The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-11

vessel was, of inferior force, and of $500 IL
of equal or superior force, to be divided
among the officers and crew in the same
manner as prize money; and when the ac-
tual number of men on board any such
vessel cannot be satisfactorily ascertained il
shall be estimated according to the COM
plement allowed to vessels of its class in the
navy Of the United States; and there shall
be paid as bounty to the captors of any
vessel of war captured from an enemy
which they may be instructed to destroy, or
which is Immediately destroyed for the
public interest, but not in consequence of
injuries received in action, $50 for every per-
son who shall be on board at the time of
such capture"
According to the reports from Manila the
Spanish fleet consisted of ten or eleven
cruisers gunboats and torpedo boats with
crews amounting in all to 1,S72 men, Rear
Admiral Dewey destroyed some of these
vessels and perhaps all of them, but If he
did not, then number were DESTROYED by
the enemy to prevent them from falling into
the hands of the United States. Admiral
Montejo was increasing the bounty fund
with every vessel he sank, and Spain will
undoubtedly have to pay for those losses in
making up the indemnity at the close of
tho war. At 500 for each man Of the Span
ish naval force the amount to be divided
among the American sailors will be $187 200.
AS the vessels of the United States were,
if anything, undermined, the number will
be under rather than over 1888. The $1S7 200
1881, of the Revised Statutes relating to
prize money.
Admiral Dewey will get one-twentieth of
command That will give him $4,000. If he
has fleet captain or what passes for one,
the latter will have q share of something
like $500. There will be left to be dis
tributed to the vessels of the fleet accord
ing. to their pay rolls, about $4,000. This
following shares: Olympia. $4,000; Balti-
more $4,000: Boston, Sc. COO; Raleigh, SO 600;
Concord $4,000; Petrel $4,000; McCulloch
$1,000. To the commander of each single
vessel there will go one-tenth of the amount
assigned to be distributed to that vessel.
amount, respectively. as follows: Captain
Gridley Olympia, $500; Captain Dyer
Baltimore. $4,000; Captain Wildes Boston,
$780, Captain Coghlan, Raleigh 81 200:
Commander Asa Walker, Concord 81 900;
Commander Wood, Petrol. 81 200 Captain
amounts mentioned have been deducted the
residue will be distributed to the lesser
officers and seamen of the ships in proper
tion to their rates of pay on the day of the
engagement The amount to each seaman
it is believed, will be in the neighborhood
Of $50
There was a story at the Navy Depart
ment about Captains Lamberton and Wildes
that may become the subject of controversy
when the bounty is to be paid. Captain
Wildes had been detached from the Boston
and ordered home. Captain Lamberton was
ing that his ship was about to participate.
in an undertaking, declined to surrender
the command at once, and Captain Lam
bertOn, in order to take part in the ex-
petition to Manila, was admitted by Adj
miral Dewey as flag captain or lieutenant.
bounty, but his share will not be so large
as that of Captain Wildes or as it would
have been if he had taken the Boston be-
fore the engagement with the Spanish fleet.