Gonsalyes v. Morse Dry Dock Repair Co

Decision Date17 November 1924
Docket NumberNo. 3,3
PartiesGONSALYES v. MORSE DRY DOCK & REPAIR CO
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

Messrs. Joseph Larocque and Robert Stewart, both of New York City, for appellant.

Mr. Charles J. McDermott, of New York City, for appellee.

Mr. Justice McREYNOLDS delivered the opinion of the Court.

Proceeding in admiralty appellant sought to recover damages for personal injuries received while he was employed by respondent and engaged in repairing the steamer Starmount. Upon motion the trial court dismissed the libel, holding that it had no jurisdiction of the cause.

The libel alleges that respondent had charge of the work of repairing the shell plates of the steamer, then resting in a floating dock at Twenty-Seventh street, Brooklyn; that while employed by respondent and working on board appellant suffered injuries through the explosion of a blau torch which the employer negligently permitted to be out of repair. The prayer was for monition according to the course and practice in admiralty and for damages.

Since the decree below (June 14, 1921) we have decided Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. v. Kierejewski, 261 U. S. 479, 43 S. Ct. 418, 67 L. Ed. 756. The opinion there controls this cause unless the injuries sustained by appellant were not the result of tort, committed and effective, on navigable waters. In The R. W. Parsons, 191 U. S. 17, 33, 24 S. Ct. 8, 48 L. Ed. 73, this court held that repairs to a vessel while in an ordinary dry dock were not made on land. The Jefferson, 215 U. S. 130, 30 S. Ct. 54, 54 L. Ed. 125, 17 Ann. Cas. 907. Here repairs were made upon the ship while supported by a structure floating on navigable waters. Clearly, the accident did not occur upon land. The doctrine followed in Cope v. Vallette Dry Dock Company, 119 U. S. 625, 627, 7 S. Ct. 336, 337 (30 L. Ed. 501) that 'no structure that is not a ship or vessel is a subject of salvage,' has no application. That admiralty jurisdiction in tort matters depends upon locality is settled.

The judgment below must be reversed.

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  • Randolph v. Willis
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of California
    • June 28, 1963
    ... ... be denied, without consideration of the merits Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. v. Huffman, 319 U.S. 293, 301-302, 63 S.Ct. 1070, 87 L.Ed. 1407 ... ...
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    ...406, 74 S.Ct. 202; Caldarola v. Eckert, 1947, 332 U.S. 155, 157, 67 S.Ct. 1569, 91 L.Ed. 1968; Gonsalves v. Morse Dry Dock & Repair Co., 1924, 266 U.S. 171, 172, 45 S.Ct. 39, 69 L.Ed. 228; Atlantic Transport Co. of West Virginia v. Imbrovek, 1914, 234 U.S. 52, 60-62, 34 S.Ct. 733, 58 L.Ed. ......
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    ...Dredge & Dry Dock Co. v. Kierejewski, 261 U.S. 479, 43 S.Ct. 418, 67 L.Ed. 756, 1923 AMC 441; Gonsalves v. Morse Dry Dock & Repair Co., 226 U.S. 171, 45 S.Ct. 39, 69 L.Ed. 228, 1924 AMC 1539; Messel v. Foundation Co., 274 U.S. 427, 47 S.Ct. 695, 71 L.Ed. 1135, 1927 AMC 1047; Ellis v. Gulf O......
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    ...also the actionable negligence here alleged is a maritime tort, having occurred in navigable waters. Gonsalves v. Morse Dry Dock & Repair Co., 1924, 266 U.S. 171, 45 S.Ct. 39, 69 L.Ed. 228; Atlantic Transport Co. of West Virginia v. Imbrovek, 1914, 234 U.S. 52, 34 S.Ct. 733, 58 L.Ed. 1208; ......
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