Indian Towing Co., Inc. v. United States

Brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Sec. 1346(b) Title 28 U.S.C., the suit was for cargo damage from the wetting of the cargo of the Barge AS-16, while in tow of the tug “Navajo”, as a result of the grounding of the tug on Chandeleur Island on or about October 1, 1951, “due solely to the failure of the light on the island.”

The claim was that the failure of the light was due to the negligence of Chief Petty Officer Stone and other officers and members of the Coast Guard in charge of “aids to navigation” in failing to properly check the light to see whether it was operating properly…