Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co. v. Esso Shipping Co.

HOLMES, Circuit Judge.

This is a suit in admiralty, growing out of a collision on the Mississippi River between ascending and descending vessels, a tanker and a flotilla of barges propelled by a tug. The collision occurred in a bend of the river, and the trial judge found that the descending vessel, in spite of the danger, came on down the river without slackening its speed and, at or before the moment of collision, put its engines into full speed ahead, when it should have put them into reverse. From a holding that both vessels were at fault and that the damages should be divided, both sides…