Oceanic S. S. Co. v. Simpson Lumber Co.

186 F. 764, 108 C.C.A. 634, 1911 U.S. App. LEXIS 4167
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMarch 6, 1911
DocketNo. 1,820
StatusPublished

This text of 186 F. 764 (Oceanic S. S. Co. v. Simpson Lumber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oceanic S. S. Co. v. Simpson Lumber Co., 186 F. 764, 108 C.C.A. 634, 1911 U.S. App. LEXIS 4167 (9th Cir. 1911).

Opinion

ROSS, Circuit Judge.

The schooner Advent, while making a voyage from Coos Bay, Or., to San Francisco, with a cargo of lumber, .'was struck on her port Ippw just forward of the port cathead by the .steamer Sonoma on one of her voyages from San Francisco to Seattle, inflicting damage for which the libelant was given judgment by the court below. At the time of the collision, which occurred about 2 o’clock in the morning, the weather was good and the sea smooth. The schooner, which was of 399 registered tonnage, was making from 5 to 7 knots an hour, and the steamer about 1334 knots. The record shows that the steamer discovered the green light of the schooner about 12 minutes before the collision, when the two were about four miles apart. In such circumstances the established rule is:

“That the steamship, from the moment the sailing vessel is seen, shall watch with the highest diligence her course and movements, so as to be able to adopt such timely measures of precaution as will necessarily prevent the two boats coming in contact.” The Carroll, 8 Wall. 302-306, 19 L. Ed. 392.

[765]*765Á careful examination of the record satisfies us that the court below was right in its conclusion that the collision in question was brought about by the failure of the steamer to perform its duty in that regard. There is much conflicting evidence in the cause, a detailed review of which is not necessary, since it would serve no useful purpose. It will be enough to refer briefly to some of the testimony of the appellant’s chief witnesses and to the steamer’s log containing entries in respect to the collision, made immediately thereafter.

In the pilot house logbook the entry is:

“2:00 (of the morning of the collision) sighted vessel on port bow showing green light.
“2:30 Vessel showed a red light close aboard stopped port engine and reversed it but could not clear vessel striking her forward bringing all her top hamper down on Sonoma deck.”

The entry in the mate’s log of the same date is as follows:

“2:00 Sighted vessel port bow showing green It.
“2:16 Vessel tacked showing redlight; stopped port engine and reversed full speed; 2:18 struck vessel forw’d taking jib boom & top hamper in our stb’d fw’d rigging.”

The log of the steamer, therefore, shows that from the time the green light of the schooner was sighted until she was struck by the-ship 12 minutes elapsed. Now during that time what, according to the testimony of those in charge of the steamer’s movements, did the steamer do "to keep out of the way of the approaching schooner? Take the man at the wheel at the time in question — -Henry Casson We extract from his testimony as follows:

“Q. “Were jou on hoard the Sonoma at the time of the collision with the schooner Advent? A. Yes.
“(2. in what capacity were you on hoard? A. Quartermaster.
“Q. Where were you at the time of the collision? A. At the wheel, sir.
“Q. You were at the wheel? A. Yes.
“Q. How long had you been at the wheel? A. I was at the wheel. I relieved the man at the wheel at 2 o’clock, a little after 2, sir. The collision occurred about 2:20. * * *
“Q. I)o you remember the course you were steering this night before the collision? A. Yes. sir.
“Q. What was it? A. North -15 degrees west.
“Q. Did you get any orders before the collision to change that? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What orders did you get.? A. Hard-a-starboard.
“Q. Did you execute that order? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. How long after you executed it was it before you got another order? A. Well, that is one thing I can’t swear to. I won’t testify to anything except what 1 can swear to.
“Q. Did you get another order? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What, was the other order? A. Hard-a-port.
“Q. Now, before you got this order of hard-a-port had the vessel begun to swing at all on her hard-a-starboard course? A. No, sir.
“Q. She had not? A. No, sir.
“Q. Did you execute the hard-a-port order? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Did you complete that before you got'another order? A. Ilard-a-star-board; yes.
“Q. Had you completed a hard-a-port order? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. You got a hard-a-starboard again? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Had she begun to swing on her hard-a-port course? A. No, sir; I think the ship steadied up.
“Q, Steadied up? A. Yes, sir.
[766]*766“Q. Now, after this second hard-a-starboard order, what happened? A. After the second time?
“Q. Yes. A. After the second, as far as I can remember, it is quite a while ago, I think the captain told me to steady her up.
“Q. I mean with reference to the collision, how far did you get over on hard-a-starboard? A. About half way.
“Q. Then what happened? A. Then the crash came.
“Q. The crash came then? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. By that you mean the collision? A. Yes; the collision.
“Q. When you say the captain told you to steady her, when was that, with reference to the collision? A. I can't give you any definite time at all.
“Q. I am not asking for the time, but I am asking whether it was before or after the collision? A. That was after the collision, sir.
“Q. From your experience on board of the Sonoma, what would you say with reference to her being slow or quick to answer her helm? A. Well, gentlemen, the ship was slow to answer her wheel, but, when she starts to go. she goes quick.
“Q. That is, she is slow to start? A. She is slow to start, but, when she does go, she goes quick.
“Q. Now, upon these occasions, when you threw your helm to starboard, and to port and to starboard again, you say that she (had) not begun to answer her helm? A. No, sir.
“Q. How could you tell that? Where were you? A. My compass was right before me, sir.
“Q. That would show the moment that she started? A. The moment she started, sir.
“Q. How were these orders given, hard-a-starboard. and then hard-a-port and then hard-a-starboard again, whether quick, one right after the other, or some time between them? A. Well, it was quick, but still there was some delay, too, at the same time, from hard-a-port to hard-a-starboard and steady her. I want to explain to you, gentlemen, before you write it down.
“Q. Make your explanation, anything you have got to say go on and tell it. Whatever you have got, let us have it. A.

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Related

The Carroll
75 U.S. 302 (Supreme Court, 1869)

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Bluebook (online)
186 F. 764, 108 C.C.A. 634, 1911 U.S. App. LEXIS 4167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oceanic-s-s-co-v-simpson-lumber-co-ca9-1911.