COLUMBUS-AMERICA DIS. GP. v. ATLANTIC MUT. INS.

Nos. 94-1105, 94-1106 and 94-1200.

56 F.3d 556 (1995)

COLUMBUS-AMERICA DISCOVERY GROUP; Jack F. Grimm; Joanne Lampe Charlton, Personal Representative of the Estate of Harry G. John, Plaintiffs-Appellees, and Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, Plaintiff, v. ATLANTIC MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY; Insurance Company of North America; Salvage Association; London Assurance; Alliance Assurance Company, Limited; Royal Exchange Assurance; Indemnity Marine Assurance Company, Limited; Marine Insurance Company, Limited; Superintendent of Insurance of the State of New York, Claimants-Appellants, and The Unidentified Wrecked and Abandoned Sailing Vessel, its engines, tackle, apparel, appurtenances, cargo, etc., located within a box defined by the following coordinates: Northern Boundary — 31 degrees 37 minutes North Latitude; Southern Boundary — 31 degrees 33 minutes North Latitude; Western Boundary — 77 degrees 2 minutes West Longitude; Eastern Boundary — 76 degrees 57 minutes West Longitude, (believed to be the S.S. Central America), in rem, Defendant, Cigna Group, Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited; Commercial Union Insurance Company; William H. McGee & Company, Incorporated; Royal Insurance; Royal Insurance Company, Limited; Royal Insurance Company of America; Chubb & Son, Incorporated; Sun Alliance Group; Underwriters at Lloyd's; Greof America Corporation; Guardian Royal Exchange; Indemnity Mutual Marine Assurance Company; Sun Insurance Company of New York; Sun Insurance Office, Limited; Great Western Insurance Company; Sun Mutual Insurance Company; Union Mutual Insurance Company; Oriental Mutual Insurance Company; Commercial Mutual Insurance Company; Mercantile Mutual Insurance Company; New York Mutual Insurance Company; Pacific Mutual Insurance Company; Indemnity Marine; London Associated Corporation; Royal Associated Corporation; Royal Marine; Indemnity Mutual; Royal Exchange & London Offices; Union Bank of London; Commonwealth Fire Insurance Company; Dennis Standefer; The R/V Liberty Star, her master, officers, crew and all persons aboard; Board of Trustees of Columbia University; Lamont-Doherty Geological Institute; S.S. George Law Partnership; Boston Salvage Consultants, Incorporated, Claimants. American Institute of Marine Underwriters; The Board of Underwriters of New York; The Explorers Club; The National Maritime Historical Society; The National Association of Academies of Science, Amici Curiae. COLUMBUS-AMERICA DISCOVERY GROUP, Plaintiff-Appellant, and Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York; Jack F. Grimm; Joanne Lampe Charlton, Personal Representative of the Estate of Harry G. John, Plaintiffs, v. ATLANTIC MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY; Insurance Company of North America; Salvage Association; London Assurance; Alliance Assurance Company, Limited; Royal Exchange Assurance; Indemnity Marine Assurance Company, Limited; Marine Insurance Company, Limited; Superintendent of Insurance of the State of New York, Claimants-Appellees, and The Unidentified Wrecked and Abandoned Sailing Vessel, its engines, tackle, apparel, appurtenances, cargo, etc., located within a box defined by the following coordinates: Northern Boundary — 31 degrees 37 minutes North Latitude; Southern Boundary — 31 degrees 33 minutes North Latitude; Western Boundary — 77 degrees 2 minutes West Longitude; Eastern Boundary — 76 degrees 57 minutes West Longitude, (believed to be the S.S. Central America), in rem, Defendant, Cigna Group, Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited; Commercial Union Insurance Company; William H. McGee & Company, Incorporated; Royal Insurance; Royal Insurance Company, Limited; Royal Insurance Company of America; Chubb & Son, Incorporated; Sun Alliance Group; Underwriters at Lloyd's; Greof America Corporation; Guardian Royal Exchange; Indemnity Mutual Marine Assurance Company; Sun Insurance Company of New York; Sun Insurance Office, Limited; Great Western Insurance Company; Sun Mutual Insurance Company; Union Mutual Insurance Company; Oriental Mutual Insurance Company; Commercial Mutual Insurance Company; Mercantile Mutual Insurance Company; New York Mutual Insurance Company; Pacific Mutual Insurance Company; Indemnity Marine; London Associated Corporation; Royal Associated Corporation; Royal Marine; Indemnity Mutual; Royal Exchange & London Offices; Union Bank of London; Commonwealth Fire Insurance Company; Dennis Standefer; The R/V Liberty Star, her master, officers, crew and all persons aboard; Board of Trustees of Columbia University; Lamont-Doherty Geological Institute; S.S. George Law Partnership; Boston Salvage Consultants, Incorporated, Claimants. American Institute of Marine Underwriters; The Board of Underwriters of New York; The Explorers Club; The National Maritime Historical Society; The National Association of Academies of Science, Amici Curiae. Jack F. GRIMM; Joanne Lampe Charlton, Personal Representative of the Estate of Harry G. John, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. COLUMBUS-AMERICA DISCOVERY GROUP, Plaintiff-Appellee, and Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, Plaintiff, v. The UNIDENTIFIED WRECKED AND ABANDONED SAILING VESSEL, its engines, tackle, apparel, appurtenances, cargo, etc., located within a box defined by the following coordinates: Northern Boundary — 31 degrees 37 minutes North Latitude; Southern Boundary — 31 degrees 33 minutes North Latitude; Western Boundary — 77 degrees 2 minutes West Longitude; Eastern Boundary — 76 degrees 57 minutes West Longitude, (believed to be the S.S. Central America), in rem, Defendant, Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company; Insurance Company of North America; Salvage Association; London Assurance; Alliance Assurance Company, Limited; Royal Exchange Assurance; Indemnity Marine Assurance Company, Limited; Marine Insurance Company, Limited; Superintendent of Insurance of The State of New York; Cigna Group, Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited; Commercial Union Insurance Company; William H. McGee & Company, Incorporated; Royal Insurance; Royal Insurance Company, Limited; Royal Insurance Company of America; Chubb & Son, Incorporated; Sun Alliance Group; Underwriters at Lloyd's; Greof America Corporation; Guardian Royal Exchange; Indemnity Mutual Marine Assurance Company; Sun Insurance Company of New York; Sun Insurance Office, Limited; Great Western Insurance Company; Sun Mutual Insurance Company; Union Mutual Insurance Company; Oriental Mutual Insurance Company; Commercial Mutual Insurance Company; Mercantile Mutual Insurance Company; New York Mutual Insurance Company; Pacific Mutual Insurance Company; Indemnity Marine; London Associated Corporation; Royal Associated Corporation; Royal Marine; Indemnity Mutual; Royal Exchange & London Offices; Union Bank of London; Commonwealth Fire Insurance Company; Dennis Standefer; The R/V Liberty Star, her master, officers, crew and all persons aboard; Board of Trustees of Columbia University; Lamont-Doherty Geological Institute; S.S. George Law Partnership; Boston Salvage Consultants, Incorporated, Claimants. American Institute of Marine Underwriters; The Board of Underwriters of New York; The Explorers Club; The National Maritime Historical Society; The National Association of Academies of Science, Amici Curiae.

United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.

Decided June 14, 1995.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

ARGUED: Guilford D. Ware, Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, P.L.C., Norfolk, VA; George R. Daly, Marilyn Lee Lytle, Bigham, Englar, Jones & Houston, New York City; John H. Reilly, Jr., Dickerson & Reilly, New York City, for appellants. Robert Ward Trafford, Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, Columbus, OH; Richard T. Robol, Columbus-America Discovery Group, Columbus, OH, for appellees. ON BRIEF: James L. Chapman, IV, Martha M. Poindexter, Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, P.L.C., Norfolk, VA; Douglas A. Jacobsen, Bigham, Englar, Jones & Houston, New York City, for appellants. William J. Kelly, Jr., James D. Curphey, David R. Cohen, Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, Columbus, OH; Jane E. Rindsberg, Columbus-America Discovery Group, Columbus, OH; R. Hewitt Pate, Hunton & Williams, Richmond, VA; David N. Ventker, Timothy M. Richardson, Huff, Poole & Mahoney, P.C., Virginia Beach, VA, for appellees. Allan S. Reynolds, Reynolds, Smith & Winters, Norfolk, VA, for amici curiae American Institute of Marine Underwriters, et al. Steven T. Catlett, Jeffrey S. Sutton, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Columbus, OH; Barbara Hoffman, Schwartz, Weiss, Steckler & Hoffman, New York City, for amicus curiae Explorers Club. Alan Garrick Choate, Baltimore, MD; Alison Little, Pepper Pike, OH, for amici curiae Maritime Historical Soc., et al.

Before RUSSELL, WIDENER, and HALL, Circuit Judges.


Affirmed and remanded by published opinion. Judge HALL wrote the opinion, in which Judge RUSSELL and Judge WIDENER joined.

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

 I.  INTRODUCTION                                                    561
II.  THE INTERVENORS' CLAIM                                          562
     A. A Tripartite Alliance                                   562
     B. Ryan's search                           ...

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