UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISIONS ON-LINE

THE BRIDGEPORT, 81 U. S. 116 (1871)

81 U. S. 116

U.S. Supreme Court

The Bridgeport, 81 U.S. 14 Wall. 116 116 (1871)

The Bridgeport

81 U.S. (14 Wall.) 116

Syllabus

1. A steamer navigating the East River opposite Corlaer's Hook, New York, by night, condemned in a collision case for injury done by her to a ship lying in a recess in the Hook, two hundred feet and more outside of the open channel, and three hundred or four hundred feet from the ordinary track of steamers, it being held to be no excuse for the collision that the steamer was rounding the Hook and going into her dock about three-quarters of a mile below, that her officers could not see in consequence of a fog which suddenly rolled up, and that they supposed they were far enough off the shore and far enough advanced to change their course for rounding the Hook.

2. Where a boat is fastened to the shore and out of the proper path of vessels navigating a port, she is not bound, in the absence of harbor regulations requiring it, to keep a light on deck.

On a September night of 1865, the ship Margaret Evans, having a night watchman on board but no light on deck, lay at a wharf at Corlaer's Hook, on the East River side of New York. She was not lying at the front of the wharf in the open stream, but at the end or return thereof, in a rectangular recess, as if she were inside of a pier, the wharf projecting some thirty or forty feet beyond her into the river, and a large sloop of war lying outside of that. She was thus more than two hundred feet outside of the open channel and three hundred or four hundred feet from the ordinary track of steamers passing along the East River in their usual course. clubjuris

Page 81 U. S. 117

The river, which is about a mile broad here, makes nearly a right angle. Vessels from Long Island Sound come down on a southerly course to this point, and having rounded the Hook they then pursue a westerly and southwesterly course to gain the lower part of the city.

On the night referred to, the steamer Bridgeport was coming down the Sound, on her regular trip from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the City of New York, bound for her berth at Peck slip, which is about three-quarters of a mile below Corlaer's Hook. She arrived off the Houston Street ferry, in the East River, half a mile above Corlaer's Hook, about three o'clock in the morning. The night was sufficiently clear for the persons in charge of the steamer to see their location and to maintain their usual speed up to this point. But here they struck a fog bank, which, as they entered it, shut out the view of the shore. They could discern the nearest lights and hear the bells at the ferry slips. The steam was shut down and the vessel proceeded slowly on her course. The tide being flood and pretty strong, she had to work against it; but this gave her sufficient steerageway without necessitating much absolute speed. The vessel was making three or four miles an hour. When she passed the Grand Street ferry, only three or four hundred feet above Corlaer's Hook, the ferry lights on the New York side were observed, and the bell was distinctly heard. Neither lights nor the bells on the Williamsburg (or Long Island) side were noticed. The vessel was thus shown to be nearer to the New York than to the other shore, and must of course have been hugging the New York shore closely for so dark a night in so crowded a place. When they saw the lights of the Grand Street ferry, the wheelsman commenced turning for the purpose of rounding the point. "We judged ourselves," he testified, "well enough off to make our way; pretty close in, but far enough to clear her." Unfortunately, they shaved the point a little too closely. In less than two minutes after passing the ferry lights, and about a minute and a half after the wheelsman began to hold up for a change of course, the bow of the steamer struck the Margaret clubjuris

Page 81 U. S. 118

Evans on her starboard side, just abaft the forerigging, severely injuring her. Her owners accordingly libeled the Bridgeport for damages. The district court held that there was negligence on the part of the master,

1. In not knowing the proper time and place when and where to round the point.

2. In commencing to turn when opposite Grand Street ferry, which he should not have done until she had passed some two hundred and sixty feet below the ferry, and

3. In drawing in too close to the New York shore.

The decree in the district court was accordingly for the libellants, a decree which the circuit court affirmed. The case was now here for review.


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