Chapter 15. for the relief of the sufferers by the wreck of the United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia, and the stranding of the United States steamer Nipsic, at Apia, Samoan Islands
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CHAP. 15.— An Act for the relief of the sufferers by the wreck of the United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia, and the stranding of the United States steamer Nipsic, at Apia, Samoan Islands.February 19, 1890. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,U. S. S. Trenton, Vandalia, and Nipsic.Relief of sufferers by disaster to, at Apia, Samoan Islands. That, to reimburse the survivors of the officers and crews of the United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia, wrecked in the harbor of Apia, Samoan Islands, on the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, and the survivors of the officers and crew of the United States steamer Nipsic, stranded at the same time and place, for losses incurredLosses reimbursed. by them, respectively, in the wreck and stranding of said vessels, there shall be paid to each of said survivors, out. of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, a sum equal to the losses so incurred by them: *Provided*, That the accounting*Provisos*.Schedules. officers of the Treasury shall, in all cases, require a schedule and certificate from each person making a claim under this act: *Provided further*, That, in no case, shall the aggregate sum allowed as compensation for such losses exceed the amount of twelve months’Not to exceed twelve months’ pay. sea pay of the grade or rating held by such person at the time such losses were incurred.
Sec. 2. That the widow, child, or children, and, in case there bePayment to heirs of deceased. not such, that the parent or parents, and if there be no parents, the brothers and sisters, of the officers, enlisted men, and others in the service who were lost in the wreck of the said steamers Trenton and Vandalia and by the stranding of the said steamer Nipsic. or who died in consequence of the hardship and exposure to which they were thereby subjected, shall be entitled to and shall receive, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, as follows, to wit:
The relatives in the order named of the persons connected with the vessels hereinbefore referred to, a sum equal to twelve months’sea pay of the grade or rating of each person deceased as aforesaid: *Provided*, That the legal representatives of*Provisos*. the deceased persons hereinbefore referred to shall also be paid from the Treasury of the United States any arrears of pay due the saidArrearages. deceased at the time of their death; *And Prorided further*, That the provisions of this section shall apply to the relatives, in the order named of Chief Engineer George W.
Hall and LieutenantGeorge W. Hall.Frank R. Heath. Frank R. Heath, who were on board said steamers Nipsic and Vandalia, respectively, at the time of the stranding and wreck of said vessels, and have since died. Sec. 3. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized,Removal of remains to Mare Island Naval Cemetery, Cal. at such time as in his discretion may lie proper, to cause the remains of the officers and others who perished by the wreck of the United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia and the stranding of the United States steamer Nipsic, at Apia, Samoan Islands, on the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, or who died in consequence of the hardship and exposure to which they were thereby subjected and have been buried at the Samoan Islands, to be removed to the United States and buried in the Naval cemetery at Mare Island, California: *Provided*, That the relatives of any*Provisos*. such deceased officers and others, and of Chief Engineer George W.
Hall and Lieutenant Frank R. Heath, who were on board said steamers Nipsic and Vandalia, respectively, at the time of the stranding and wreck of said vessels, and have since died, who prefer that the 10FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. I. Chs. 15, 16. 1890. Removal to former home if desired.remains of such he taken to their homes, within the United States, shall have such privilege extended to them and the expense thereof, shall be borne by the United States: *And, provided further*, That the expense of removal incurred by the relatives of those whose Reimbursement of burial expenses incurred.bodies nave already been removed shall be reimbursed to them, and the sum of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be Appropriation.necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the provisions of this section.
Sec. 4. Hallam D. Alexander.Allowance to legal representatives. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized to allow and pay out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the legal representatives of Hallam D. Alexander, late pay clerk of the United States steamer Trenton, who died in January, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine on board that vessel during her passage from Panama, United States of Colombia, to Apia, Samoan Islands, compensation for his personal effects lost in the wreck of said vessel, upon satisfactory *Proviso*.Maximum.evidence of the value of the same: *Provided*, That the sum allowed therefor shall not exceed twelve months’ sea pay of said deceased.
Sec. 5. John C. Wilson.Allowance to, for funds stolen. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized to allow and pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to Lieutenant John C. Wilson, United States Navy, who was attached to and serving on board the United States steamer Vandalia at the time of her wreck in the harbor of Apia. Samoan Islands, on the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars, being the amount stolen from public money in his possession while he was proceeding from the Samoan Islands to Auckland, New Zealand, under orders of the commander-chief of the Pacific Station, to communicate to the Navy Department information of the wreck and stranding of the vessels hereinbefore referred to: *Provided*, That *Proviso*.Absence of negligence to be shown.the said Lieutenant Wilson shall satisfy the said accounting officers that such loss was not incurred through negligence or any want of care on his part.
Sec. 6. Accounts of officers, etc., of Vandalia, to be adjusted. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to settle upon principles of justice and equity the accounts of the officers, enlisted men, and others on board the United States steamer Vandalia when wrecked, and to assume the last quarterly return of the paymaster of said vessel as the basis of computation of the subsequent credits to those on board to the date of such loss, if there be no evidence to the contrary.
Frank H. Anns.Allowance in accounts.And if upon a settlement of the accounts of Frank H. Arms, late paymaster in the United States Navy, who was lost on said vessel with his accounts and vouchers for expenditures and payments made by him, and with all the money, stores, and supplies procured for the said vessel, any sum shall be found due from him to the United States, the proper accounting officers of the Treasury are hereby authorized and required to allow him a credit therefor.
Approved, February 19, 1890.