The evening times., 1898-07-13
BOUNTIEs FOR SEA SOLDIERS.
Heavy Rewards for the Destruction
of CerveIa's Fleet.

Heavy Rewards for the Destruction
of CerveIa's Fleet.
Bounty to the amount of about 5000 90
will be distributed to the officers ant
men of the ships under command ol
Commodore Sampson. as a reward for the
destruction of Cervera's fleet.
1 Under law passed by Congress In
1854 1t is provided that the officers and
men Of a United States ship shall be en-
titled to bounty to the amount of $10l
to each man on a vessel of the enemy
sunk or destroyed by them, in case such
| vessel shall be adjudged to be of inferior
force to the vessel sinking or destroying
1t, and to the amount of $500 per man
in case the enemy.s vessel was of equal
or superior force.
While 1t might be that some of the
American vessels under Sampson were
not of superior force to Individual ves-
sells in Cerversis feet, there is no ques-
ton that the American fleet was supe-
rtor. and the bounty will therefore be
at the rate Of Sl00 for each man on the
Spanish vessels.
The most reliable estimates based on
the returns Of the Bureau of Naval In
telligence, and on official reports of the
dubmer killed. wounded and captured
make the total personnel of the Spanish
feet foot up to from 1850 to 2,1s0. so
that the bounty to be divided among the
American fleet will amount to more than
500. 600.
The law provides that this bounty shall
be distributed and paid in the same man
ner as prize money. and the law pre-
scribes very minutely how prize money
shall be distributed. An interesting cues
tion may be raised IL the Government sue
ceeds in saving any of the Spanish ves-
sells.
If they are saved they will not come
under the head of destroyed vessels. but
of prizes, and the officers AID men will
then be entitled TO prize money for such
vessel instead of bounty.
Not only will the vessels that actually
participated in the battle and fired at
the Spanish ships. but every armed YES
gel of the navy that was within signal DIS
tance, will share in the prize. As Tar
as can be judged by the reports thus Tar
received this will make the list of par
ticipating vessels include the New York,
Brooklyn. Iowa. Indiana. Oregon. Texas.
Gloucester Vixen, Ericsson and Resolute.
The law gives to the commanding off,
Ger Of a feet or squadron one-twentieth
part Of all the prize money or bounty
awarded to any vessel or vessels under
eolnmand. and this will give TO Com
modore Sampson mere than $4,000 as his
shaye OF the 100000 that will be distrib-
uted to the fleet The commanding OIL
GER of feet or division is entitled to
one-ff;ieth of the total, and this will
make Schley's share more than 1900
After deducting these two amounts the
Remainder will be divided among the
vessels entitled TO participate. in propor-
iion to the number Of men in their crews.
The crews of each of the four battle
ships and two armored cruisers are ap-
proximately the same. and Il is probable
there will still remain nearly $4,000 to
be divided among the seven large ships.
The commanding officer of each ship is
entitled to one-;enth of the amount al
lotted ito his ship. and this would make
the shares OF Captains Chadwick. Cook. (
Evans. Taylor. Philip and Clark approx
inately $3.50 each.
After making il-these deductions the !
remaining bounty will be distributed |
among all officers and men doing duty I
on the ships in proportion to their rates 7
OF pay in the service. II is impossible TO 4
estimate what the prize money for any I
of the Spanish ships would amount 10, |
as IL they should be saved, their value |
would have to be appraised and the YES
sells of SIMPSONS fleet would be entitled |
to one-half of their appraised value.