Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-12
SEA BATTLES BRING
BIG PRIZE BOUNTIES

In these DAYS of economy, one can
not expect Parliament to follow the
Trafalgar precedent, when Nelson's sea
fiehters were awarded a special prize
bounty of 81 800 COO, but even under the
present bounty code Sir David Beatty
and his naval heroes will probably find
themselves final cially better off by
good bit.
Government purchase of prize car
goes mas upset estimates based on pre-
vious prize money distributions in cas-
es where prizes have been brought in
to court intact, vet now and again the
Prize Court proceedings give an IN
sight into naval rewards.
4 daily Graphic correspondent writes
that in the period alone between March
u and December 81 last the award of
prize bounty amounted to soDe $2o4'ooo
More than sec, 600 of the sum was
awarded as 4 result of the Falkland
naval battle, when four German war
ships were sunk by the British fleet
participating.
| The sinking Of the PrinZ AdelDert, a
/ German cruiser. in the Baltic by the
British submarine E-S brought $4,000
bounty to the gallant ccreW. The Off
GERS and crew of the Bill were award
&c $1,000 for sinking a Turkish battle
ship in the Dardanelles and the ELS
complement received more than $4,000
! for the destruction of three Turkish
war vessels in the Sea of Marmora and
the Dardenelles.
| Three of the British submarines
shared in lesser measure in prize
money. From 5000 to $4,000 was
awarded each to the E-19, which sank
I the German cruiser Cndine. to the E-9,
which blew up the German cruiser
| Hela in the North Sea, and to the
F-5 for sinking German fleet auxil-
larry.
The destruction Of three Turkish war
vessels mentioned was one Of the larg-
est share-outs of the year to individual
CT owS. A loss of sec enemy lives re
suited from the daring exploit Of the
ELL under mine fields.
! BY the scale Of sharing the com
mander. Captain Erie Martin NaSmith,
who was decorated with the V. G. for
/ his exploits, received s.. 900 other Of
ficers each received S1.520, and each
able SO aman on the craft received $3.50.
/ The total bounty in the famous case
. Of the F,mden was less than SO 600. al
though tho feat Of the Australian
cruiser SvGney. which overlook and
destroyed the German raider on North
| Keeling Island. was as widely exploited
as any single ent erpriee of the war,
/ The sinking If tho German auxiliary
cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse by
{ n. NJ s HictfYer. says the Daily
Grarhc correspondent was rewarded
by about s12 800 bounty. For the sink
ing Of the Ger Trafalgar. a German
cruiser. off the east coast of America.
the British auxiliary ship Carmania
received s105o0.
| Had it not been for the new policy
under which the government purchases
rize GARAGES the total bounty from
prize merchantmen brought in might
have been millions In the first two
weeks Of the war some sixty enemy
vessels were seized So long ago as
October of 1915 it was estimated that
the total from prize cargoes reached
| $40 .0C0. 600
The official prize distribution regula-
tons are yelled under official secrecy.
If they have not been changed since
the war they are much like those in
force in America The commanding
officer Of fleet or squadron receives
one seventeen. commander of a
vessel is awarded one-tenth and feet
{; plain receives one-hundredth.
Nelson for his victory at Trafalgar
received nearly 100000 as his share,
and his four aGnirals each about s23,-
600 on court decision, not to speak Of
their share in the Parliament subsidy.
| 5urdette G. Lewis, Commissioner of
the Department Of Correction. New
York, continued his clean up OF the
brsrch penitentiary at Harris Island.
ne ba ~