Horace Gray

“ If a new force or power has intervened, of itself sufficient to stand as the cause of the misfortune, the other must be considered as too remote. In the present case, we think there is no such new cause. The explosion undoubtedly produced or set in operation the fire which burned the plaintiff's cotton. ”

“ In this view of it, we have no hesitation to say that a loss by fire caused by the barratry of the master or crew is not a loss within the policy. Such a loss is properly a loss attributable to the barratry, as its proximate cuase, as it concurs as the efficient agent, with the element, eo instanti, when the injury is produced. ”

“ Justice Strong in delivering judgment in a case to be presently referred to more particularly, 'it was, in effect, ruled that the efficient cause, the one that set others in motion, is the cause to which the loss is to be attributed, though the other causes may follow it and operate more immediately in producing the disaster.' Insurance Co. ”

“ Within ten or fifteen minutes after the collision the water reached the floor of her furnace, and generated steam which blew the fire against her woodwork, whereby her upper works were enveloped in flames, and continued to burn for half or three-quarters of an hour, when she rolled over and gradually sank in twenty fathoms of water. ”

“ The damage was not owing to any violent action of winds or waves, or to the ship coming against a rock or shoal or other external object; but it was owing to an explosion within the ship, and arising out of the nature of the cargo, which cannot be considered, either in common understanding, or according to the judicial precedents, as a peril of the sea.
As was observed by this court in Insurance Co. v. Boon, above cited: 'Often, in case of a fire, much of the destruction is caused by water applied in efforts to extinguish the flames ”