Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-12-01
The Wrecking System of Florida.

Nuge' py Judge Marvin, from whose de-
cision there is no appeal except to the L.
5. Supreme Court he furnishes much val.
liable matter for underwriters. lie S ~
that prior to 1921, when Florida belonged
TO Spain, wreckers from the the Bahama
Islands constantly cruised along the Flori-
da reefs, and saved large amounts of ship.
wrecked property, which they carried to
Nassau. In 1921, the country was trans
Ito the United States by Spain, and,
soon after that event, q few houses were
built, and a3mall settlement of Americans
was made by John w. Simonton, Pardon
G. Greene, and Others, on the island called
by the eSpaniards Cayo lIueso Bone Island,
and by the Americans Key West. In 1929
Congress established aport ofentry at this
place. The settlers built wharves and store.
houses, and were very soon in a condition
to receive and store goods, and repair and
refit vessels of moderate size. In 1852,
Congress prohibited the carrying of wreck
! W. S'ONo l'ull'l Oll tIIc Quasi Ol any lot
eign place, and required all such goods to
some port of entry in the United States
! This broke up the business of the bahama
wreckers, and Key West, became the CEN
trail point for the businessof wreckiug
on the coast. In 1893, Congress cstab-
lshed a Court at Key West. vested with
admiralty jurisdiction. The Judge was
empowered to license wrecking ycs,cs.-
This Court was abolished by the admission
of Florida into the Union in 1915, and a
District Court of the United States was cs-
tablisbed in its place in lS41. The Judge
is authorized, as in the act of 1928, to IL
cense wreckingyessels. The actreads, no
vessel nor master thereof, shall be regular
ly employed in the business Of wrecking
on the coast of Florida, without the IL
cense of the Judge of said Court and be-
fore licensing any vessel or master, the
Judge shall be satisfied that the vessel is
sea-worthy, and properly and sufficiently
fitted and equipped for business of saving
property shipwrecked and in distress, and
| that the master thereof is trustworthy ano
innocent of any fraud or misconductin re-
lation toany property shipwrccked or say
ed on that c. asst" 1t has been heiu by the
Judge, that embezzlement OF wrecked
goods, voluntarily yrunninga vessel aground
under the pretence of piloling her, oolu
/ ding with the master OF IL vessel wIechco
OF in distress, or corruptinS him by any
unlawful presene or promise, are, scyerally
good causes for Withholding or rcvokrl
! the license The act does not apply to
trading or transient vessels, but only t.
vessels engaged III wrecking as a business
Iorty.seven vessels, averaging fifty tons
each, and carrying about eigut men cUch
have licenses at the present time, (iSjS.J
This number is fully adequate to all the
wants of commerce, and encouragement
ought not to begiven toany increase. Some
of the Sc vessels, fully one half, associate
fishing for the Havana market, with wreck
ing. Licensed wreckers are required, 10y
a rule oiCourt, to institute Judicial pro-
ceedings for salvage against all property
found by the derelict or abandoned, at sea
or on the const.
Judge Marvin objects to the Commits
sion allowed or recommended by the
Chamber of Commerce of New York, in
case of re-shipment of wrecked or damag-
ed cargoes. He considers the charge of
p per cent. as a kind of premium on
hand and that it leads to losses, besides
being precedent for other ports,