United States v. Charlie Smith, Administrator of the Estate of Jefferson Smith, Deceased

RIVES, Circuit Judge.

This action by the administrator for the benefit of the parents and dependents of Jeff Smith, deceased, was brought under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C.A. § 688, as well as under the admiralty law for unseaworthiness. 1

A day or two before September 5,1946, the S. S. Albert G. Brown had docked at the Standard Oil docks, a finger pier, at Norfolk, Virginia. For ingress and egress the vessel was using an upright wooden, runged ladder, like a carpenter’s or painter’s ladder. This was lashed at the upper end to the ship’s rail with a small line, made of hemp. The lower end rested on…