Stokes v. The Henry Buck
Stokes v. The Henry Buck
Opinion of the Court
The libel in this case sought damages consequent upon negligent performance of a contract of towage of a raft of lumber. After a review of the testimony the court in a former decree held as follows: “This was negligence for which the tug is responsible. As to the amount for which it is responsible, counsel will be heard on this point, especially as to the liability of the respondent for the demurrage paid to Mr. Halsey by libelant under his contract with him.” Counsel have been heard on these points.
It is necessary to recall the facts. The tug Henry Buck was engaged by Halsey, as agent of libelant, to go after a raft of lumber on its way from Edisto river to Charleston. The tug found the raft, towed it on its way, and left it after night-fall in Wappoo cut. The raft was not made ■fast, and drifted through the cut into Ashley river, thence down Charleston harbor, and was wrecked on Sullivan’s island, at the mouth of the .harbor. The tug made no effort to rescue it or any part of it. Libelant ■did. He saved 190,000 feet out of 220,000. He caused that which was salved to be brought to Charleston, and delivered to Halsey. He had a contract with Halsey to deliver to him the whole raft. Halsey was then loading a schooner with lumber, and relied on the fulfillment of this contract. In consequence of the delay Halsey was charged with •demurrage, which he charged to libelant, who paid it. The latter seeks to recover from the tug the value of the lumber lost, the expenses incurred in saving that which was rescued, and the demurrage so paid by him. The tug engaged to go for the raft on Saturday night, went on Monday morning, met the raft the same day, lost it on Monday night, •could have gotten it to Halsey on Tuesday morning. Libelant went .after it that morning, worked on it that day, Wednesday, Thursday, and part of Friday. It reached Halsey on Friday afternoon. The items are as follows: Labor of his hands, $110; extra labor, $40; labor in making up the-raft anew, $25; time of libelant himself, 6 days, at $10, $60; a tug for towing remains of raft to Charleston, $30; ropes, $60; 30,000 feet of lumber, at $8, $240; demurrage, seven days, at $30, $210. The raft having gotten adrift by the negligence of respondent, he was responsible for its value at the Charleston market. This was, as we have seen, $8 per M. But it was the duty of libelant to use all proper efforts in reducing the loss as much as practicable. He fulfilled this duty, and saved all but 30,000 feet. This was a great saving to respondent. He should pay not only for the lumber lost, but also all proper expense incurred in saving the remainder. Examining these items, the amount charged for labor seems very large,—$110, $40, $25, $175, for four days. No serious question is made of these items by respondent. They are allowed. Thé charge of $10 per day for services of libelant is not unreasonable. He is engaged in large saw-mill business in Colleton. But there is
“Where the contract is to do or to refrain from doing some particular thing, here the rule of the civil law is perhaps the best that can be adopted,—that the party in default shall be held liable for all losses that may fairly lie considered as having been in the contemplation of the parties at the time the agreement was entered into; or, in other words, where it appears, or may fairly be inferred, that the party complaining of the non-performance of a contract has, at the time it was entered into, turned the mind of the party whose conduct is complained of to the consequences likely to ensue from default on his part, and such consequences do ensue, he shall ho held responsible for them as having stipulated against them. ”
See, also, Bowas v. Tow-line, 2 Sawy. 30; Hadley v. Baxendale, 9 Exch. 353; Suth. Dam. 74. Lord Cockburn, C. J., in Simpson v. Railway Co., L. R. 1 Q. B. Div. 274, puts it thus:
“The principal is now settled that, whenever either the object of the sender is specially brought to the notice of the carrier, or circumstances are known to the carrier from which the object ought in reason to be inferred, so that the object may be taken to have been within the contemplation of both parties, damages maybe recovered for the natural consequences of the failure of that object. ”
See, also, Elbinger v. Armstrong, L. R. 9 Q. B. 473. The question turns, therefore, on a question of fact. Was it brought to the notice of the tug master that the object in sending him for the raft was to save
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Henry Buck. Stokes v. The Henry Buck
- Status
- Published