The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-04-27
It isn't often in this lite that the or

1t isn't often in this lite that the OPP
portunity to achieve great personal dis
tinction is more Unexpectedly thrust
upon a man than in the case of Capt.
Hamilton Murrell commander of the
good ship Missouri, who rescued from
imminent death at sea over seven hun
dred passengers on the i'll fated steamer
Danmark, and whose arrival at Phila-
delphia on Monday was received with
50 royal welcome. The ovation ten
dered the brave captain was just tri-
butte not only to his humanity but to
his extraordinary ability as a seaman,
tor certainly nothing short of the most
consummate skill and perfect discipline
as a commander could have transferred
so large number of passengers from
sinking vessel to his own, surrounded
by all the dangers of tempestuous
ocean, without the loss OF single life.
1t is not surprising that the brave sailor
felt pardonable pride at the work done
by his worthy comrades of the Missouri,
and that on their arrival at Philadelphia
every craft on the water, from the boats
of the fishermen to the stately river
steamer should have We'd to do them
honor But Capt. Murrell to save the
lives OF the passengers by the Danmark,
was compelled to throw overheard at
sea portion of the cargo of his own
vessel. The Philadelphia Ledger which
has looked up the record states that:
"There is but one parallel instance that
we can recall-that of laundering
emigrant vessel encountered at sea by
the fruit barque Fredonia, some 20 odd
years ago. The case was tried in
Massachusetts court-reported in ID
Allen soo-Dabney VS.. New England
Insurance Company. As already men
toned, the Fredonia met on the high
seas ship with about 800 emigrants,
and almost laundering. The Fredonia
had full cargo of fruit, and could not
take the passengers on board with safety
without making room for them by
throwing over part of the cargo. So
much OF the cargo as it was necessary
to sacrifice was ''jettisoned." The ques
ton then came up was the owner en-
titled to contribution" -compensation
from the insurance companies-for his
cargo thrown over. Ii was decided
that the "underwrlters," or insurance
companies, could not be made to pay
because the immediate motive and
cause for the jettison" were not to save
the fruit on the veSSeL insured, but to
make foom for and receive on board
the passengers and crew of another
vesSeL, that other vessel being in imml-
nent danger of laundering at sea with
all on board. Compensation or ICON
tribution" to the owner of the cargo
thrown overheard under those circum-
stances was, therefore, denied by the
court-the cargo was sacrificed in order
to render aid and succor to another
ship.
n These were hard lines that the law
laid down in that instance; and such
we infer the law to remain-unless, in
deed, this new and still more striking
instance shall induce the Admiralty
Courts to consider the law from new
point of view. We do not understand
that any urgent litigation is likely to
grow out OF this steamer Missouri loss,
caused by her rescue of the Danmark's
passengers. All interested seem in
cllned to take broad, humane and
liberal view of the case. Certainly, the
Missouri's captain and company having
done very handsome and noble act,
their owners are not likely to cheaper
it by undue eXaction or litigation. But
that is their private act, and, in view of
the fact that almost precisely similar
events have happened twice at sea in
but little over twenty years, the law
of salvage" and general average"
under such circumstances should be
reconsldered and settled on a more
equitable basis than that found by the
Massachusetts Court in the Fredonia
case. The International Maritime
Congress, soon to be held, should take
up this interesting and important SUBJ
ject.
There is one other matter to be con-
sidered. When Captain Murrell de-
cided to throw cargo overheard from
his own ship to save imperllled lives on
another ship, and to change the whole
course of his voyage, he took heavy
responsibility on his hands, for however
much faith he may have had that his
owners would stand by him, the re-
sponsibility was still his, and his alone,
at the time. That is to be kept in mind
TO his high credit and honor.