The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-27
A DECISION AGAINST DEWEY
NAVAL BOUNTY CLAIM NOT SUS-
TANNED IN COUR7.
Entitled to Recover but 800 for Each
Person OH Board the Destroyed Span
ish Ships-Claimed $200-Dectsion
Made on Basis That American Fleet
Was Stronger Than the Spanish.

| Washington, Feb. 26.-The United
States court of claims to-day rendered
an opinion on the claim of Admiral
| Dewey, his officers and men for naval
statutes for the destruction of the Span
ish fleet in Manila bay May /, 1898, the
court holding that the claimant has a
right to recover for each person on
board the enemys ships the sum of
$100. This decision is on the basis that
the admiral's fleet was superior to the
Spanish fleet, excluding the shore bat
teries, the torpedoes and the mines in
Manila bay. Admiral Dewey's claim
was for 5000 for each man belonging to
the enemy's fleet, including the support
ing shore batteries, the mines and the
torpedoee
The principal question involved was
whether in determining the enemys
force the supporting shore batteries,
mines and torpedoes should be included.
The statute provides that 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 COM
mencement of an engagement, which is
sunk or otherwise destroyed in such en-
gagement by any ship or vessel belong
ing to the United States, or which it
may be necessary to destroy in conse-
quence of injuries sustained in action,
of $100 if the enemy's vessel was of in
ferior force and of 5000 if of equal or
superior force, to be divided among the
officers and crew. in the same manner as
prize money.
In the course of his belief counsel for
the admiral stated that the number Of
officers and men on the vessels of the
United States during the battle was l.
S36; that the official complement of The
Spanish vessels taking part in the bat
tie was 2,037. and that several of the
enemy's vessels had on board a number
considerable in excess of their compile
ment, making the actual number on the
enemy's vessels 1913. The total num-
Der of men on board the vessels of the
enemy which were destroyed, including
two torpedo boats, is given as 1,914.
TAXING 1nLO COnSlQeTdClOn the guns at
Corregidor Ell Fraile and other forts at
the entrance to Manila bay and those at
Manila and Cavite, and the torpedoes
and mines in the bays entrance to it,
it was contended by counsel for Admiral
Dewey that the enemys force was SUI
perior to the vessels of the United
States. The government insisted that
the statute failed to provide for the con-
tingency Of the cooperation of land
with the naval forces destroy
ed, and that the court was powerless to
supply the omission
The court in deciding the case held
that the law applied only to the force of
the vessels engaged in the action, and
that in this instance, taking the num-
Der and character of the vessels into
the strength of their batteries
1n board and all other matters which
go to the determination of the
actual fighting of the two opposing |
leets, the United States was the superb
1r. 1t is understood that counsel for |
Admiral Dewey will take an appeal to |
he United States supreme court I'm
Ter to-day's decision Admiral Dewey Is
personally entitled to $3.50.