Smith v. Davis

187 F. 40, 109 C.C.A. 94, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5208
CourtCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit
DecidedDecember 28, 1910
DocketNos. 858, 859
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 187 F. 40 (Smith v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the First Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Davis, 187 F. 40, 109 C.C.A. 94, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5208 (1st Cir. 1910).

Opinions

PUTNAM, Circuit Judge.

This is a case of collision, occurring at about half past 1 o’clock on the morning of March 22, 1906, between the schooner Eejok and the schooner Gov. Ames. There were cross-libels. The Eejok was three-masted, loaded with lumber, on a voyage from Brunswick, Ga., to New York City. Her libel alleges that she was approaching Sandy Hook, was steering northwest, with the wind “about S. S. W.,” that she was sailing free on the port tack, and proceeding at a rate of about five knots. It also alleges that her lookout saw and reported the green light of the Gov. Ames on her port bow, and that her master was at the wheel, and that he was of the opinion that the Gov. Ames had the right of way, and he changed his course to port until the green light of the Gov. Ames was seen to open up on the starboard bow of the Eejok, when he steadied his vessel so that the two would pass green to green. It also says the weather was clear and starlight. It maintains that the Gov. Ames suddenly changed her course, shutting out her green light and showing her red light a little on the starboard bow of the Eejok; that thereupon the master of the Eejok immediately put his wheel hard up to avoid a collision, if possible, and the Eejok swung to starboard. Nevertheless, it says the time and distance were too short, and the two vessels came together nearly head on. The Eejok still claims that the Gov. Ames was on her starboard tack, running at a high rate of speed, and that it was her duty to hold her course.

The answer of the Gov. Ames denies that she had the right of way. It proceeds that she was a five-masted schooner, and was bound on a voyage from Newport News, Va., to Boston, Mass., with a heavy cargo of coal; that the wind was S. W. by S. and strong; that she was sailing on a course N. E. y2 E., and running about 10 knots; that the wind was about iy2 points on her starboard quarter; that, while thus proceeding, her lookout saw the red sidelight of the Eejok about. 1 y> or 2 points on the starboard bow and from one-half of a mile to-a mile distant; that the Eejok was being overtaken by the Gov. Ames; that, as the Gov. Ames had the wind aft, and also as she was the overtaking vessel, her mate ordered her helm put hard to port, and she at once began to luff; that the Lejok luffed also, so that she showed both her sidelights to the Gov. Ames; that the Gov. Ames continued to luff, but the Eejok also continued to luff, so that the two vessels came into collision.

The cross-libel of the Gov. Ames and the answer of the Eejok thereto left the case substantially the same as the pleadings on the Lejok’s libel, so that they need not be restated.

Aside from the above, the facts are detailed fully in the opinion of [42]*42the learned judge of the District Court, so that there need not be any further general statement in reference thereto. It will be seen that the Dejok claims that she was sailing free on the port tack, so that she was bound to keep out of the way of the Gov. Ames; while the Gov. Ames claims that she had the wind aft, so that she was bound to keep out of the way of the Dejok. The Dejok, of course, claims that the Gov. Ames was on her starboard tack.

The case turns on articles 17, 21, 22, 24, and 27 of the International Rules of July, 1897 (26 Stat. 326, 327 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, pp. 2869-2871]), as follows:

“Art. 17. When two sailing vessels are approaching one another, so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other, as follows, namely:
• “(a) A vessel which is running free shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled.
“(b) A vessel which is close-hauled on the port tack shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled on the starboard tack.
“(e) When both are running free, with the wind on different sides, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other.
“(d) When both are running free, with the wind on the same side, the vessel which is to the windward shall keep out of the way of the vessel which 'is to leeward.
“(e) A vessel which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way of the other •vessel.”
“Art. 21. Where, by any of these rules, one of two vessels is to keep out of the way the other shall keep her course and speed.
“Art. 22. .Every vessel which is directed by these rules to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other.”
“Art. 24. Notwithstanding anything contained in these, rules every vessel, overtaking any other, shall keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel.
“Every vessel coming up with another vessel from any direction more than two points abaft her beam, that is, in such a position, with reference to the vessel which she is overtaking, that at night she would be unable to see either of that vessel’s side lights, shall be deemed to be an overtaking vessel; and no subsequent alteration of the bearing between the two vessels shall make the overtaking vessel a crossing vessel within the meaning of these rules, or relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtaken vessel until she is finally past and clear.”
“Art. 27. In obeying and construing these rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision, and to any special circumstances which may render a departure from the above rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.”

We do not regard the Gov. Ames as the overtaking vessel within any reasonable construction of article 24, and therefore drop that proposition from further consideration.

With reference to article 27, there is much in the case to suggest very strongly that, under the circumstances, both vessels should have regarded it. Apparently there was no occasion for the collision. There is much to suggest that, with regard to the application of article 17, there was a misapprehension on the part of both vessels as to the position and course of the other, and also to suggest that each vessel should have understood that there was a liability to such misunderstanding, and should have proceeded accordingly with a caution which would have avoided a collision, and therefore that both vessels [43]*43were at fault; or that, according to The Theodore H. Rand, 12 App. Cas. (1887) 217, 251, each might have been excusable to a certain extent. But the case has not been submitted to us from those standpoints, and we are not able safely to adjudicate it in the light of these suggestions, nor is it our duty to do so. Neither lias it been pointed out to us that article 27 has any application here in any other respect.

The learned judge of the District Court found that the Gov. Ames had the wind on her starboard quarter within three points from directly aft, and that she therefore had the “wind aft” in accordance with paragraph “e” of article 17. He was careful to use the word “within.” With the wind as fixed by the Uejok, the maximum was 2J/2 points, and as fixed by the Gov. Ames iy¿ points. Therefore the learned judge stated a very considerable margin. We are safe to leave it 21/2 points.

The Theodore H.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Howard Farmer v. Arabian American Oil Company
324 F.2d 359 (Second Circuit, 1963)
Mount Vernon Co. v. Rowe Transfer & Storage Co.
36 F.R.D. 263 (E.D. Tennessee, 1962)
Commerce Oil Refining Corp. v. Miner
198 F. Supp. 895 (D. Rhode Island, 1961)
Bank of America v. Loew's International Corporation
163 F. Supp. 924 (S.D. New York, 1958)
Kroger Grocery & Baking Co. v. Martin
97 F.2d 348 (Sixth Circuit, 1938)
Williams v. Sawyer Bros.
51 F.2d 1004 (Second Circuit, 1931)
Crowe v. Peaslee-Gaulbert Co.
37 F.2d 216 (First Circuit, 1930)
Sutton v. Pacific S. S. Co.
3 F.2d 75 (W.D. Washington, 1924)
Newton v. Consolidated Gas Co. of NY
265 U.S. 78 (Supreme Court, 1924)
Kirby v. United States
273 F. 391 (Ninth Circuit, 1921)
The Walter Adams
271 F. 358 (D. Rhode Island, 1921)
Stokely v. Mather
270 F. 592 (D. Massachusetts, 1921)
Parkerson v. Borst
256 F. 827 (Fifth Circuit, 1919)
The Vera
229 F. 557 (First Circuit, 1916)
The Texas
226 F. 897 (Third Circuit, 1915)
The Brand
224 F. 391 (Third Circuit, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 F. 40, 109 C.C.A. 94, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-davis-ca1-1910.