Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet zcl-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-barite-ix161-pkt-zcl-packet-md
-
[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS, 'Barite' (IX-161) (live history.navy.mil page returns 404 as of 2026-09-29 - verified via 2010-12-07 Wayback capture of the legacy URL www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b2/barite-i.htm) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Barite' entry, full text + ship-data line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (NHHC, 'Barite'): a non-self-propelled concrete-hulled barge laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1335) 24 November 1943 at South San Francisco, Calif., by the Belair Shipyard of Barrett and Hilp; designated IX-161 on 7 February 1944; launched 18 February 1944, sponsored by Mrs. S. C. Anderson; delivered to the Navy at her builder's yard and placed in service 31 August 1944. Towed by Iroquois (AT-46), departed San Francisco 25 September 1944, entered Pearl Harbor 2 October, cleared 6 October for Eniwetok; thence under tow by auxiliary ocean tug ATA-124 with Vaga (YTB-374) as 'retriever' and YMS-276 as escort, reached Ulithi 13 January 1945, joining the armada of 225 ships at that advanced base. Served at Ulithi as a floating lubricating oil facility into spring 1945 until typhoon season forced ServRon 10's base shift; towed to Saipan 15 May, operated there in the same capacity as a unit of Service Division 101 (ServRon 10); towed from Saipan 30 June 1945 to Leyte, where she served through V-J Day; reassigned from Service Division 101 to parent ServRon 10 on 28 August 1945 and remained in Philippine waters for the rest of her naval service. Taken out of service and delivered to the War Shipping Administration at Subic Bay 5 August 1946; struck from the Navy list 15 August 1946; sold to the China-based Asia Development Corporation, delivered to purchaser 23 April 1948; carried in Lloyd's Register through the 1950-51 editions, 'after which time she disappeared from the scene.' Ship-data line: dp. 10,970; l. 366'4"; b. 54'; dr. 26'; cpl. 108; a. 4 20-millimeter; cl. Midnight; type B7-D1. Authored by Robert J. Cressman, dated 7 March 2006.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1951
- Population
- Crew aboard (naval service, 1944-1946); fleet personnel receiving lube-oil issues alongside at Ulithi, Saipan, Leyte
- Limitations
- Authoritative service-history record containing no asbestos, materials, or industrial-hygiene information. The 'cl. Midnight' class designator differs from the Trefoil-class name used by Shipscribe - a naming-source variant (IX-149 was named Midnight until 10 Jun 1944), not a hull discrepancy. Its complement figure (108) conflicts with NavSource (52) and Shipscribe (54) - logged as a variant, none adopted as controlling. Does not name an officer in charge.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-01
-
[3]Shipscribe.com, 'USS Trefoil (IX-149) Class' - Stephen S. Roberts compilation of Bureau of Ships/NARA vessel registers, MC contract records, and Auxiliary Vessels Board records [other_primary]
- Locator
- IX-149 class page: construction table (IX-161 row), disposition table (IX-161 row), class notes (IX 158-164 group), ship notes (MC 1335 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe Trefoil (IX-149) class page (BuShips/NARA-derived construction and disposition tables plus program notes): Barite is MC hull 1335, 'Ex merc. BARITE. Army and Marine Corps stores issue barge. To MC at Subic Bay 1946. To Army there 1 Mar 47. To buyer (Asia Development Corp.) 23 Apr 48 for operation.' Disposition table: out of service 5 Aug 46, struck 15 Aug 46, disposal 5 Aug 46, fate MC/D, Maritime Administration sale 22 Mar 48. Program context: Barrett & Hilp won a 30 Jun 1942 MC contract for 13 non-self-propelled concrete barges designed to transport bauxite ore, plus 13 more ex-MacDonald & Kahn hulls added 4 Aug 42 (26 total, 6 cancelled, 13 acquired by the Navy); the firm also contracted to build the Belair Shipyard facility. The IX 158-164 group (incl. this hull) was acquired on CinCPOA's 12 Jan 44 request for dry-cargo barges converted during construction to carry and issue provisions, general stores, and spare parts at advance bases; crews ran 16 (basic barge), 53 (GSK conversion), 61 (refrigerated conversion). Class note: 'All were placed in service, not in commission.' Concrete ships were colloquially 'crockery' ships and 'green dragons.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Belair Shipyard construction workforce (1943-44); Navy crew (~52-108, sources diverge)
- Limitations
- Reputable specialist compilation of primary government data, not the primary records themselves. Its 'Army and Marine Corps stores issue barge' designation is the design/conversion category - it does not conflict with DANFS's operational employment as a floating lubricating-oil facility (both carried). No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-02
-
[4]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive, 'Barite (IX-161)' page (archival capture 2024-05-27; live navsource.org fetch failed 2026-09-29) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/46/46161.htm vessel page (Wayback capture)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for Barite (IX-161): 'Midnight Class Non-self propelled Storage Barge' laid down 24 November 1943 as a Maritime Commission type B7-D1 concrete-hulled barge, MC hull 1335, at Barrett, Hilp & Belair Shipyard, South San Francisco, CA; designated IX-161 7 February 1944; launched 18 February 1944; acquired by the Navy and placed in service 31 August 1944; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, served as a floating lubricating oil facility at Ulithi, Saipan and Leyte; placed out of service 5 August 1946 at Subic Bay, P.I. and delivered to the War Shipping Administration for disposal; struck from the Naval Register 15 August 1946; sold to the Asia Development Corp. in China, delivered 23 April 1948; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Specifications: displacement 5,678 t. light / 10,960 t. full; length 366'4"; beam 54'; draft 26'; complement 52; cargo 3,000 DWT non-refrigerated, 292,000 cu ft; armament one single 40mm AA mount + four single 20mm AA mounts; fuel diesel 610 bbls; machinery four diesel-drive 60 kW 120V DC ship's-service generators. Awards: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WWII Victory, Philippines Liberation medals. Call sign NAAU. Sole photo: Barite at anchor, probably Pearl Harbor October 1944 in transit to first station Ulithi (contributor Chris Hoage).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Crew of ~52 (NavSource figure); ServRon 10/ServDiv 101 supported-fleet transient workers alongside
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive of official registry data - a reputable secondary compilation, not a primary record; corroborates DANFS chronology and adds the machinery/armament specification block (the four diesel gensets and added 40mm mount are NavSource-only details not in DANFS). Its 5,678 t light and complement 52 differ from DANFS's 10,970 displacement line and 108 complement - variants logged. No asbestos or materials content; the generator detail bounds the exposure-relevant machinery envelope but identifies no materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-03
-
[5]HyperWar (ibiblio), 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 - IX Unclassified Vessels' register table (compiled from official U.S. Navy ship registers / Ships' Data publications) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ships-ix.html register table, IX-161 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' IX register (ibiblio-hosted compilation of official Navy vessel data): 'IX-161 Barite, 1944, 5636, Maritime Commission B7-D1 barge' - contemporaneous-register corroboration of the hull's Navy designation, in-service year, displacement, and type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Register-level compilation corroborating identity only - one-line listing with no service detail and no asbestos, materials, or crew information. Its 5,636 displacement figure matches Shipscribe's light-displacement value rather than DANFS's 10,970 (full-load) figure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-04
-
[6]DANFS 'Barite' entry vs Shipscribe IX-149 class page (construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship notes) vs NavSource registry entry vs HyperWar IX register vs secondary compilations [other_primary]
- Locator
- cross-source comparison of the cited registry entries and secondary compilations
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged and resolved. (a) Complement: 108 (DANFS ship-data line) vs 52 (NavSource) vs 54 (Shipscribe class table, 1944) vs 53/61 (Shipscribe class notes for GSK/refrigerated conversions) - no figure adopted as controlling; all variants carried. (b) Armament: DANFS ship-data line lists 4 x 20mm only; NavSource and Shipscribe list one 40mm plus four 20mm mounts - the two-mount-source version carried with the DANFS variant logged. (c) Class name: DANFS ship-data line and NavSource render 'Midnight' class; Shipscribe renders 'Trefoil (IX-149)' - IX-149 was named USS Midnight until 10 Jun 1944, so both labels reference the same class at different naming stages; a naming-source variant, not a hull discrepancy. (d) Role: DANFS employment ('floating lubricating oil facility') vs Shipscribe conversion designation ('Army and Marine Corps stores issue barge') - both carried; the former describes observed employment, the latter the design/conversion category. (e) 'The War Shipping Administration declined her for the Reserve Fleet on 7 October 1946' appears only in a secondary compilation (thecretefleet.com via Wikipedia), not in DANFS or Shipscribe - carried in gaps as unverified. (f) Officer in charge Lt. H. B. Stiehl USNR appears in secondary compilations only - unverified, in gaps.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary compilations against the authoritative DANFS text where a hierarchy exists (dates, milestones); leaves genuinely divergent figures (complement, armament, class label) as logged variants. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-05
-
[7]Maes v. Barrett & Hilp, 27 BRBS 128 (1993), BRB Nos. 90-881/90-881A, aff'g ALJ A. Karst, 89-LHC-900 (U.S. Dept. of Labor BRB published decision PDF) [court_record]
- Locator
- DOL BRB published decision 90-0881.pdf - statement of facts (MC contract, Asbestos Co. of California subcontract 11 Aug 1943, credited insulation-installation testimony) and affirmance
- Finding type
- litigation_product_id
- Finding
- Maes v. Barrett & Hilp, 27 BRBS 128 (1993) (BRB Nos. 90-881 and 90-881A; DOL Benefits Review Board, published): affirmed the ALJ's award of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act death benefits to the widow of Joseph Maes, who died 22 December 1986 of pulmonary asbestosis after a two-week 1943 employment stint at Barrett & Hilp (his 1939-1969 career was at non-maritime asbestos employers). The affirmed record reflects: in June 1942 Barrett & Hilp contracted with the U.S. Maritime Commission to construct a shipyard on federal land in South San Francisco and to build 26 concrete barges there; on 11 August 1943 the employer 'subcontracted with Asbestos Company of California to supply insulation containing asbestos for installation on the barges'; and the ALJ credited testimony that the decedent 'worked installing asbestos insulation on concrete barges which were being built on dry docks in the shipyard.' The documented insulation-supply subcontract and installation work fall within the 1943-44 program window in which this hull (MC 1335) was built at that yard - keel laid 24 November 1943, launched 18 February 1944, delivered to the Navy 31 August 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1944 construction window; decision 1993
- Population
- Barrett & Hilp construction workforce incl. subcontracted insulation installers, South San Francisco dry docks (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Affirmed adjudicated finding (ALJ findings affirmed by the Board) - the strongest evidence class available for this hull, but program/yard-level only: the decision does not name MC hull 1335, does not identify which barges received the insulation, and addresses a construction worker's yard exposure, not crew exposure aboard the finished vessel. It establishes that asbestos-containing insulation was supplied for installation on these barges during this hull's construction window; it does not establish that material was installed aboard, or remained aboard, this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-06
-
[8]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 program under which this B7-D1 concrete barge was built and converted for Navy issue - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization, concentrated in machinery and piping insulation of steam-driven vessels.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and vessel crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or type, and its emphasis on steam-machinery insulation transfers only partially to a non-self-propelled barge whose only machinery was diesel generator sets and cargo-handling equipment. Does not establish asbestos aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 search (opinion type=o), authenticated via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-29 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-barite-ix161-07 through sl-uss-barite-ix161-11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener searches (authenticated API v4) on the vessel name and pennant: '"USS Barite"' opinion query returned 0 hits; '"IX-161"' opinion query returned 3 hits, all name collisions - an untitled Texas Attorney General opinion (serial-string match), United States v. MacDonald (E.D.N.C. 2014, exhibit/docket-string match), and United States v. Jacksonville Terminal Co. (5th Cir. 1971, statute/exhibit-string match) - none naming the vessel; '"Barite"' bare opinion query returned 210 hits sampled as mineral-company and personal-name collisions (Washington Barite Corp., United States Barite Corp. v. M/V Haris, Alaska Barite Co., Barite Koshe Burka v. Sessions); '"Barite" asbestos' returned 18 hits, all mineral-litigation collisions (barite is a drilling-mineral with a large tax/depletion and royalty case body - e.g., Murray v. BEJ Minerals, Marin v. Exxon, W. D. Haden, Spencer Quarries). Remaining queries (docket-type 'USS Barite', 'Barrett and Hilp' variants) were deferred under the shared fleet pacing budget; final disposition itemized in the search ledger. No qualifying hull-specific asbestos case located in the completed queries.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Sweep incomplete at write time under fleet pacing - 'Barite' is a high-collision term (mineral tax/depletion, royalty, and product litigation; plus a surname) and unqualified name searches are not probative; only hits identifying the vessel or hull number were counted. CourtListener indexes opinions/dockets, not trial filings or the DOL administrative docket that produced Maes v. Barrett & Hilp (a yard-level compensation case, not vessel litigation).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-08
-
[10]Batch-4731 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC (Wayback), NavSource (Wayback), Shipscribe IX-149 class page, ShipbuildingHistory merchant-ship tables, HyperWar IX register, DOL BRB decisions (Maes), MARAD ShipHistory search, NVR scope check, CourtListener opinion queries [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-barite-ix161-01 through sl-uss-barite-ix161-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement record, hazmat disclosure, materials list, court opinion, or docketed case naming MC hull 1335, merc./USS Barite, or IX-161 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull left U.S. custody in 1948 for Chinese commercial ownership and disappeared from Lloyd's Register after 1951 - a post-sale life with no U.S. survey or abatement window.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and here the program-level record (Maes) documents asbestos insulation supplied for installation on this barge program during this hull's construction. Does not establish presence or absence aboard the finished hull; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-09
-
[11]NARA RG 24 deck-log series; NARA RG 178 (US Maritime Commission) incl. FLC/MA disposal files; San Mateo County Historical Association online catalog, Barrett & Hilp items (incl. Pacific Marine Review Nov 1943 reprint, cat. 2018.075.007; Belair Cargoman newsletters, cat. 2018.075.009-.023); Lloyd's Register 1950-51 editions [other_primary]
- Locator
- historysmc.pastperfectonline.com catalog entries 2018.075.007 and .009-.023; archives.gov record-group guides for RG 24 and RG 178
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no reproduction order authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for IX-161, August 1944 - August 1946, covering the Pearl Harbor transit and Ulithi/Saipan/Leyte/Subic Bay periods. (b) NARA RG 178 Maritime Commission records for the Barrett & Hilp 26-barge contract and MC hull 1335 construction specifications - the most plausible source of a materials callout. (c) RG 178/FLC-Maritime Administration disposal records for the 1946 Subic Bay turnover, 1947 Army transfer, and 1948 sale to Asia Development Corp. - this hull (unlike scuttled sisters) passed back through federal custody, so status-card and disposal files plausibly exist. (d) San Mateo County Historical Association, Barrett & Hilp/Belair collection: 'Belair Cargoman' yard newsletters (1943-44 issues) and the November 1943 Pacific Marine Review reprint 'Concrete Construction for Ship-Shaped Barges' - program-level construction detail that may describe insulation work. (e) Lloyd's Register 1950 and 1951 editions for the post-Navy commercial trace.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1951 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and collection mapping only - no retrieval performed; whether any of these contain asbestos-specific information for hull 1335 is unknown. The deck logs document operations, unlikely to carry materials data; the MC contract/specification and disposal files are the most plausible sources of a materials callout or post-Navy trace. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-10
-
[12]ShipbuildingHistory.com, 'B Type Misc Ships' - Maritime Commission merchant/auxiliary-type output table, concrete ship section [other_primary]
- Locator
- 2btypeships.htm, B7-D1 concrete barge rows (MC hulls 1319-1338), hull 1335 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton) merchant-ship tables, B-type/concrete section: MC hull 1335, Barrett & Hilp, San Francisco - 'Barite', type B7-D1, concrete, 5,687 DWT, delivered Aug-44, 'Later IX 161' - corroborating MC hull identity, builder, type, delivery month, and Navy designation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation (yard/MC output table), not a primary document; consistent with DANFS, Shipscribe, and the HyperWar register on identity and designation. 'Delivered Aug-44' aligns with the 31 August 1944 Navy delivery/in-service date. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-barite-ix161-11