The Americana
The Americana
Opinion of the Court
On November 30, 1914, the Pacific Shipping Company, as owner of the schooner Americana, filed in this court its petition for limitation of liability accruing to any one upon a voyage of said Americana begun at the port of San Francisco on January 26, 1913. The petition avers that on that date the Americana left San Francisco, bound on a voyage therefrom to Sydney, Australia, via Knappton, Wash., and to return to San Francisco' via one or more ports as the master might direct; that she proceeded to Knappton, and thereafter continued on her voyage to Sydney, and was lost at sea, with all hands on board, between the ports of Knappton and Sydney;
After the filing of this petition, and on September 23, 1915, petitioner made a transfer, to a trustee appointed by this court, of “all and singular the interest of- said petitioner in said vessel Americana, her tackle, apparel, and furniture, and in the freight of said vessel for the voyage on which the said vessel was lost,” as provided for in section 4285, R. S. (Comp. St. 1913, § 8023), and admiralty rule 54 (29 Sup. Ct. xiv).
Louis Buttner now applies to the court for an order directing the appraisement of the Americana as she was upon her arrival at Knapp-ton, and requiring petitioner to give a stipulation herein for the amount of such appraisement, on the grounds that the voyage from San Francisco was not to Sydney, but to Knappton; that he did not ship for a voyage to Sydney, but only for the voyage to Knappton; and that the voyage upon which he shipped ended at Knappton, and as he was injured before reaching Knappton, the liability of petitioner as to him can be limited only to the value of the Americana upon her arrival at Knappton. This motion is supported by his verified answer, by his own affidavit, and by the affidavit of W. R. Reith, to the effect that the crew of the Americana, including Buttner, signed shipping articles at San Francisco in the cabin of the vessel before the master, the-voyage described in said articles being from San Francisco- to- Knapp-ton, and that there was nothing therein about Sydnéy; that all the-crew left the vessel at' Knappton, and an entire new crew, including the master and officers, was shipped at Knappton. A certificate of the shipping commissioner at San Francisco- shows that according to-the records of his office the crew of the Americana arriving at San. Francisco from Newcastle, Australia, was paid off before him on January 6, 1913, and there is no record of said vessel having shipped another crew before him during the month of January, 1913. No coun-tershowing was made by petitioner.
The petitioner is entitled to have its liability limited only upon the-condition that it transfer its interest in the vessel, or give a stipulation, under rule 54, for the value of its interest in the vessel, and her freight for the voyage. This means the voyage upon which the liability ac~
The petition will therefore be granted, and an appraisement ordered of the value of the Americana as she was when she reached Knapp-ton, and a stipulation for such value will be required of petitioner, and until such stipulation shall have been filed the restraining order made by this court on September 23, 1915, is hereby suspended.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE AMERICANA
- Status
- Published