29 F. 541 | E.D.N.Y | 1886
These actions are brought to recover from the defendants the damage caused to the vessels of the libelants by running, upon the wreck of the canal-boat Eureka No. 5, a vessel which, while owned by the defendants, and through no fault of theirs, had been sunken in the harbor of New York, and thereupon abandoned by them. In view of the adjudged cases, (King v. Watts, 2 Esp. 675; White v. Crisp, 10 Exch. 312; Brown v. Mallett, 5 C. B. 599; Hancock v. York, N. C. & B. R. Co., 10 C. B. 348; Taylor v. Atlantic Mut. Ins. Co., 37 N. Y. 279; Winpenny v. Philadelphia, 65 Pa. St. 135; Philadelphia W. & B. R. Co. v. Philadelphia & H. de G. St. Tow-boat Co., 23 How. 209,) the only question that seems open for discussion in this case is whether the statute of the state of New York (Laws-1860, c. 522) created a duty upon the part of the defendants to remove the sunken canal-boat from the channel, which duty they failed to discharge, and thereby caused the injury of which libelant complains. Upon this question my opinion is with the defendants. The defendants did not obstruct or interrupt the navigation of the port, for the boat was not sunk by any fault or neglect of theirs. When, through no fault of theirs, their boat was sunk, and thereby rendered of no value, they had the right to abandon the possession and control of it. This right they had exercised, and in this way they had terminated their responsibility for the boat before the injury com
The libel must be dismissed, and with costs.