The Skipton Castle

Action for damages to cargo. The British steamer Skipton Castle, bound to- San Pedro and San Francisco, loaded at Antwerp in December, 1910, with a quantity of bottled mineral water, willow baskets, and general cargo. When the ship arrived at the ports of discharge in February, 1911, a great many of the bottles were found in broken condition and the baskets had rotted. Shipment was under bills of lading stipulating that the ship- should not be liable for loss or damage occasioned, among other things, by .“sweating, leakage, breakage, wastage, decay, or the indirect causes thereof, * * * the negligence, default, or error in judgment of the master, mariners, * * * or other persons employed on or about the ship.” The libel charged that the damages were inflicted while the cargo was in the possession of the ship, by water and breakage and leakage of the bottles because of bad stowage and unseaworthiness. The answer admitted that there had been some damage, but alleged that whatever damage was done was within the exceptions of the before-mentioned bills of lading, exempting a ship from liability for loss or damage by breakage, wastage, decay, sweating, and other like causes. The…