The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-24

task OF settling with the victims heirs
at-aw for the personal gear OF the men
lost in tho wreck will soon be UNDER
taken. The heirs will certainly receive
from the Government checks that VIII
fully cover the value OF this personal
property IN every instance. The Bureau
OF ACCOUNTS has on file n separate list OF
the personal possessions OF every man
forward OF I'm the naval service OF the
United States. and these lists are cor
rected by SHIPS writers, under the sup
erylsi0n of executive officers, every three
months.
This personal belongings check system
was not in operation at the time OF the
Samoan naval disaster. and the DEPART
ment consequently found itself In some
thing Of a predicament when IL came
TO settling with the men forward and
with the heirs Of the victims for the loss
OF their personal gear. The men who
manned the lost mcn-or-wor az the time
OF the disaster in Apia harbor united IN
filing claims against the Governments
for the loss OF really monumental lot
of stun such as sailors on warships are
not as a rule commonly possessed or
only about one blueIackcs IN twenty IN
Uncle Sans navy, for example. Is the
posses0r OF gold watch. yet the NUMBER
Of gold watches that are now, according
tltttAt't-+A
claims. repOsing on Apia's coral reefs IS
very large Again. only about half a
,fozon men I'm each man-Ot-wdr snip
company carry deck sewing machines
ac uart of their gear. the men VINO own
tho machines being buciackcts OF
moucv-maklug turn. who fashion cloth
ing. chiefly uniforms Of white, for ther
shipmatos. Yet quite a number OF the
men forward who were In The Samoan
! disaster seemed TO be possessors OF sew
ing machines, according 10 the claims
they fled with The Navy Department
All of these claims we're settled IN full
bv the Government in careful accordance
with the very letter OF the claims, no
items of The lists being stricken of eith-
or by the Bureau Of Accounts or by the
Treasury Auditor for the Navy Depart
mont. who Is the hral arblter In suoh
matters. II was considered. no doubt
| that men who passed through such an
ordeal as that terrible Ou-shorc hurri-
cane M Auia were NkCly 10 err somewhat
lin making inventories from memory. ana
/ nobody intcrposed any protest against
I the settling Of the claims as filed. But
very soon after the Samoan disaster the
| Bureau Of ACCOUNTS had forms printed for
the quarterly listing Of the possessions
OF the men on war vessels.
Only a comparatively small number OF
| the men who went down I'm the Maine
( wreck were married. The receiving
| ships do not accept naval recruits who
| are married. and most OF the married
! blucfackcts in the American naval ser
| vice embarked on the sea of matrlmony
| after their enilstments. Those who did
| not concealed the fact from the re-
! crulting officers on the receiving SHIPS
! that they were married Some men seek
! "A refuge I'm the navy las many DO in the
army from stormy matrimOnial lives,
and these men. knowing that they stand
no show Of acceptance II they confess 20
the soft Impeachment. reply. Not any.
not much" when ARE you married2' Is
asked them Nothing is done In the way
| OF punishment when after their enlist
| ment. they begin TO forward portions OF
| their wages TO their wives through the
paymastcrs.
The married men. az n general thing.
send most Of their money 20 their wives
| through the pay offices. Probably a
majority OF the chief petty officers In the
United states naval service are married
| men. and as their pay ranges from $50
! TO SIS a month. with bonuses for contin-
nous service. their wives receive comtor-
| table incomes. There IS n chief master
| alarms on the China station NJ the pres
| ent time who has not seen his wife who
! lives I'm Brooklyn. for twelve years. lie
{ Ukos the station and has been endeavor-
Ing 90 induce .a Hlte 10 move TO Japan