Nathan Clifford, The John L. Hasbrouck — Opinion of the Court
“ Ships and vessels engaged in commerce ought to observe the rules of navigation in all cases where they apply; and it is safe to affirm that they always apply when there is impending risk of collision, except in special cases, where their observance would tend to promote what they were ordained to prevent, or where special circumstances render a departure from them indispensably necessary to avoid immediate danger. ”
Nathan Clifford, The John L. Hasbrouck — Opinion of the Court
“ Beyond doubt, a steamer must keep out of the way of a sailing-ship, where the two are properly sailing in such directions as to involve risk of collision; but neither that regulation, nor any other sea law, will justify a sailing-ship in unnecessarily leaving her pathway for the purpose of taking a course directly into the pathway of a steamer in order to compel the steamer to abandon the pathway in which she is properly navigating and seek another usually navigated by sailing-vessels, or incur the peril of an immediate collision. ”
Nathan Clifford, The John L. Hasbrouck — Opinion of the Court
“ Rules of navigation are ordained, and required to be observed, to save life and property employed in marine pursuits, and not to promote collisions, or to justify the wrong-doer where such a disaster has occurred. ”
