The St. David

• Decision Date: 26 December 1913
• Docket Number: 2,135.
• Citation: 209 F. 985
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Washington
• Parties: THE ST. DAVID.

209 F. 985

THE ST. DAVID.

No. 2,135.

United States District Court, W.D. Washington, Northern Division.

December 26, 1913

James C. McKnight, of Seattle, Wash., for libelant.

Trefethen & Grinstead, of Seattle, Wash., for respondent and claimant.

CUSHMAN District Judge.

This matter is before the court upon exceptions to the amended libel; it being claimed, under the exceptions, that the cause of action is not one in admiralty, and that therefore the court is without jurisdiction. Further, it is claimed that the Washington Compensation Act for injured workmen has superseded any action that could be maintained in admiralty.

The libel is one in rem against the barge St. David, and in personam against the Coastwise Steamship & Barge Co Incorporated, a corporation claimant, owner of the said barge, and in personam against the Griffiths & Sprague Stevedoring Company, a corporation libelant's employer.

Libelant is a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seattle King county, Wash. The barge St. David is a vessel of the United States. The respondent corporations are both corporations of the state of Washington.

The libel further alleges that libelant was injured by falling through an open, unlighted, and unguarded hatchway, alleged to have been in that condition through the negligence of the vessel and the respondent corporations.

Libelant relies upon the following authorities: Benedict on Admiralty (4th Ed.) Secs. 16, 207, 132; 1 Cyc. 833; 1 Am. & Eng.Encyc. (2d Ed.) 663; Workman v. New York City et al., 179 U.S. 552, 21 Sup.Ct. 212, 45 L.Ed. 314; section 1184, Rem. & Bal. Code; section 1182, Rem. & Bal. Code; West v. Martin, 47 Wash. 417, 92 P. 334; Benedict on Admiralty, Secs. 127, 131, 128, 35; Thompson v. Fred E. Sanders, 208 F. 724, decided by Judge Neterer, October, 1913; Report of Atty. Gen. for 1911-12, at page 155.

The respondent and claimant rely upon the following authorities: De Lovio v. Boit, 7 Fed.Cas. 418; Hughes on Admiralty, p. 16; Campbell v. Hackfeld, 125 F. 696, 62 C.C.A. 279; Benedict on Admiralty (3d Ed.) Sec. 308; The Blackheath, 195 U.S. 361, 25 Sup.Ct. 46, 49 L.Ed. 236; Wharton on Conflict of Laws (3d Ed.) p. 1098; The Lamington (D.C.) 87 F. 752; Smith v. Condry, 1 How. 29, 11 L.Ed. 35; The Egyptian Monarch, 36 F. (D.C.) 773; Ill. Cent. R.R. Co. v. Ihlenberg, 75 F. 873, 21 C.C.A. 546, 34 L.R.A. 393; N.P.R.R. v. Babcock, 154 U.S. 190, 14 Sup.Ct. 978, 38 L.Ed. 958; Louisville & N.R. Co. v. Whitlow's Adm'r, 105 Dy. 1, 43 S.W. 711, 41 L.R.A. 614; Clark v. Russell, 38 C.C.A. 541, 97 F. 900; Texas & Pac. Ry. v. Cox, 145 U.S. 593, 12 Sup.Ct. 905, 36 L.Ed. 829; Bridger v. Railway Co., 27 S.C. 456, 3 S.E. 860, 13 Am.St.Rep. 653; Workman v. Mayor, 179 U.S. 552, 21 Sup.Ct. 212, 45 L.Ed. 314; O'Keefe v. Staples Coal Co. (D.C.) 201 F. 131; United States v. Port of Portland (D.C.) 147 F. 865; City of Boston v. Crowley (C.C.) 38 F. 202; Greenwood v. Town of Westport (D.C.) 60 F. 560; The Alaska, 130 U.S. 201, 9 Sup.Ct. 461, 32 L.Ed. 923; The Harrisburg, 119 U.S. 199, 7 Sup.Ct. 140, 30 L.Ed. 358; Rundell v. La Compagnie Co., 100 F. 655, 40 C.C.A. 625; Monongahela River, etc., Co. v. Schinnerer, 196 F. 375, 117 C.C.A. 193; The City of Norwalk (D.C.) 55 F. 98; Robinson v. D. & C. Nav. Co., 73 F. 883, 20 C.C.A. 86; Ex parte McNiel, 13 Wall. 236, 20 L.Ed. 624; Steamboat Co. v. Chace, 16 Wall. 522, 21 L.Ed. 369; The Garland (D.C.) 5 F. 924; The General Foy (D.C.) 175 F. 590; The Willamette (D.C.) 59 F. 797; The Corsair, 145 U.S. 335, 12 Sup.Ct. 949, 36 L.Ed. 727; The J. E. Rumbell, 148 U.S. 1, 13 Sup.Ct. 498, 37 L.Ed. 345; Sherlock v. Alling, 93 U.S. 99, 23 L.Ed. 819; Perry v. Haines, 191 U.S. 17, 24 Sup.Ct. 8, 48 L.Ed. 73; The Electron, 74 F. 689, 21 C.C.A. 12; Rodd v. Heartt, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) 558, 22 L.Ed. 654; The Glide, 167 U.S. 606, 17 Sup.Ct. 930, 42 L.Ed.

296; Crimmins v. Booth, 202 Mass. 17, 88 N.E. 449, 132 Am.St.Rep. 468; The Henry B. Smith (D.C.) 195 F. 312.

So far as libelant's employer, the Griffiths & Sprague Stevedoring Company, is concerned, this court, sitting as a court of admiralty, is without jurisdiction to determine the question of respondent's negligence, for its alleged tort is not of a maritime character. Campbell v. Hackfeld, 125 F. 696, 62 C.C.A. 274. This decision of the Court of Appeals of the Ninth Circuit has been criticised by the District Court of Maryland, in the case of Imbrovek v. Hamburg-American Packett Co., 190 F. 229, which decision was affirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals of the Fourth Circuit. 193 F. 1019, 113 C.C.A. 398. But has been cited with apparent approval by the District Court of Maine, in The James T. Furber, 129 F. 808, and The Mary F. Chisholm, 129 F. 814; and by the Supreme Court in The Blackheath, 195 U.S. 361, at page 367, 25 Sup.Ct. 46, 49 L.Ed. 236.

In The Clan Graham, 153 F. 977, the District Court of Oregon sustained a libel in rem against the offending vessel, joined with one in personam against a stevedoring company, for an injury to a longshoreman. In this case the court does not mention the case of Campbell v. Hackfeld.

It is apparent, from an examination of the decision, that the only question presented to the court in the case of The Clan Graham was that of the propriety of joining a cause in personam and one in rem, and that its attention was not directed to the question of whether negligence of the stevedoring company, resulting in injury to a longshoreman, was a maritime tort. The exceptions are therefore sustained as to the Griffiths & Sprague Stevedoring Company. They are overruled, so far as the barge and claimant thereto are concerned, upon the authority of The Sailing Schooner Fred E. Sanders, 208 F. 724, decided in October of this year by Judge Neterer, of this district.

It has been contended that the court, having jurisdiction of the cause against the barge...