American-Hawaiian S. S. Co. v. Bruusgaard Kiosterud Dampskibs Aktieselskab

This is an appeal from an interlocutory decree entered in a maritime collision ease, dividing the damages and referring the matter to a master in chancery to fix the amount thereof.

The collision between the steamship Oregonian, owned by the appellant, and the motorship Handicap, owned by appellee, took place in the channel of the Willamette river from 200 to 300 feet below the lower end of Swan Island shortly be tore 8 o’clock in the morning on September 28, 1926, the weather being clear. At this point the river is about 450 foot wide. The channel between Swan Island and the east bank of the river is approximately 300 feet wide, and about three-eighths of a mile upstream from the point of the collision it makes an easterly bend of about 45 degrees. The two vessels sighted each other when the Handicap, proceeding downstream, was rounding this curve. They Were then about three-fourths of a mile apart and equidistant from the point of collision. The Oregonian immediately sounded one blast of her whistle, indicating a port-to-port passing, and by a like signal the Handicap assented. The Oregonian was well on her right-hand side of the channel, heading for the ranges on the lower end…