
der that he might be able to look after
the interests of
THE vANpALIA's MEN
and aid them in obtaining an early set
tlement of their claims. AS to the COM
plants of the discharged men the COM
modore says it is hardly necessary to re.
mind the authorities that the men can.
not be held beyond the date of their
enlistment. He further furnishes a
statement made by Lieutenant Burnett
showing the amount paid the men who
reached San Francisco, tifty-nine in all.
These range from $26.Sl to S272.ss.
Eighteen of the men are reported as
having deserted after their arrival, and
of course they received nothing. Lieu
tenant Carlin states that of the nineteen
Vandalia men who, II was stated, "were
roaming about the water 'front.'" one
was discharged at his own request, two
were discharged at the expiration oftheir
enlistment three were discharged by
sentence of court martial and thirteen
were deserters. The clothing issued to
the men at Samoa was charged to them
at u discount of 662a per cent. 1t was
good clothing and worn by officers and
men.
AS to "rag money" 1t is stated that
the government docs not sign u contract
to pay $50. 1t does promise to pay as
much as $50 on certain conditions. The
lieutenant says:
"The claims of the men were exces-
sive as rule. "A seaman who shipped
in January and was wrecked in March
! can justly claim his rag money for
two months and no more. If he has
drawn $50 worth of clothing he is in
debt for at least sl2."
Captain Farquhar could not and did
not have an order regarding the amount
of money to be distributed to the Tren-
ton men. The amount of money actu-
| ally allowed was one months pay and
the sailor who complained that Carlin
refused to sign his application to the
fourth auditor was told that it was use.
less to make application until that Off
cial was in possession of certain
data which could not possibly
be furnished before the last of July, but
final, whereupon the lieutenant told him
to make out his own application. The
officer says he did not know the seam an
had obtained a blank TO be signed. He
further says; GAS to the statement that
| would help no one 10 get his money
| until i got mine, l Will only say that
am here at my own request for the spe-
cial purpose of putting the various rec
ords in shape so the fourth auditor may
properly
| SETTLE THE MEMS ACCOUNTS.
This work is now finished and an appli-
cation for indemnity, otherwise known
as rag money has been made out fol-
all the men, dead or alive, and have
as yet taken no step toward getting my
own money" In conclusion he
says: There are six names signed
to the letter to the secretary of state
viz: McCluskey, Stewart, Devine
Bleinder, Lane and Boyle, McCluskey
was not at Samoa at all. Lane was dis
charged by court martial. He was or
board the Nipsic, which was not sunk
and he has not the shadow of a claim
for anything. Boyle and Stewart were
discharged by court martial. Bleidnei
and Devine were discharged at the ex
piration of their enlistment. All O.
them except Boyle
WERE PAID IN FULL,
but some of them had claim for loss O
personal effects. O'Donnell, the othe,
man mentioned by name in the news
papers, was discharged by sentence O
court martial. The only men entitled t
sympathy are Johansen and STEINER
They have money due which they can
not get at present. The claims mus
follow the routine in the fourth auditor,
oftice, and II am not mistaken an ac
OF congress is necessary.
/