The Ely

110 F. 563, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 8, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 110 F. 563 (The Ely) 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 Ely, 110 F. 563, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149 (S.D.N.Y. 1901).

Opinion

BROWN, District Judge.

The above libel, filed October 12, 1899, and the cross libel, filed February 1, 1900, grow out of a charter of the English steamship Ely for six months from time of delivery, to the above libelants Bowring & Archibald, made at New York on March x, 1898, and a subcharter by the latter to the New York Journal for one month, made May 31, 1898. On the evening of June 29, 1898, while in use as a press dispatch boat under the subcharter, the steamer was stranded on the south coast of Jamaica on a coral reef near Rocky Point and the voyages broken up. On the next day, the libelants, in ignorance of the loss, paid to the owners on account of [565]*565hire, in advance, the sum of $1,371.34, which the libel seeks to recover back, together with $1,120 for no tons of coal on board at the time of the loss, and other items, making in all $3,132.39.

The cross libel seeks to charge the charterers with the owner’s damages from the stranding of the steamer, to the amount of $64,784.70, in consequence of an alleged deviation from the charter party through the alleged unauthorized and unlawful employment of the vessel in a business outside the scope of the charter, by sending her with newspaper reporters as a dispatch boat to follow ships of war of the United States, then at war with Spain, to visit blockaded ports in Cuba, and to carry dispatches from the ships of war, animals and goods contraband of war, and to deliver supplies to the armed forces of the United States and also in Cuba.

The Ely is a steamer 200 feet long by 29J4 feet beam and 873 gross tons. The original charter was written upon a form headed “Fruit Time Charter,” and provided that the steamer was—

“To be employed in carrying lawful merchandise, including petroleum or its products in cases, and passengers so far as accommodations will allow (accommodations for six cabin passengers) between ports in Canada * * * and or South America not south of the river Plate; * * * the owners to pay for provisions and wages of officers and crew, for engine room and deck stores, and to provide victualing for passengers, * * * charterers paying therefor at the rate of four shilling's per day for each passenger * * * steerage or deck passengers at 35 cts. per day.
“The charterers to pay for all coal, port charges, &c. * * * and for the use of the vessel £580 sterling per month, in half monthly payments in advance; * * * if vessel lost, hire not earned to be returned.
“The owners on expiration of the charter to pay for all coal left in the bunkers at the market price of the port' where she is re-delivered to them.
“The captain shall prosecute the voyages with the utmost dispatch.”

, The steamer was delivered to the charterers for service at Kingston, Jamaica, on April 15, 1898. Under a subcharter for a single voyage, she took a cargo of sugar from Guantanamo to New York; next a cargo of coal from New York to Vera Cruz, and thence she went to Montego Bay, Jamaica, where she arrived on June 2, 1898. On May 31st she was subchartered to the New York Journal for one month at the rate of $200 per day,

“To be employed in carrying lawful merchandise (excluding all injurious and unlawful cargo) within the United States, West Indies and Central America. It is understood boat is to be used as a dispatch boat, and to follow the fleet of the U. S. navy as closely as prudent and safe.”

No copy of the charter was sent to Capt. Pearn, the master, or to the owner or its New York agent; but Bowring & Archibald telegraphed the following- instructions to the master:

“Ely chartered time charter New York Journal for newspaper dispatches; delivery arrival Jamaica. Telegraph arrival to Dana H. Carroll, Kingston. Follow his orders. Do utmost give reporters comfortable quarters. Spare no efforts getting news and satisfactory service generally. We have two ' English boats chartered other newspapers giving splendid satisfaction. Have assured Journal you likewise. If satisfactory your gratuity fifty pounds monthly. Show this- Carroll.”

Carroll, at that time in Jamaica, was a correspondent of the New York Sun, with which the Journal had an arrangement for the joint use of the E'ly. Capt. Pearn on June 2d telegraphed Carroll accord[566]*566ingly and was instructed by him to proceed to Anotta Bay, a port on the north coast of Jamaica opposite Kingston, but to clear for Key West, as other dispatch boats had previously done. At noon of June 3d the steamer reached'Anotta Bay, took Carroll on board, and by his directions proceeded, as the log states, “off Santiago de Cuba for war news.”

At 5:3o a. m. of June ’4th the Ely, according to the log,

“Arrived off Santiago amongst the war ships. Being a stranger several blank shots were fired at us. Noon, amongst the fleet cruising around — 6 p. m. off shore, (7 miles says the engineer’s log), .for the night and lying to.”

The American fleet was at that time blockading Santiago, and Guantanamo was in occupation of our military forces under Capt. McCalla, and used as a coaling station. On explanation of her business in collecting war news, the Ely had permission from Admiral Sampson and Capt. McCalla at both places to come and go as she liked. No Cuban telegraph offices being available, the Ely was obliged to go to other ports in order to cable the information she collected. To report her first dispatches, she returned to Kingston on June 6th, where Eangdon Smith, a reporter for the Journal, joined her. From that time Smith, rather than Carroll, was recognized as the representative of the charterers in directing the ship.

From June 3d until she stranded on June 29th, the Ely was diligently engaged in the collection of war news along the south coast of Cuba for the Sun and the Journal. Mr. Carroll remained on board of her until three or four days before she stranded. Her movements, he says, depended “altogether upon the information we succeeded in collecting and the" time necessary to reach a cable office.”

To forward dispatches she went three times only to Kingston, and two or three times to Mole St. Nicholas, Hayti. No news was allowed to be forwarded which it was important to withhold; nor was the Ely the bearer of any public dispatches, although for the accommodation of the officers or men of the fleet and of the hospital ship Olivette, she received and mailed private letters to their friends or families. '

Some other occasional acts, aside from her intended business were done as favors to the officers, or as a charity to the wounded in the hospital ship, such as bringing them bananas, limes and pineapples, as requested, which were obtained by the captain of the Ely and paid for by the officers. Once or twice he let them have a couple of barrels of potatoes from his own stock, and once sent ice to the hospital ship Olivette, specially for a wounded correspondent. On one occasion also Mr. Carroll reported to Capt. McCalla seeing persons not in uniform on shore west of Guantanamo raising and lowering a Cuban flag; and on Capt. McCalla’s request, the Ely took them some bags or cases of provisions from Capt. McCalla with an officer to identify them.

During all this time there were numerous other reporters and from six to eight other dispatch boats engaged in similar work at Siboney, and others elsewhere.

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Bluebook (online)
110 F. 563, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-ely-nysd-1901.