Court Opinion

ID: 8629314
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-11-24 19:35:07.184458+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:55:42.833918
License: Public Domain

BENEDICT, District Judge.
This is an action to recover the value of six millstones, part of a shipment made in Havre, upon the bark Amelia, to be delivered to the libellant in New York. Of a number of stones shipped, two never came to the possession of the libellants; and of those which were received, four were broken. As to the two missing stones, the ship must be hold liable, there being no satisfactory evidence of their delivery in New York. They may have been landed from the vessel, but the delivery of the cargo was conducted in a very loose and unsatisfactory way, and the persons who conducted it appear to have little knowledge as to what disposition was afterwards made of the cargo. They know nothing of the missing stones. It was incumbent upon the ship, at least, to be able to show that the missing stones were discharged upon the wharf and placed with the others in that part of the wharf selected for the deposit of the libellant’s goods. The testimony furnishes no evidence as to how many of the libellant’s stones were landed, nor how many stones 'were set apart for the libellant upon the wharf, but does disclose that the two missing stones were never receipted for or taken by the carman, and never came into the actual possession of the libel-lant. The ship is, therefore, liable for their value.
As to the broken stones, the case is dift'er-ent. The stowage of the ship is proved to have been good, and there is no evidence of any negligence on the part of the ship in the stowing of the stones or in the landing of them upon the wharf. The bill of lading contains an exemption of liability for breakage; and, upon the proofs, the ship is not liable, upon such a bill of lading, for breakage not shown to have arisen from negligence.