The Florence A.

SOPER, District Judge.

The facts in this case are relatively simple. There is, of course, the usual divergence of testimony found in such eases, originating, in part, from the conflicting interests of the parties, and in part from the inherent difficulty of estimating distances and speeds of moving vessels on the water. The outstanding fact is that a sailing vessel was run down by a steamer; and on that account one must examine with care the seamanship or navigation of the steamer, which is under the burden of keeping out of the way of the sailing vessel under the navigation rules. Indeed,…