Fry v. The Krona

28 F. 318
CourtUnited States Circuit Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1886
StatusPublished

This text of 28 F. 318 (Fry v. The Krona) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fry v. The Krona, 28 F. 318 (uscirct 1886).

Opinion

Pardee, J.

On January 2,1885, libelants’ tug Continental, under contract, undertook to tow the bark Krona from the wharf at Galveston outside and over the bar, preparatory to completing the latter’s cargo for the voyage. After towing her out into the harbor to Bolivar roads, inside the bar, and although there was plenty of time and tide, the tug cast off the hawser of the bark, and left her there, with directions to anchor, while the tug went off to tow another ship over the bar, the Kong Sevier, which it is alleged was first at the bar, and, according to custom, first entitled to go to sea. After towing over the Kong Sevier there was no time to take out the Krona, nor any offer or effort to do so. The Krona anchored in Bolivar roads, with the starboard anchor in about five fathoms of water, and remained there that night, and until the fifteenth of January, because during that period the weather and state of water on Galveston bar was such that she could not be towed out, and during all this time she rode with but the starboard anchor.

On the night of the 15th, while the master and crew were below, and the watch, if any, negligent, she dragged her anchor over a 'mile, and went ashore, in some unaccountable way, head on. Some time after she struck, and before she settled in the sand, the port anchor was let go. On the morning of the 16th, with a strong northwest wind, (28 miles per hour,) and the mercury below freezing point, the Krona, then drawing 13 feet forward, and 13 feet 5 inches aft, was aground in about 10 feet of water, and -with 2 feet of sand all around [319]*319her, on the south-east shore of Galveston harbor, near the end of the south jetty, about four miles from the quarantine station, headed b. E., with a starboard anchor out, with 45 fathoms of chain abreast and astern, at an angle of 45 deg., with the side of the ship and the port anchor out, with about 5 fathoms of chain, the same running over to starboard, and perhaps under the ship’s forefoot, and she was flying a hybrid signal, which Was susceptible of being taken either as a signal for a pilot, or as a signal of distress.

The tug Continental, drawing eight and a half feet, and lying at Galveston wharf, took it for the latter, and steamed down to offer assistance. On coming near the Krona she thumped and bumped so, according to the master’s evidence, that she could do nothing but communicate with the Krona by hallooing, and then she steamed back to the wharf for a yawl-boat. At the wharf she took libelant Heffron and three men, and, with a 20-foot yawl, went back to the Krona. Heffron and three men got aboard by using the yawl, and then, by consent of the master and the aid of the Continental, run out a kedge-anchor about 80 fathoms astern of the Krona, to hold her from going further ashore, or over onto her port anchor. The chain to this anchor led to the starboard quarter of the Krona. Following this, Heffron got out a hawser from the port quarter of the Krona to the Gontinqntal, and the Continental tried to pull the bark astern, while the crew of the Krona, by means of a luff tackle and the ship’s capstan, hove in on the kedge-anchor.

There is a dispute, under the evidence, as to whether this resulted in pulling the ship astern through the quicksand. Heffron says it did about 25 feet, and that, by such moving astern, he was able to get up the port anchor, which was endangering the ship. Anyhow, the port anchor was taken in; and, whether the chain attached to this anchor run under the forefoot or not, it was well to have it in, as the ship seemed to have the dangerous faculty of dragging her anchors, and drifting head on, though carrying no sail. This service of the Continental and Heffron ended the day’s work in the way of salvage, and the Continental returned to her wharf.

The evidence shows that for the latitude the weather was extremely cold; and the services rendered were accompanied with this hardship. One man, James Willett, shows that his feet were frost-bitten.

The Krona remained over night of the 16th substantially as left by the Continental, though the master of the Krona says the wind fell off, and that the kedge-anchor put out astern was of no use to hold the ship in position, and the hawser had to be slackened, as the ship was rolling a little. On the morning of the 17th, the wind had moderated, shifting to the north, and the water was smoother. About half past 7, Heffron went aboard the Krona from the Continental, which passed along, towing the lighter Reliable outside. Soon after, the steam-lighter Buckthorne, bringing a pilot, came along-side, and made fast on the starboard side. The master of the Krona, declin[320]*320ing all offers of assistance until be could have, a contract, took a pilot-boat, and, from that, the tug Estelle, about 8 :30 a. m., to go to town, leaving the mate'in charge, with instructions not to allow any one to touch ship or cargo until he came back. The morning was passed aboard the Krona in talking and waiting. About noon the Continental arrived, and made fast to the Buckthorne. The flood-tide commenced running about the same hour. As the tide rose the chances of getting the ship off improved, and the officers and men of the Buckthorne and Continental importuned the mate to give them leave to pull the-ship off. The mate refused, because of the captain’s or- . ders, and then Pilot Dronet assumed command, and, under his directions, in about one hour and a, half, the Buckthorne and Continental succeeded in getting the Krona off, and into deep water. In the mean time the master of the Krona had made a bargain with the owners or agents of the Buckthorne to take the Krona off,- if it could be done without lightering, for $250; and, if lightering should be required, an additional charge of $2 per'ton for lightered cargo.

The Krona was apparently uninjured; but in fact her tiller was broken off close to the rudder head, the false keel was partly torn away, and the copper was also partly torn off. The ship and cargo of oil-cake were worth $14,000. The Continental suffered some injury from the thumping received on the 16th. Her steam-pipe was sprung, and the joint started so that steam leaked, and the condenser pipe was broken loose, causing a water leak. The owner, Heffron, swears to an estimate of this damage at $450, and to the value of the tug at $15,000.

Fry & Heffron, owners of the Continental, libeled tire Krona on behalf of themselves and the crew, demanding compensation for salvage services. In their libel they exaggerate the services of the Conti- • nenta^ and crew, and also the danger and peril of the Krona, and say nothing of the towage contract, nor how the Krona came to be “in Bolivar roads, then waiting to be towed outside,” and they are equally silent as to the assistance rendered by the Buckthorne.

Irvine & Beissner, owners of the lighter Buckthorne and the Estelle, also libel the Krona for salvage. They claim $2,500 for the Buckthorne and $25 for the Estelle; the latter for carrying the master of the Krona to town. In their libel they exaggerate the danger and peril of the Krona; magnify the services of the Buckthorne; barely admit that the Continental was there, but insist that she rendered no services; and are silent as to the now admitted contract to take the Krona off for $250, and $2 per ton for lighterage.

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Bluebook (online)
28 F. 318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fry-v-the-krona-uscirct-1886.