Bjolstad

This is an action in the admiralty, brought by the administrator of the estate of Halfdan Hansen, deceased, who, in November, 1913, while a seaman on the steamer President, was drowned in the high seas, through the negligence, as is averred, of the owners and operators of the vessel. The action seeks to recover damages for the death of deceased in behalf of his widow and minor children. At the time of the accident the President was owned by the Pacific Coast Company, a New Jersey corporation. Her home port was New York, but she was under charter to, and operated by, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, a California corporation, and was under temporary register at San Francisco. She was engaged in the coastwise trade between San Francisco and other ports on this coast. Hansen was employed: by the California corporation, the charterer and operator of the vessel, and had no contractual or other relation with the New Jersey corporation, her owner. Under the general maritime law, of course, the action cannot be maintained, as no right of action exists under that law for damages for the death of a decedent. The laws of California and New Jersey, however, do authorize- such an action in…