The Cyclone

16 F. 486, 1883 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 4, 1883
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 16 F. 486 (The Cyclone) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The Cyclone, 16 F. 486, 1883 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62 (S.D.N.Y. 1883).

Opinion

Bbown, J.

The libels in the above two cases were filed by the owners of the steam-tugs Levy and Purcell to recover compensation for salvage services rendered to the bark Cyclone and her cargo, consisting of-barrels of naphtha, in rescuing them from a fire which occurred at Pratt’s oil docks, near Bushwick creek, Brooklyn, on Sunday evening, August 8, 1880. The fire broke out about 9 p. m. on board the bark Nietau, which was moored in the slip on the north side of the wharf. The Cyclone was moored at the end of the wharf, her stem heading down the stream, and her stern extending northward beyond the pier. The spanker boom of the Nietau projected over the port quarter of the Cyclone, between her main and mizzen rigging, and the latter soon caught fire near the stern. The captain called for assistance to some small steamers that were passing at a distance, but, not being able to obtain help, jumped ashore, cast off her lines so that the Cyclone might swing off and away from the blazing boat near her, and ran towards the pier above for assistance. The tide was flood, and as the boat swung off the crew left her. The tide set her stern somewhat into the slip, and at the same time carried her bows around until they struck and became entangled in the piles near the end of the Manhattan railroad pier next above. At this time the steam-tug Levy had backed up to the bows of the Cyclone, and some of her own men, with others from the pier who had jumped aboard, fastened her hawser to the Levy, with which the latter attempted to pull the Cyclone away from, the pier and out into the stream for the purpose of extinguishing the fire. The hawser breaking, another from the Levy was attached, with which she was in a few moments hauled out some distance into the stream. While endeavoring to effect this removal the Levy had her bows across the tide, and was held in position by another tug, the Joe, which pushed against her bows to prevent her swinging upwards with the tide. After getting put into the stream h short distance the anchor of the Cyclone was let go; but not having sufficient chain she was not held fast, and drifted slowly upward. Meantime the Levy, having a powerful engine, with hose designed to extinguish fires, was playing upon her. When in the stream the Levy remained alongside the Cyclone; her hose was taken on board the latter, and the Levy’s crew, with those who had come aboard from the wharf, used their best endeavors in extinguishing the fire. Shortly after they had got out into the stream, the steam-tug Purcell, which also had powerful appliances for extinguishing fire, came along-side, and joined her efforts with those of the Levy. For some period, more or less, after [488]*488the" Purcell arrived, the nozzle of the Levy’s hose was split; but it was temporarily repaired, and she continued playing upon the fire as before. The fire was finally extinguished at about 1 o’clock at night. The cabin had been burned out, the bulk-head charred, and some holes had to be cut into the deck for the purpose of getting at the fire. The value of the vessel as saved was appraised at $6,500, and that of the naphtha, which was in barrels in the lower hold, at $7,553. The latter was uninjured. It was about a quarter past 9 o’clock when the Levy' took hold. An extinguisher, belonging to the fire department, arrived at the scene of the fire a little after 10. The Nictau was entirely consumed. Some other vessels- also caught fire. A number of fire engines came upon the adjacent wharves, but under circumstances in which they would have been unable to render any assistance to the Cyclone.

That the services rendered by the Levy and the Purcell were in the nature of salvage is not contested. The questions submitted to the court upon the evidence relate only to the compensation to be awarded. Several recent cases of fire among shipping have been referred to, having some analogy to the present. The Jonathan Chase, 2 Fed. Rep. 268; The Suliote, 5 Fed. Rep. 99; The B. C. Terry, 9 Fed. Rep. 920; The Rialto, 15 Fed. Rep. 124.

There are two circumstances in thp present case which are well-recognized grounds for enhancing salvage reward: First, the extremity of the danger of the Cyclone, and the necessity of immediate relief; and, second, the personal hazard which attended the service, owing to the inflammable and explosive character of the cargo in her hold, and its exposed condition, the hatches being all open. At the time when the Levy first arrived, the fire was already well under way astern, and but for the timely assistance of- the Levy and the Purcell, there is no reason to suppose she would have escaped entire loss. It was nearly an hour afterwards before the Havemeyer arrived, and no other valuable help is shown to have, been at hand at that time. The danger of fire reaching the hold, or of such heat as might cause an explosion in the naphtha there, is also an important consideration. There had already been one violent explosion from the fire either on the Nictau or one of the other vessels; and the danger on board the Cyclone from this source was one which might well make persons reluctant to remain on board, or so near her as was necessary to extinguish the fire. Her hatches being open, there was the further danger of (fire being carried into the hold from the falling pieces of blazing material, some of which burned the bottom [489]*489of the boats. The open hatches also exposed the men, in the hurry and confusion of the night, to danger. One, John Graham, while holding the hose, foil through and went down into the hold, causing nim considerable injury, for which he was treated some weeks after-wards at the hospital. Another went over the hatchway and was only saved by clinging to the coamings.

In the case of The Suliote, supra, Mr. Justice Bbadley says that “salvage is the reward granted for saving the property of the unfortunate, and should not exceed what is necessary to insure the most prompt, energetic, and daring effort of those who have it in their power to furnish aid and succor. Anything beyond that would be foreign to the principles and purposes of salvage; anything short of it would not secure its objects. The courts should be liberal, but not extravagant; otherwise that which is intended as an encourgement to rescue properly from destruction, may become a temptation to subject it to peril.” In that case the value of the ship and cargo saved from the fire amounted to §247,000, for which, nearly $20,000, being 8 per cent, of the whole sum, was allowed to the salvors.

In The B. C. Terry, supra, the sum of $1,600 was awarded upon property saved amounting to $9,700; and in the case of The Rialto the value of the cargo saved was $378,000, and the sum of $2,500, was awarded. In the last case the services were comparatively slight; in the former there were no elements of danger or hazard, and other relief was at hand. In the present case the services were not only much longer, but the exigency of the Cyclone and the danger of those on board of her were much greater.

In the case of The Tees, 1 Lush. 505, Dr. LushingtoN awarded the salvors ¿61,00’0, upon a, value of .-£12,350, or a little less than 8 por cent.; and on the Pentucket, rescued from the same fire, he allowed .£300 upon a value of 11900, or 33J per cent.

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Bluebook (online)
16 F. 486, 1883 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-cyclone-nysd-1883.