mn mum. 47
Tun Lan * ‘
Tmssmn and others ·u. Tum Lan and Cargo}
(Circuit Court, E'. D. Louisiamz. December 27, 1884.)
Sarvaen-Bands.
A barge broke loose in the harbor of New Orleans, and about 20 minutes
thereafter, being apparently derelict, while her owners were in search of her,
but not in sight, she was checked by some men in a. yawl, who took possession
of her and tied her up to the shore in safety. The owner of the barge shortly
afterwards came for her, and libelants claimed a reward for their services,
which was promised, and afterwards refused with opprobrious and insulting
language, whereupon libelants retained possession of the barge and cargo, and
brought their libel for salvage. The barge and carge were worth $1,900. Held,
that the services rendered by libelants were valuable, and they had an award of
$25 each.
Admiralty Appeal. _
R. King Cutler, for libelants.
E. W. Huntington, Horace L. Dufour, and A. C. Lewis, for claim·
ants.
Panonn, J. The libelants found the barge Lee, worth about $1,000,
with a cargo of cotton-seed, worth about $900, adrift, with no one on
board and apparently derelict, in the port of New Orleans. The wind
was high, danger signals were out, the current was strong, and the
· barge was drifting towards and near to several steam-boats moored
head on to shore, but lying with their sterns well out in the stream.
There was no owner or apparent searcher for the barge in sight. The
libelants, two of whom were out in a yawl, and one on shore, suc-
ceeded in getting a line aboard the barge, and with the help of others _
aboard the steam-boat Warren, with some difficulty and risk, checked
the barge, and, hauling her in, tied her up in safety, so that she did
no damage to herself nor to the other shipping near. When the owner,
after about 20 minutes, came for his barge the libelants claimed a re-
ward for their services, which was promised, but afterwards, when the
barge had been removed, although the libelants remained aboard, it
was refused, and (according to the weight of the evidence) refused
with opprobrious and insulting language, whereupon the libelants re~
tained possession of the barge and cargo and brought their libel for
salvage.
It seems that the barge Lee belonged to the steam-boat Alberto,
and shortly preceding its being found adrift was moored along-side of
the Alberto, near the Cromwell Line landing; that the steam-ship
New Orleans, of that line, in swinging out to start on her voyage,
collided with the barge, crowding it upon the Alberto, and endanger-
ing that boat by pushing her on the wharf to such an extent that the
master of the Alberto out the barge adrift and whistled for assist-
I Reported hy Joseph P. Horner, Esq., of the New Orleans bar. _