The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-12

Washington, May I1.--Rear Admiral
Dewey and his men will not have been
fully rewarded for their victory at
Manila when they receive the thanks of
the congress and the medals ordered
to be struck for them. Under the law
they have become entitled to rich
bounty.
Unless the numerical importance OF
the fleet of Admiral Montijo has been
estimated, its losses overstated,
the officers and men of the Asiatic
squadron will be entitled to share
among them, when the time arrives
for distribution, something like $685.
900 bounty money.
ROUNTY BY THE LAW OF 1864.
Section 4635 OF the Revised Statutes
of the United States, which is Just as
good as it was the day it was made
law in 1864, provides:
\ bounty shall be paid by the United
states for each person on board any
ship or vessel of war belonging to an
enemy at the commencement of an en-
gagement which is sunk or otherwise
destroyed in such engagement by any
ship or vessel belonging to the United
States. or which it may be necessary to
destroy in consequence of injuries sus-
tanned i'm action, of 500, if the enemy's
vessel was of inferior force, and of
$500 if of equal or superior force, to be
divided among the officers and crew in
the same manner as prize money; ana
when the actual number Of men on
board any such vessel cannot be sat
isfactorily ascertained, it shall be est-
. ,1.,r,, tnf Ill
lowed to vessels of it's 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 enc
my, which they may he instructed to
destroy, or which is Immediately de-
stroyed for the public interest, but not
in consequence of injuries received in
action. $50 for every person who shall
be on board at the time Of such cap
turc.
According to the reports from Ma
nila, the Spanish fleet consisted of ten
or eleven cruisers, gunboats and tor
pcdo boats. with crews amounting in
all to not less than 1880 men. Rear
Admiral Dewey destroyed some of
these vessels, and perhaps all Of them,
but If he did not, then a number were
destroyed by the enemy to prevent
them from falling into the hands of
the United States.
SPANISH SWELLED THE SUM.
Admiral Muntijo was unconsciously
increasing the bounty fund with every
vessel he sank, and Spain will undoubt-
edly have to pay for those losses in
making up the indemnity at the close
of the war. Under the law the officers
and men of the United States vessels
will get their bounty. So far as car
be ascertained, the number of men or
the Spanish ships aggregate 1872.
At 500 for each man Of the Spanish
naval force the amount to be divided
among the American sailors will be
$1S7, 200. 1t may be a trifle more or less
hut not much either way, unless the
Spanish ships were greatly overcrowd.
ed or undermanned. The vessels of the
United States were, If anything, under.
manned, as the Navy department was
not permitted, before the fleet was
made up, to increase enlistments anC
fill UP all the compliments.
The numbers would be under rather
than over the following figures: Cruiser
Olympia officers and men, AS; cruise
Baltimore, officers and men, $50; cruise
BCStOn, OtilcerS ana men, ZS0; cruiser
Raleigh, officers and men, 222; gunboa
Concord, officers and men, 1893; gunl GA
Petrel, officers and men, 1872 gunbOa
McCulloch, officers and men, 100. To
tai, 1888.
POCKET MONEY FOR DEWEY.
The $1S7,200 will be distributed to tn
fleet under section 1851 of the revise,
statutes, relating to prize money Ad
nirai Dewey, under that statute. vii
get one-twentieth of the whole amour
NJ bounty awarded to his command
That will give So, 800. 1t may be littl
more or less but this will be about tn
sum won by him on that hot Sunda
in Manila bay. If he has a fleet cap
tain, or what passes FOR one, he wi
have a share something like 81 S0(
There will be left to be distributed t
their pay rolls about S175 900. This wi
go To seven ships, and in about tn
following shares; Olympia, S45 00(
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