District Court, E.D. Virginia October 4, 1967, Nos. 8523, 8531 (Treakle v. Pocahontas Steamship Co.)

WALTER E. HOFFMAN, Chief Judge.

MEMORANDUM

These consolidated actions, standing on exceptive allegations to the libels (final action on which will determine the merits), raise rather novel questions in the admiralty field.

The various libelants were, during all pertinent times,1 pilots2 of tug boats owned and operated by Perry Towing Company and Coal Terminal Towing Corporation.