The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-06
A MILLION FOR THE SAILORS ]
AMOUNT OF PRIZE MONEY TO
BE DISTRIBUTED.
Sampson Will Get $4,000 and
Dewey One-fourth as Much
Amount Earned at Santiago.

New York, Sept. 5.-A dispatch to the
Herald from Washington says: At least
81 ,O00. COO prize money will be distrib-
uted among American sailors as a re-
suit of the war with Spain. More than
one-half o. this amount will be paid
in. accordance with that section of law
providing for the payment of a bounty
for -;ersonS on beard vessels of war
sunk in action. The. remainder will be
turned into the treasury, for distribu-
ton by the courts Which shall pass
upon vessels Of the enemy captured by
American men-of-war.
Although not a penny of prize money
has yet been turned into the treasury,
Judge Advocate Lemley and his chief
clerk, Mr.. Hanna. are engaged in con-
sidering the various claims for prize
money which have been filed by Of
ficers and men, and in passing upon
the various questions which have
arisen in connection with such claims.
From the official report Of Admiral
Montojo, commanding the Spanish fleet
sunk ct Manila, there We're 1,S75 per-
sons en- board the ships of his COM
nand. The Spanish feet was of in
ferior force to the American squadron,
and Rear Admiral Dewey's men will
get only 500 for each person.. 1t is es-
Asiatic squadron as the result of the
Spanish war amounts to $1S7, $780, which
congress will be asked to appropriate
during the coming session. One-twen-
tieth OF this sum belongs to Rear Ad-
miral Dewey as comander-in-ch chief, and
he will, therefore. be s9,S75 richer than
he WIS before the war.
Rear Admiral Sampson has realized
a snug little fortune as a result of the
G comm a y16er- -chiaf of the
North Atlantic fleet, he will get one
twentieth of every prize taken in North
Atlantic waters. and one-twentieth of
the head money allowed for the vessels
destroyed off Santiago and in Cuban
ports 1t is estimated that he will fin
ally receive about $4,000 as his share of
prize money.
In determining the amount of head
money due officers and men, it will be
necessary for the department to decide
whether a vessel destroyed is superior
or inferior to her antagonist. If the
latter, the American ship will be en-
titled to 5000 for each person on board
the enemy. OF course this will swell
the amount of prize money due the rear
admiral.
1t is estimated that, including the
Mercedes, sunk by the Massachusetts
at the mouth Of the Santiago harbor.
there were 2,492 persons ON board the
Spanish fleet destroyed by Rear Ad-
miral Sampson's command, which was
superior to the enemy, and the amount
of head money due the fleet will, con-
sequently aggregate $249,260.
Besides these ships, Spanish men-of-
war were sunk at ManZanillo, Nipe and
other points along the Cuban coast,
the destruction of each of which means
prize money for the officers and men
participating in the work.
Legal officers of the DEPARTMENT will
be required to determine whether mer-
chant vessels carrying guns in their
hold like the Santo Domingo, which
was sunk by the Eagle, come within
the meaning of the section providing
for the payment of bounties for per-
sens on board. The result of these
questions will be to delay the adjudica-
ton of the amounts due to officers and
men interested
The navy department was notified
few days ago by Judge Locke of Flor
ida that he would turn into the treas
ury the net amount resulting from the
sale OF the cargo OF coal on board the
British tramp steamer Restormel. The
drawn b. Judge Locke. The Restor-
meFs case is TIE furthest advanced of
any of the prizes. So
Owners ot the great majority of the
captured vessels have taken appeals
from the courts which have condemned
their ships IS prizes, and it will be
many months before the supreme court
is able to pass upon them.