Cary-Davis Tug & Barge Co. v. United States

On the 15th of August, 1922, the President McKinley was moored in the West Waterway at Seattle, with her port side to the dock and her bow headed southerly. Appellant was employed to furnish a tug to assist the vessel in leaving her berth and backing into the waters of. Elliott Bay. The McKinley was a large vessel, 534 feet long, with a beam of 72 feet. A steam schooner was moored about 25 feet astern of the McKinley on the same side of the Waterway. The navigable channel at this point is about 525 feet wide.

Appellant furnished the tug Oregon, which passed its line to the starboard bits at the stern of the McKinley. The latter vessel was under steam. The tug assisted the McKinley in leaving her berth and backing into the channel. The vessel was then lying athwart the channel. For the' purpose of straightening out the McKinley, the tug steamed under a tight hawser to the port side of the steamer. Appellee contends that 'the tug took a position too far forward. The hawser jammed on the tug’s towing machine, the machine ceased to function, and the tug was “in irons.” The tug was drawn against the McKinley, hitting the vessel a glancing blow. The collision did some small damage to…