A & R Marine Salvage, Inc. v. McAllister Lighterage Line, Inc.

COFFIN, Chief Judge.

This appeal presents the question whether a federal court has the power to issue an injunction on behalf of a maritime claimant under either 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (diversity) or 28 U.S.C. § 1333 (admiralty). Although the question presented is a narrow legal one, the factual background is critical to an understanding of the issues presented. In May, 1976, A & R Marine Salvage Company (A & R), a Massachusetts corporation, discovered that the DEEP BARGE No. 285 (Barge) had apparently been abandoned at sea and was in danger of sinking. It thereupon commenced operations to salvage…