Evidence
4 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-4).
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[1]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The USMC operating manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty ships were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-14
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- Construction trades (South Portland, 1943); merchant engine crew
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual does not name this vessel and does not itself state 'asbestos' content; asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity or present-day presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-ss-jeremiah-obrien-01
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[2]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Second Circuit ruling addressing mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels; the court considered jurisdiction over a personal-injury claim against the United States for asbestos exposure aboard the WWII government merchant fleet - the same operating agency (WSA, with Grace Line as operator) that ran this ship. Claims against the government were barred on discretionary-function grounds.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-14
- Study period
- 1989 (opinion); wartime exposure period
- Population
- WWII merchant mariners (class context)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level jurisdictional ruling; does not name this hull, does not find asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes only the litigation posture for WWII merchant-fleet claims. Reporter citation confirmed 2026-09-14: 891 F.2d 31.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-ss-jeremiah-obrien-02
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[3]National Park Service, SS Jeremiah O'Brien NHL page (build record, Normandy record, dimensions) + NPS NHL nomination file NRHP 78003405; CBS San Francisco boiler retubing coverage (2024) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS NHL page; NHL nomination NRHP 78003405; https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/beloved-liberty-ship-ss-jeremiah-obrien-to-be-made-sea-worthy-again/
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship is famously unaltered: her two Foster Wheeler boilers and triple-expansion engine remain original and operational, periodically exercised on 'Steaming Weekends,' and the museum's ongoing boiler retubing project removes and replaces original two- and four-inch tubes - the maintenance-disturbance pathway on original-era equipment.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-14
- Study period
- 1979-present (restoration/operation); 2024 (retubing)
- Population
- Museum engineering volunteers (contemporary); USCG-mandated drydock crews
- Limitations
- Documents that original 1943 machinery remains in service aboard this hull; contains no asbestos information whatsoever - does not establish that remaining insulation contains asbestos, nor that it does not.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-ss-jeremiah-obrien-03
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[4]Batch-01 search ledger (this record): NPS NRHP/NHL nomination 78003405; museum official site and public materials; CourtListener/PACER ship-name search; Port of San Francisco lease file L-17004; MARAD/NDRF public vessel records [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-ss-jeremiah-obrien-01 through sl-ss-jeremiah-obrien-06
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, museum hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming the Jeremiah O'Brien was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-14
- Study period
- 2026-09-14
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the ship's unaltered original condition is itself consistent with retained era materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-ss-jeremiah-obrien-04