The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-09-22
Official Press Of King County
Saturday. Sept'r %, 1877
LIABILITY OF SHIP OWNERS

Som. Of thu. decisions in the Eastern
courts with reference 10 improper stow
ages OF cargo IL Geep-"ater ship, Are
worth noting Several years ago. -
ship arrived at New York from a
channel port in England, having about
1,4OO tons Of iron in her hold over Inch
Law sem. 900 toa, of chalk. the ship
encountered heavy Der 50 that the
chalk got wet aud the drainage dripprd
down upon the iron. The con.eqaeuc"
was that the iron would pot weld when
subjected to the requisite heat, and
shippers sued the vessel for damage
done by the chalk. The defendants
claimed tn It the dangers Of the sea had
caused the damage, but the conrt held
differently and awarded the full claim
Of plaintiff.
A more recent decision of similar
character has been rendered in New
York before Hon. X. NJ. Blatchford, in
Admiralty. The ship Niagara arrived
at New York from Liverpool III 1874,
with an assorted cargo. among which
were 900 sacksof salt and 80 kegs Of
arsenic. These articles were slowed
next to each other and several kegs OF
arsenic were broken open. Tho con-
tents Of the kegs got mixed with the
salt and the consignee sued for dam
ages, allcging that the salt had become
totally worthless by the mixture and
impregnation Of the salt with poison
The defendant sets up that the kegs
were broken open by stress of weather
aud that only u few sacks of the salt
were injured We suhjoin co densed
report of the more important details O!
the trial:
Careful analyses of the salt water
were made. and experts were called
upon to testify. The salt and arsenic
were alike white and undistinguishsble
by the eye. Two bags of salt were
tested. Ia one three and one halt grains
Of arsenic was the average to pound
Of salt In tho other bag arsenic was
found in salt taken from the center OF
the bag. Prof. Doremus said that the
salt ought to be uscd solely for purpo-
ses in which human life would not he
endangered Prof. Chandler. on the
other hand, expresses the opinion that
no harm could come from the use of the
salt examined by him. because no per-
SON would consume enough Of 1t to Ell
feet him.
Judge Blatchford held that the salt
was So iiEprrgnate1 with the arsenic
rs t. DO dangerous. and said; The
neglect of the master was q gross wrong
to the owner of tho vessel, the owners of
the salt, and the entire community.
who might very we'll, some of them.
have actually consumed some of the
salt. and som eof the arsenic with it,
but for tho prompt action of those re-
ceiving the salt from the vessel A de-
cree is ordered in favor of the libellants.
with costs, aud reference to ascertain
the amount Of damage"
This isa very important matter to
those engaged in freighting business.
although we never heard Of many suits
of this sort arising in Pacific waters
Tbs most important of these was u suit
against the steamer Idaho, owned at the
time by Bon. Holiday Her boilers
were defective and the escaping steam
filled the hold Of the vessel to such an
extent rs to cause drainage Oh cargo
of sugar slowed in the hold The Court
Judge Hoffman, gave Judgment for the
plaintiff. Of course.