The Explorer

20 F. 135, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2164
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Louisiana
DecidedApril 11, 1884
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 20 F. 135 (The Explorer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The Explorer, 20 F. 135, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2164 (circtedla 1884).

Opinion

Pardee, J.

On February 8,1882, tbe libelant, Thomas McGrath, while descending the main hatchway of tbe steam-ship Explorer, had his left arm caught in the wheels of a revolving steam-winch, break[136]*136ing tbe bones and tearing off the muscle, resulting in great suffering and in permanently disabling the arm. At the time the steam-ship Explorer lay in the Mississippi river, her bow up the stream, at her wharf in the city of New Orleans, taking on cargo for Liverpool. Mc-Grath was employed as one of a gang of serewmen under the direction of a stevedore engaged in storing cargo in the ship. His duties were in that part of the hold under and reached by the main hatchway. There was near to and forward of the main hatchway a steam-hoisting winch used for taking on and lowering the cargo down the said main hatchway. The barrel or winding shaft of this winch extended in a direction across or athwart the ship, and the gear-wheels at right angles with the barrel or winding shaft revolved fore and aft. From the middle of the forward coaming or frame-work around the hatchway, a ladder extended down, into the hold, used by those employed on the ship to reach the hold. The winch was in use taking on cargo, and its gear-wheels revolving, and this use was constant except at short intermissions; the winch was put in motion or stopped by the man stationed at the .lever or crank, who stood in the rear of the wheels, facing aft, and on notification to that man the movement of the winch and wheels could be stopped or stayed while any one was in the act of passing between the coaming of the hatchway and the winch and down the ladder to go below. It was during one of these intermissions of working the winch that McGrath started from the port or outer side of the ship to go to this ladder and descend into the hold. He gave no signal, directly or through any one, to the man at the winch not to put it in motion. The man in charge of the winch being ignorant of McGrath’s purpose to go below, the winch was put in motion while he was proceeding to or had reached this ladder, and his left arm was caught or drawn between the revolving wheels of the winch and thereby seriously injured as aforesaid.

The winch and the wheels were near to the coaming around the main hatchway, how near the evidence is uncertain, but there was a space between the wheels and other parts of the winch and the frame or coaming of the hatchway, and in that space it was practicable, with care and precaution, for one to pass in safety to the ladder and go below, although the winch might be in motion. The weight of evidence is that the winch was not nearer the main hatchway than is usual on steam-ships. Although housing or covering of the cogwheels of the winch was provided, and on board of the ship, no housing or covering was on or over the winch, as is usual and necessary when in use; but after ■ the accident, by direction of the master of the ship, the covering was put on. It does not appear that the stevedore or any of his men knew, that housing was provided, or where it was stowed aboard ship. McGrath had no occasion of duty or employment to be on deck; his duty was in the main hold. There was a safer, though a more roundabout way of reaching the main [137]*137hold, than the ladder down the main hatchway. This was by the forward hatchway, which, (although in use for hoisting cargo,) by reason of the distance between decks, required no ladder. McGrath knew, when he accepted employment on the ship, of the location of the winch and of the proximity of the wheels to the main hatchway, and of the danger in using the ladder to go below while using the steam-winch. He also knew, or ought to have known, when he started down the ladder that in the business of hoisting in cargo the winch, though stopped for the moment, was liable to bo started at any moment. McGrath’s injuries were such as to confine him in the hospital under care of the surgeon 40 days, and his arm is loft permanently crippled, unfitting him from pursuing his occupation as a scrowman, although in other and lighter occupations he will be able to earn a living. Forty dollars entrance fee to the hospital was paid. As a screwman, during the season McGrath earned seven dollars per day.

From this statement -of the facts, shown by the evidence, it seems clear that there was fault in not having the housing over the machinery of the winch. Such housing is usual, was provided by the ship, and all the witnesses agree that if it had been on, the injury to McGrath would not have happened.

Some effort is made to throw the responsibility for failure to have the housing on, from the ship and its officers, to the stevedore and his foreman. It is urged that the ship had provided the housing and had it aboard, ready for use, that the loading was turned over to the stevedore and his men, over whom the officers of the ship had no control ; that they had the machinery of the ship to use, and did use it in their own way, and if they used it carelessly, and through negligence injured one of themelves, the ship ought not to be held responsible. Perhaps if this were all true, the ship could escape responsibility, but it does not appear that the stevedore bad the entire control of the machinery and of tho loading of the ship, nor that the housing was furnished, or its presence on the ship known, to him or his men. Besides, the ship furnished the machinery and should have furnished it complete, and while the owners may not have been in fault, as the housing was provided and aboard the ship, their servant, the master, was in fault in not producing it and seeing that it was used. The alacrity with which it was produced and used after the accident shows what was the original duty of the master. It seems to be clear from the evidence that the libelant contributed by big negligence, want of care and precaution, to bring about the accident which resulted in his injury. Neither his duty nor his employment called him on deck. According to several witnesses, if he had been where his employment required, he would not have been injured. He knew the danger in attempting to go down the.hatchway when the winch was in motion; lie knew that, if not at the time ac-[138]*138tuálly in motion, it.was only stopped temporarily, and was subject to be started at any moment, and he failed to give any notice or warning to the person in charge of the winch, of his purpose to go down the hatch and ladder, when, as appears by the evidence, the giving of such notice was usual and customary. If, as ordinary prudence required, he had given the notice, no accident would have occurred. As both the ship and libelant were in fault, the case made is one of contributory negligence. At the common-law, the inj ured party whose negligence has directly contributed to the injury cannot recover damages. See Sedg. Dam. (6th Ed.) p. 573, side page 468 et seq.; Moak, Und. Torts, rule 27, p. 289 et seq., and the cases there cited; and see Railroad Co. v. Houston, 95 U. S. 697. The same principle was held in the civil law. Inst. lib. 4, iii, 7.

In Louisiana the supreme court by Justice Manning says: “The doctrine of contributory negligence is now imbedded in our jurisprudence, and is recognized and applied in all the states and by the national courts.” Murray v. R. Co. 31 La. Ann. 490, and any number of Louisiana authorities might be cited in support.

But it is claimed that a different rule prevails in the admiralty. In cases of collision of vessels it is well settled. See The Catherine, 17 How.

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Bluebook (online)
20 F. 135, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-explorer-circtedla-1884.