The morning call., 1894-09-18
The OCeanic'S Owners Had
to Compromise.
DAMAGES IN A DISASTER.
Recall the CheSter-OCeanic Col
lisiOn.
PAY FOR LIVES THAT WERELOST
A Big Check Is Handed the ATTORNEYS
in Settlement of Six Trouble
some Suits.

Compensation for the loss of lives in the
collision between the City of Chester and
the Oceanic was slow in coming The
frightful disaster occurred in the bay of
San Francisco on August %, 1888, and six
years have passed since then, while the
ship companies fought against making
amends for the criminal negligence of
their officers. AS each year cams and
went hope grew weaker with the suffer
ers, and finally it was abandoned. But,
when least expected, some recompense
was given them, for last week The COM
pany handed Sullivan & Sullivan, attOr-
neys for the claimants, a check for $26, 900
to cOmpr omise the claims.
The result was all the more welcome in
view of the fact that the claimants cases
we're refused by several attorneys as hope
less, and some of the best opinions were
given against the faintest possibility OF
ever dollar being paid to the relatives of
tn ose unfortunates who were drowned.
The disaster is sill fresh in the popular
mind. Ii Will be remembered that the
Chester was leaving port for a voyage VI
the coast with a full list of passengers
aboard. There was fog over the water,
and when she moved into the current off
the Preside shore she collded with the
Oceanic coming in from China. So great
was the force of the vessels when crashing
into each other fourteen feet of the
Oceanic's bow pierced the Chester. Seven
minutes elapsed after the terrific crash
when the City of Chester broke in two
and sank. Sixteen lives were lost. The
officers were charged with being negi-
gent
Suits to recover damages were COM
menced four years ago. AS an act of
Congress. known as the "Act of 1851"
limits ship-owners' liabilities beyond tle
loss of the vessel, no recourse could be had
against the City of Chester. or her owners,
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company. So
the action at law was directed against the
Occidental and Oriental Steamship Com
pany and the Union Pacific and Southern
Pacific companies, joint owners of the
Oceanic.
The plaintiffs were: Evaline V. Buck
ley, for the loss of her son ChaTl-s f.
Davis, who was drowned; Anna M. Allen.
for the death of her son Alvin NJ. Pratt,
also drowned; Caroline Hopkins, for peg-
sonal injuries sustained; William L. Aea
and Archie H. Heaney. for the loss 0
Anna C. Heaney. their mother; Malvna
Brewer, mother of Josie Brewer. an iu-
FAINT, drowned; the minor children of
Columbus Davis, for his loss.
These cases were hawked around, but
were refused many a time by attorneys.
When the statute of limitations was about
t. expire they were taken by Sullivan &
Sullivan, who brought six suits at one
time. The first to come up for trial was
tbor of tha
Davis last January, in which the Jury
brought in verdict for $4,000 damages.
At the trial Captain Jerome on the iury
was charged with having foreswOrn to de-
eide the case against the children IN favor
of the defendants, even before he heard a
word Of the testimony. However, on a
second ballot Jerome went with the ma
jority. A motion for new trial was made
on the ground that Jerome had been in
undated. Finally Judge Morrow de-
cided the case of Mrs. Eliza A. Smith and
children against the Occidental and Orien-
tai Steamship Company, and the other
cases before him as commended by the
plaintiffs in the Davis case.
The company grew tired of fighting and
at last concluded to get rid of the trouble
some suits by compromise. Last Wednes-
day the company handed Judge Sullivan
check for $4,000 in payment of his
claims, as follows: $4,000 payment of the
Davis judgment, $4,000 com romise for
Hesney. $4,000 for Buckley, $4,000 for Allen.
$4,000 for the Brewer infant and $1,000 for
Caroline Hopkins. who was injured.
The cases we're considered hopeless on
account of the officers of the Oceanic being
exonerated by the COroner's jury, the pilot
commission and the inspectors of hulls
and boilers, and Captain Metcalte was be-
yond the courts jurisdiction, as he CON-
manded an English vessel