Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-09
ECuOEs or THE WAN.

tiaso proved to be too dinicult q problem
for the secretary Of the navy 10 solve and
he has turned 1t over To- the court ot claims
The size OF the pile TO be distributed among
the victorious crews depends on n decision
OF the question, WAS Sampson In lt2'
When the court takes tho matter up its at.
tention will be called by friends oS the ON
GERS and men on the ships that took part
in the fight to assistance given by tho land
batteries to the Spanish ships The claim
will be made that the Spanish force was tho
equal. II not the superior. Of the American
force, and that consequently officers and
men comprising the latter are entitled TO
5000 for each person on board the enemy 9
| vessels. To support this claim II Win be
| contended that the New York did not par
ticipate in the actual fighting, and there
fore, is not entitled to any share in tho
prize money.
1t will, therefore, be incumbent upon the
court to determine whether the New York
participated in the battle, and whether the
| officers and men on board are entitled 20
| head money OF course the superiority Of
| the American fleet over Ceryera's squadron
is evident with the New York included as
| part OF the American force, and should II be
decided that she participated there will be
disbursed among officers and men only 300
for each person on board the opposing ships
| The officers and men of the armored
cruiser Brooklyn, the battleships Oregon,
Iowa and Indiana, second class batteship
| Texas and auxiliary gunboats Gloucester and
| Vixen are greatly concerned in the matter,
because their ships did the actual 1ghting.
| Should it be determined that the New York
is not entitled to a share of the head
| money" then will come up the question
whether Rear Admiral Sampson should re-
| ceive a portion of it.
| If it should be determined the New York
| is entitled to share in the "head money"
| then the court will probably have to deter
mine whether or not the Fourth Massachu
setts regiment and a portion of the Thirty
fourth Michigan, which were on board the
| Harvard, are entitled to share. The Navy
departme has received through a Massa-
Chusetts member of congress the claims of
officers and men of the Massachusetts, regi-
! ment to participate in the distribution on the
ground that the Harvard within signal
distance was effective vessel well armed,
and that it could have rendered effective
assistance. Besides the Harvard, the Reao-
Lutte, Hist and torpedo boat Ericsson were
within signal distance, and their claims for
consideration in the distribution of head
money will also have to be decided.
Should it be determined by the court of
terles must be considered in determining
the relative strength of the opposing forces,
then Rear Admiral Dewey's men will secure
heavy increase of head money Consid-
ering merely the relative strength of Rear
Admiral Dewey's and Admiral Montojo's
squadron, it is evident that the American
fleet was the superior; but counting the
land batteries, as claimed by Rear Admiral
Dewey a portion of the enemy's command,
tken the superiority lay with the Spaniards.
The court will also have to decide whether
revenue cutters are entitled to share in the
head money" the McCulloch's case being
the one upon which judgment will have to
be passed. She was under Rear Admiral
Dewey's command during the battle Of
Manila bay.
The Manila correspondent Of Harpers
Weekly cheerfully admits that there are
some shadows to life in that warm port, not
the least of which the warlike opera
tions of the mosquitoes. One night when
the 'skeeters were too affectionate for COM
fort he and friend took drive. The moon
came up and with its witching light stirred
our blood to desire for adventure. Ihe
twang of a guitar in small nippa hut at
tracted our attention. We stopped the car
riage and listened. Surely some happy soul
was singing after the Ball is Over We
got out of the carriage, approached the hut,
and saw through the long open windows OF
the room what seemed to be conVlVial
gathering of men and women.
"a native party" said the cheerful spirit.
While we stood watching and listening a
man came out of the hut and said, in Eng
lish:
Come in
There was nothing to do but to follow.
Accordingly we pushed through the crowded
anteroom and into the packed gathering in
the "paror." Chairs were showed to :he
front for us, and we sat down. Before us
on o box in the middle of tho room, was
the body of tiny baby dressed in white,
with white wreath about its head. we
were stunned.
"a wake" said the cheerful spirit.
Our eyes wandered wonderngly about the
room. Above the child was a great lamp;
in the background were pictures of saints.
A lithograph of Admiral Dewey hung on the
wall The bereaved host smilingly passed
around cigars and native wine to the brown
men and women, who smoked, drank and
chatted quietly. Again the mandolin and
guitar twanged, and again it was After the
Ball is Over" not as we had heard IT in
music halls, but after the Ball. in Tagalo,
with sorrow, with tenderness, with hope,
and finally with joy Still it was after the
Ball is Over" and we fidgeted about In our
chairs trying to lose sight of the poor little
bundle on the box,
My neighbor pointed out to me the mother,
who was sitting at the foot Of the box, smok-
ing stoically.
do you think it was smallpox whis-
pered the cheerful spirit.
Lieutenant Hobson's paper in the Febru-
ary Century contains an interesting account
of the reception he and his men received on
the Reina Mercedes. when we were along
side" writes the lieutenant, "the senior Off
Ger asked If / would be good enough to go
on board with my men, So courteous was
his manner, we might have been guests com
ing to breakfast The officer OF the deck
and the executive officer met us at the head
of the gangway. | bowed salute, and in
spected the men for their condition. Those
WHO were still shiveTing were sent forward
at once for stimulants and friction. Kelly's
lip showed a wide cash that had become
clogged with coal dust, Murphy had wound
in his right hip, twelve or fourteen inches
in length and perhaps quarter or half OF
an inch in depth, which he had received in
the blast when he fired torpedo No. /; and
though the wound certainly must have been
very painful, he had not uttered a groan or
made any reference to 1t during all the time
that had elapsed 1t was only after our ar !