A Rescue at Sea: The Wellington Libeled for $15,000
A historic salvage claim surfaces as the captain of the San Pedro sues for payment after a dramatic ocean rescue.
Captain C. H. Hewitt of the steamer San Pedro has libeled the steamer Wellington for $15,000. The San Pedro picked up the Wellington on March 3, 1891, when she was in distress at sea and towed her into Victoria after she had been dropped by the steamer Marie. The libel sets forth that if it had not been for the San Pedro, the Wellington would have been a total loss, and that she is valued at $137,000.
“The libel sets forth that if it had not been for the San Pedro the Wellington would have been a total loss.”
Maritime law and salvage rights remain a complex, high-stakes corner of Seattle's modern waterfront industry. While the tall ships are largely gone, the legal battles over vessel recovery and financial liability still echo the same territorial and commercial anxieties seen in 1892.
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