A Sailor's Crushed Hand and the Ship That Had to Answer for It
A seaman's right hand was crushed aboard the bark Cambridge at Port Blakely. He sued in Seattle for unpaid wages and $5,000 in damages, dragging the vessel into federal court.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In the District Court for the Third Judicial District of Washington Territory, holding terms at Seattle. Robert Johnston vs. Bark Cambridge and A. McIntyre — In Admiralty. A libel has been filed by Robert Johnston, libellant, against the American bark or vessel called the Cambridge, her tackle, apparel and furniture, alleging that on the 12th day of June, 1876, at Port Blakely, Kitsap county, Washington Territory, A. McIntyre, master of said vessel, did ship and hire the libellant to serve as able seaman on board said vessel for the period of six months at $55 per month; that on August 12, 1876, libellant became seriously injured whereby his right hand was crushed and wholly and permanently injured, whereby libellant was wholly and permanently disabled and entirely incapacitated from ever again following his avocation as a seaman; which injury was caused by the gross and wanton negligence and carelessness of the said A. McIntyre, then master of said vessel; that no part of his said wages have been paid except $70, and libellant claims $140 for balance of his wages and also the sum of $5,000 damages for said injury.
“wholly and permanently disabled and entirely incapacitated from ever again following his avocation as a seaman”
In 1877, a sailor whose hand was crushed on the job had to sue the vessel itself — the ancient admiralty remedy — to recover $140 in unpaid wages and $5,000 in damages. Maritime work remains among the most dangerous in Washington state, and the fight over who pays when a worker is maimed still plays out in the same Seattle courts.
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