Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet ae-packet.md (10 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-adair-apa91-pkt-ae-packet-md
-
[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) section, per-hull rows for ADAIR APA-91 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 APA tables pp. 222-227 (dimensions row 1 p.222; personnel row 1 p.223; machinery row 1 p.224; gears/generators/fuel row 1 p.225; armament/cargo row 1 p.226; construction row 1 p.227); index 'Adair (ex-Exchester, ex-M.C. Hull 594) - APA 91' p. 222 reference
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for ADAIR APA-91 (ex-Exchester, ex-M.C. Hull 594): 473'1" overall / 450'0" wl; beam 66'0"; 18.6 knots trial; 8,600 tons trial displacement; limiting displacement 13,143 tons, limiting draft 25'0"; ship's company 53 officers + 502 enlisted; troops 91 officers + 1,423 enlisted; largest boom 30 t.; machinery 1 propeller, Bethlehem geared turbine, 8,000 shp, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F; double Falk main reduction gears; 3 turbo-drive 300 kW 120/240 V D.C. ship's-service generators; fuel 12,330 bbls NSFO + 675 bbls diesel; armament 2 x 5"/38 cal. (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm A.A. (ultimate authorized); cargo 150,000 cu ft non-refrigerated, 1,600 cargo DWT; built Bethlehem Steel Co., Sparrows Point, Md.; acquired 15 Jul 44; first commissioned 15 Jul 44.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, and commissioning. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially degraded; values cross-verified against DANFS and the MARAD registry. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-01
-
[3]DANFS, 'Adair (APA-91)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-25 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209184229) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text + spec block, 'Adair (APA-91)' (Wayback capture 20251209184229; live https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/adair.html returns 404; transcription cross-check https://hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa91.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records: the name Adair was first assigned 23 Aug 1942 to APR-1, intended lead of an 11-ship convoy-rescue-transport class canceled 12 Mar 1943 without construction. Adair (APA-91) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 594) as Exchester on 28 July 1943 at Sparrows Point, Md., by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc.; launched 29 Feb 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Elsie N. 'Reefer' [sic]; acquired by the Navy 15 July 1944 and commissioned the same day, Capt. Samuel P. Comly, Jr., in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay; departed Norfolk 21 Aug 1944; Panama Canal 27 Aug; Pearl Harbor mid-Sept; embarked 13th and 135th Naval Construction Battalions; Eniwetok 8-19 Oct; Tinian 26 Oct; Saipan 27-31 Oct; 7th Fleet southwestern-Pacific voyages 5 Nov - 5 Dec (Hollandia, Finschhafen, Manus, Noemfoor); embarked Army 158th RCT; Lingayen Gulf reinforcement-group unloading night 10-11 Jan 1945; ferried Army 12th Cavalry Regiment Leyte-Lingayen (Shadwell LSD-15 kamikaze 24 Jan); Okinawa D-day 1 Apr, Hagushi unloading with night retirements until 5 Apr; San Francisco voyage repairs; Guiuan Samar; dateline crossing 14/15 Aug 1945 at Japanese capitulation; occupation troops to Jinsen, Korea (Sept-Oct); China service Tientsin and Shanghai Dec-Jan; Norfolk 8 Mar 1946; out of commission 30 Apr 1946; delivered to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration for disposal 3 May 1946; struck from the Navy list 8 May 1946; sold 1947 to American Export Lines Inc., served as SS Express over two decades, later Mutual Steamship Operating Co.; name disappeared from mercantile lists between early 1970 and early 1971. Earned two battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1942-1971
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history, custody chain, and disposal. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. Two internal defects in the captured text: sponsor printed as 'Reefer' (all other sources, including the hazegray DANFS transcription and NavSource, give 'Keefer') and the spec block's type line reads 'C2-S-A3' where MARAD registry and NavSource give 'C3-S-A3' (both discrepancies in gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Adair (APA-91), file 10/03/03091 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 03091.htm - timeline entries, campaign/ribbon tables, commanding-officer table, merchant-service entries, specifications block, call sign NZUG
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: Windsor-class attack transport; laid down 28 July 1943 as SS Exchester, MC type C3-S-A3 hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 594) at Bethlehem-Sparrow Point Shipyard; commissioned 15 July 1944, CAPT Samuel Pancoast Comly Jr. in command; TransRon Fifteen (CAPT W. S. Popham) / TransDiv Forty-Four (CAPT J. H. Seyfried); campaign table lists Luzon operation (Lingayen Gulf landings 11-12 Jan 1945) and Okinawa Gunto operation (assault and occupation 1-5 Apr 1945); Navy Occupation Service Medal Asia clasp 16-26 Oct 1945; China Service Medal (extended) 16-30 Dec 1945; decommissioned 30 Apr 1946 at Norfolk VA; returned to Maritime Commission 3 May 1946; struck from the Naval Register 8 May 1946; two battle stars; sold 23 May 1947 to American Export Lines (renamed SS Express); operator renamed American Export Isbrandtsen Lines 8 Jun 1964; sold to Mutual Steamship Operating Co. 6 Feb 1970 (renamed SS Press); sold for scrapping 22 May 1970 to Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp., Taiwan. CO table: CAPT Comly (15 Jul 1944 - 23 Jul 1945), CAPT Clarence Vaille Lee (23 Jul 1945 - 1946), CDR John R. Daix (1946 - 30 Apr 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1970
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC, BuShips SDB, and the MARAD registry on every shared datapoint. Its armament line adds 'two twin 20mm' mounts where SDB/DANFS record 18-20mm singles - minor fit-change detail, not material. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-03
-
[5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ADAIR (APA-91), Ship History Detail 33, incl. scanned vessel status card (images 56_01.png, 33_65AF.jpg) and milestone ledger [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 33 registry block + milestones + status-card scan https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/6cbb33df-1653-4fc9-a3ba-2c45867c2203.pdf (front card read visually); /cards/56_01.png, /cards/33_65AF.jpg
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: Year Built 1944; Official Number 252376; Shipyard 'Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Division'; General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'APA Attack Transport'; MARAD Type C3-S-A3; length 473 ft; beam 66 ft; displacement lightweight 7,950 tons; cargo capacity 144,374 sq ft; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones: sold 23 May 1947 to American Export Lines, renamed Express; sold 6 Feb 1970 to Mutual Steamship Operating Company, renamed Press; sold 22 May 1970 for scrapping to Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corporation, Taiwan. Scanned status card reads custody chain: Reserve Fleet to Moran Towing & Transp. Co. 1:20 PM EST 11-22-46 at Lee Hall, Va. 'Towing to Mobile, Ala.'; Moran to U.S. Maritime Commission 8:00 PM CST 12-4-46 at Mobile (GAA); U.S. Maritime Commission to Gulf Steamship Corp. same date and port, purpose 'Reconversion.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1970
- Limitations
- Authoritative MARAD registry plus handwritten status-card scan read visually (entries legible; reverse side carries only pencil numbers '623'/'648', no content). Documents custody events including the Dec 1946 Gulf Steamship Corp. reconversion at Mobile - a documented yard-period event - but contains no asbestos, materials, insulation, or condition-of-materials information and establishes nothing about asbestos content, quantity, location, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-04
-
[6]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + MARAD-documented disturbance events (1946 James River lay-up and Mobile tow; Dec 1946 Gulf Steamship Corp. reconversion; 1947-70 merchant service; 1970 Taiwan breaking) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 machinery table, APA section (ADAIR row 1); MARAD status-card custody entries
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-steam plant (one Bethlehem turbine, 8,000 shp; two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F superheat) built at the peak of WWII asbestos usage at Bethlehem-Sparrows Point - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation were commonly asbestos-containing in 1943-44 Maritime Commission construction.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1970
- Population
- Construction trades at Bethlehem-Sparrows Point (1943-44); wartime crew and embarked troops (1944-46); NDRF/reconversion workforce (1946-47); merchant crews as Express (1947-70) and Press (1970); Taiwan breaking-yard workers (1970)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, material schedule, or abatement record naming APA-91 / MC hull 594 / Exchester / Express / Press was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Does not establish present-day condition - the hull no longer exists (scrapped Taiwan 1970).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-05
-
[7]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and Maritime Commission construction program under which this C3-type attack transport was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented exposure of shipyard workers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-06
-
[8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations in naval-vessel construction (1944-45 fieldwork) found amosite asbestos 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels' and documented worker exposure during pipe-covering fabrication and installation - the construction trade whose output was installed in hulls of this type and era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Bethlehem Sparrows Point was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps (fleet-paced helper cl-auth-search.py): "USS Adair" type=o opinions - 0 results; "USS Adair" type=r dockets - 0 results; "APA-91" type=o - 9 hits, all name collisions; "Adair" asbestos type=o - 92 hits, all person-name collisions; "Exchester" type=o - 3 hits, all name collisions on a different hull; "S.S. Express" type=o - 10 hits, one vessel-naming non-asbestos case (see ev-11); "Mutual Steamship" + "Press" type=o - 1 hit, name collision [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-adair-apa91-07 through sl-uss-adair-apa91-13
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweeps produced no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull: exact-phrase "USS Adair" returned zero opinions and zero dockets; "APA-91" returned 9 opinions, all Administrative Procedure Act citation collisions (Best Payphones v. DoITT, Carcieri v. Kempthorne, National Corn Growers v. Baker, Langlois v. Abington Housing Authority, et al. - no vessel context); "Adair" + asbestos returned 92 opinions whose results are person-name collisions (e.g., Adair v. United States, 497 F.3d 1244 (Fed. Cir. 2007) - prison-guard secondhand-smoke pay case); "Exchester" returned 3 opinions (Blouin v. American Export Isbrandtsen Lines, 319 F. Supp. 1150 (S.D.N.Y. 1970); Farnarjian v. American Export Isbrandtsen Lines, 474 F.2d 361 (2d Cir. 1973); Dell v. American Export Lines, 142 F. Supp. 511 (S.D.N.Y. 1956)) - all naming the SEPARATE later AEL vessel Exchester (5), the 1945-built Bethlehem C3-S-A3 that retained the name into the 1960s (this hull carried 'Express' 1947-70), and all non-asbestos maritime disputes; "S.S. Express" exact-phrase returned 10 opinions - nine collisions (incl. The Steamer Express, a different Export Steamship Corp. vessel, 61 F.2d 1036 (2d Cir. 1932)) plus Rodriguez v. American Export Lines (ev-11); "Mutual Steamship" + "Press" returned a single bankruptcy-era name collision (In re Brissette, 561 F.2d 779 (9th Cir. 1977)).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- CourtListener coverage is RECAP/opinion-indexed text only - complaint exhibits, unscanned attachments, and filings that omit the hull number under-cover ship names; a broad "SS Express"+asbestos variant exploded to 23,690 generic asbestos-docket hits (common-word merchant name) and was abandoned as non-discriminating; unqualified "Press" was not queried for the same reason. A name absent from the index is not proof no filing ever existed. The Exchester hits are classified as name collisions (different hull), not vessel hits - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-08
-
[10]Batch-2391 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 33 + status-card scan; NavSource 03091; shipscribe Windsor-class (APA-55) class page; shipbuildinghistory Bethlehem Sparrows Point yard ledger; CourtListener API v4 name/hull/merchant-name sweeps; NVR; VA BVA indexed check; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-adair-apa91-01 through sl-uss-adair-apa91-17
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Adair / APA-91 / MC hull 594 / Exchester (this hull) / Express / Press was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-44 superheated-steam Maritime Commission hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented 1946-47 reconversion, reserve-fleet lay-up, two-decade merchant career, and 1970 Taiwan breaking are undocumented disturbance events whose materials scope is unknown. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-09
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; deck-log series note https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online ; Special List 44 named-vessels coverage https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/special-list-44-named
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Adair 1944-1946 (RG 24, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1992' / earlier RG 24 entry 118, NARA College Park - digitization for this hull not confirmed; WWII-era hulls appear in Special List 44 coverage); BuShips C3-S-A3 design and Booklet of General Plans (RG 19); Maritime Commission contract file for MC hull 594 (RG 178); MARAD/WSA reconversion records for the Dec 1946 Gulf Steamship Corp. work at Mobile (RG 357) - the most promising yard-period materials lead for this hull.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1970 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-10
-
[12]Rodriguez v. American Export Lines, Inc., 253 F. Supp. 36 (E.D. Pa. 1966) (CourtListener opinion 8769748) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 253 F. Supp. 36 (E.D. Pa., filed 1966-04-14, Wood, J.) - 'merchant seaman aboard the S/S EXPRESS ... injured in August 1963 while the ship was in the port of Bombay'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Other litigation (NOT asbestos): a merchant seaman 'aboard the S/S EXPRESS' - this hull's merchant identity under American Export Lines (the only AEL 'Express' in service in 1963) - was seriously injured in August 1963 while the ship was in the port of Bombay, India; the published opinion (Wood, J.) decides only the defendant's venue/forum-non-conveniens motion (dismissal denied; plaintiff's Philadelphia forum preserved).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1963 injury; opinion 1966
- Population
- Merchant seaman plaintiff (1963 service aboard this hull as S/S Express)
- Limitations
- Classified 'other litigation' per batch litigation-stage discipline - a venue-ruling opinion in a personal-injury action naming the vessel by merchant name, not an asbestos or exposure case; provides no exposure evidence and is carried only to document that the hull appears in the court record under its merchant name. The merits were not adjudicated in this opinion.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adair-apa91-11