The Hatch Left Open: How a Passenger's Injury Put a Steamship Under Arrest

On Friday last, immediately on the arrival at this port of the steamer City of Panama, she was taken possession of by United States Marshal Hopkins on a libel issued by the District Court in favor of Mrs. Mary Phelps and John S. Phelps, for damages sustained by the former in January last on board the steamer. A bond was soon prepared, and our citizens responded liberally in behalf of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company; within a short time one hundred thousand dollars was offered, more than sufficient to obtain her release. The attorney for the libellants objected to the form of the bond, however, and the U.S. marshal took the steamer to Seattle to submit it to Judge Lewis. Not meeting the judge there, a bond was given by several Seattle citizens to the marshal to protect him, and the steamer was released, leaving here at 5 o'clock Sunday morning for Nanaimo, B.C.

Our readers will remember the accident which is the ground of this action. It occurred at Seattle and was described in our columns at the time. It was the result of carelessness on the part of some employees on board the steamer, who, while Mrs. Phelps was temporarily in her stateroom, removed a hatch from the cabin floor below her door in the evening, leaving no guard over it. When Mrs. Phelps re-entered the cabin she fell into the open trap and through two decks into the hold. The bones of one of her arms were splintered into numerous fragments, some of them protruding through the flesh, and still severer internal injuries were sustained by her. She is yet a sufferer and, we are informed, will always be an invalid by reason of the accident; it is impossible that she should ever recover the use of her arm.

It is due to the steamship company's agent, Mr. Tibbals, to say that the immediate and hearty response of our citizens in behalf of the company was in great measure justly due to the popularity of the company and the earnest exertions of its agent.