I find that the vessel had been abandoned by the owners, and was at the mercy and control of the wind and waves when found by Murphy and White; but I do not find that the salvage service was very dangerous to the salvors. I allow out of the sum of $2,760 one-quarter part—$687.50—as salvage. Out of this sum I allow James Davidson $25 as salvor, and Frank Gilson $15, leaving a balance of $647.50 for the libellants. I have allowed the salvors a little more in this case than perhaps I should have done had the owners made more effort or shown more anxiety to have saved their vessel than they did. Tredick was the agent of the owners and manager of the Hontvet, yet he allowed her to drift to sea without attempting to stop her; he refused to go with Murphy to find and rescue her, and did not see her again till she was landed on the shore at Newcastle. Andersen, another owner, made his dory fast to her mast-head as she floated, and allowed her to tow him to the vicinity of Kitt's rock, and then he declined her further company and returned. Rider, another owner, on his way to the shoals next day, saw the vessel, and the men on board or about her, trying to save her, but lent no assistance.
I do not find that Murphy or his assistants were guilty of any malfeasance, or of doing any damage, for which their salvage service should be forfeited or diminished. It might have been possible that the Bateman could have towed the Hontvet into harbor with her masts in her, but it must have been an undertaking of considerable risk and much difficulty. It would, in my judgment, have been more prudent to have taken the masts out, even with the Bateman to tow her in. If the Batemen had offered, or had told Murphy that he could tow the vessel in as she was, instead of a quasi threat that he would dispossess him of the vessel which the owners had abandoned and which he had found at sea, there might have been some ground for the suggestion that he unnecessarily damaged the vessel, but I think there is very little now.
Decree for libellants, with costs.
