Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 10.djvu/593

 THE SANDRINGHAM. 581 �western eoast of Ireland. She had been under continued stress of weather, was full of water, was out of provisions, and was driftiog fast towards the rocks. She was boarded, and the ship and cargo, though greatly damaged, saved. The demand of the libel was "for remuneration of salvage services," not for the extraordinary bounty given to voluntary salvors. The court said: �" Undoubtedly the parties may fairly claim a remuneration. Although the ship belongs to the state, and although there is an obligation upon king's ships to assist the merchant vessels of this country; yet, when services have been rendered, those who confer them are entitled to an adequate reward." �In this case there had been great loss ; there was far from a com- plete saving of property; it was saved by men whose duty it was to attempt the task ; and yet, although the salvors demanded and could only recover a fair remuneration for their services, the court awarded one-tenth. �In the case of The Amerique, 1 Am. Law & Eq. 17 ; S. C. L. E. 6 Priv. Co. App. 468, only 10 per cent, was given, although there was 110 loss of ship and cargo, the steam-ship Amerique having been found floating in the ocean abandoned by officers, orew, and passen- gers, and having been simply towed into port. It was a case of tech- nical derelict, but the other ingredients of a salvage service were wanting. The court gave but one-tenth, on the express ground that the services rendered were inconsiderable, and the demand out of all proportion to them. When enterprising mariners find a ship worth hundreds of thousands of dollars floating quietly on the ocean, it does not require the stimulant of a 25 or 50 per cent, bounty to inspire them to tow her into port. The court looked at the reason of the law, and not at the letter, in this case, and refused to "stick in the bark." �In the American case of the Steam-ship Swiftsure, 4 Fed. Eep. 463, the ship, mistaking the channel, went ashore on the sand beaeh north of Cape Charles at 9 a. m. of a clear day in May, 1880, on a smooth sea, and lay there until 2 o'clock waiting to be fioated off by a tide; her chief officers drunk. At that hour two very strong steam-tugs, which, in pursuing their regular business, had been look- ing for vessels coming in to be towed, came along-side, and on being asked to go to work, made fast two hawsers to the stern of the ship, and the two tugs, pulling together, and aided by the powerful pro- peller of the ship, soon got her afloat and out to sea, when they let ��� �