Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]DANFS, Canary (AMc-25) - acquisition, in-service date, 4th/5th Naval District assignments, YDT-7 reclassification, June 1948 transfer; spec block (165 t, 80 ft, 20 ft beam, 10 ft draft, 10 kt, complement 20) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body + parenthetical spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS: 'Canary (AMc-25), formerly John G. Murley, was acquired by the Navy on 24 October 1940, and following conversion, was placed in service on 19 June 1941 in the 4th Naval District. On 10 January 1944 she was reclassified YDT-7 and thereafter attached to the 5th Naval District for assignment in connection with diving, torpedo, mine and antisubmarine programs. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration in June 1948.' Spec block: displacement 165 t; length 80 ft; beam 20 ft; draft 10 ft; speed 10 kt; complement 20.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1940-1948
- Population
- Crew of ~20; 4th Naval District (1941-44), 5th Naval District (1944-48)
- Limitations
- Official Navy history (DANFS) but a very short entry: names no builder, no conversion yard, no commanding officers, and no stricken date; 'Maritime Administration' is loose usage - the receiving agency in June 1948 was the U.S. Maritime Commission (MarAd was created 1950). Establishes service history only - contains no asbestos or material content. Live NHHC DANFS page returns 404 (checked history.navy.mil .../danfs/c/canary.html and .../canary-amc-25.html, 2026-09-23); verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-01
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[2]Naval Historical Center, Online Library of Selected Images: John G. Murley (Fishing Vessel, 1939), photo NH 101963 - original print held at National Archives, Record Group 19-LCM [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC Online Library, Civilian Ships section, John G. Murley page; photo NH 101963
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC photo archive page: 'John G. Murley, a moderate-size fishing vessel, was built in 1939. She was acquired by the Navy in October 1940, converted into a minesweeper, and placed in service as USS Canary (AMc-25) in June 1941.' Confirms 1939 build year, fishing-vessel origin, conversion to minesweeper, central Atlantic coastal service, and January 1944 reclassification to YDT-7 as a Fifth Naval District diving tender; transferred to U.S. Maritime Commission June 1948. Original print of NH 101963 is in NARA RG 19-LCM.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1939-1948
- Population
- N/A - identity documentation
- Limitations
- Confirms identity and timeline but contains no material/asbestos content. The surviving NHC photo coverage is a single image - the archival record for this hull is thin. Page is the ibiblio mirror of the NHHC Online Library; live NHHC catalog not checked for this item.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-02
-
[3]NavSource Online, Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive: YDT-7 ex-Canary (AMc 25) - builder, propulsion spec, photo-caption record (John Mathis Co. pier Camden NJ; Charleston Navy Yard operations 1941-43; NHHC catalog photo L45-41.07.01) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 11/03025, specification block + photo caption table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record: built 1939 as John G. Murley by Morse Shipyards, Thomaston, ME; acquired 24 October 1940; placed in service as USS Canary (AMc 25) 19 June 1941; reclassified diving tender YDT-7 January 1944; out of service June 1948 and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal; fate unknown. Specifications: length 93 ft 4 in, beam 19 ft 4 in; propulsion one 193-shp Cooper Bessemer diesel engine, one shaft - a diesel plant with no boilers or steam machinery. Photo captions document the vessel at a John Mathis Co. work pier, Camden NJ, shortly after 16 June 1941 (Independence Seaport Museum, John Mathis collection) and operating as a sweep out of Charleston Navy Yard 1941-1943 (NHHC catalog photo L45-41.07.01).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1939-1948
- Population
- Crew of ~20; conversion-yard workers (probable Camden NJ, unconfirmed)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a secondary compiled archive - its builder name, propulsion spec, and dimensions are not independently verified against a primary document; dimensions conflict with DANFS (93'4" vs 80'). Photo-caption attributions are caption-level evidence, not documented yard records. The diesel propulsion entry is the only located source for the plant; it is consistent with the vessel type (converted dragger) but a single-source spec. No asbestos content in source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-03
-
[4]DANFS + NavSource propulsion documentation (diesel plant, no boilers) + GAO HRD-80-2, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure (Oct 18, 1979) - Navy-wide asbestos use context [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403); NavSource propulsion line; DANFS spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a 1939-built diesel-powered fishing vessel converted to Navy coastal-minesweeper service in 1940-41: NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply. Plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in diesel engine and exhaust-system insulation/lagging, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation and cable, deck coverings, accommodation-space insulation, and friction linings on sweep winches and windlass. Per the Navy's own description to GAO in 1979 (HRD-80-2), all ships contained some asbestos in components such as clutches and electric cables, thermal insulation was the Navy's major shipboard asbestos use, and systematic substitution did not begin until the mid-1970s - decades after this hull left Navy custody (1948).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1939-1948 (vessel); 1979 (GAO context)
- Population
- Morse yard construction workers (1939); conversion-yard workers (1940-41); crew of ~20
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, conversion work package, or survey exists in the public record for this vessel. GAO HRD-80-2 is a Navy program-level document, not hull documentation; its fieldwork was Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards and it postdates the hull's disposal by 30+ years. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard at any point. Full text of HRD-80-2 not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, 2026-09-23); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-04
-
[5]Walter N. Aho v. Christina Jacobsen, 249 F.2d 309 (1st Cir. 1957) - opinion documents fishing vessel John G. Murley operating out of New Bedford, MA on 1955-01-04 [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 249 F.2d 309, first factual paragraphs (CourtListener cluster 243420)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- First Circuit opinion (Hartigan, J.): plaintiff was 'a crew member of the fishing vessel John G. Murley,' injured 4 January 1955 while crossing between vessels at a New Bedford pier; the John G. Murley was scheduled to sail that afternoon. Documents that a fishing vessel of this name was in active commercial service out of New Bedford in 1955 - i.e., the hull returned to fishing after the June 1948 Maritime Commission disposal. Classified under batch litigation discipline as OTHER LITIGATION: a negligence/personal-injury case (fall while boarding), not an asbestos case; judgment for defendant shipowner affirmed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1955 (injury); 1957 (opinion)
- Population
- Fishing-vessel crewman (plaintiff, 1955)
- Limitations
- The opinion names the vessel but gives no official number or prior-service detail; identity with the ex-AMc-25 hull is highly probable (same unusual name, same trade, right timeline - and her sister Murley vessel ex-Blue Jay was demonstrably returned to Murley and resumed fishing) but is not proven by the opinion text. Non-asbestos litigation; establishes post-disposal operation, nothing about materials or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-05
-
[6]New Bedford Whaling Museum eMuseum: 'Collection of materials related to Captain John G. Murley and the New Bedford fishing industry, 1945-1978' - Navy certificates thanking Murley for making vessels Charles S. Ashley, John G. Murley, John G. Murley II, and Newfoundland available during WWII [museum_official]
- Locator
- NBWM eMuseum object record 326367 (collection description)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The museum collection record confirms Captain John G. Murley (Murley Fishing Co., New Bedford/Fairhaven, MA) as the vessel's civilian owner and documents Secretary of the Navy letters and certificates of recognition (1947) thanking Murley for making his vessels - including the John G. Murley - available to the U.S. Navy during World War II.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1940-1947 (Navy use); collection spans 1945-1978
- Population
- N/A - ownership documentation
- Limitations
- Confirms ownership and Navy acquisition context only; no material or asbestos content. Full eMuseum record not retrievable by automated fetch (HTTP 403, 2026-09-23) - collection description read via search-index text; catalog-level detail (folder contents) not individually verified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-06
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[7]Batch-1560 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NHHC Online Library; NavSource; MARAD Vessel History Database; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket sweeps; NARA catalog; New Bedford Whaling Museum eMuseum [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-canary-amc25-01 through sl-uss-canary-amc25-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Canary, AMc-25, YDT-7, or John G. Murley was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion sweeps returned only name collisions - 'USS Canary' matched NRDC sonar litigation and Rux v. Sudan; 'AMC-25' matched 1,728 unrelated AMC-theater/trademark dockets; '"Canary" asbestos Navy ship' matched Sterling v. Velsicol (water contamination). The single genuine vessel match (Aho v. Jacobsen) is a non-asbestos negligence case. MARAD Vessel History Database holds no vessel card under Canary or Murley.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 2026-09-23
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1939-41 diesel conversion is consistent with era-standard asbestos components, but nothing ship-proven exists either way. 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-uss-canary-amc25-07
-
[8]NavSource Online: YDT-6 ex-Blue Jay (AMc 23) - sister Murley conversion; built 1936 as Charles S. Ashley at Wilbur Morse Shipyards, Thomaston; identical Cooper Bessemer diesel plant; converted to diving tender YDT-6 at Boston Navy Yard 1944; returned to owner John G. Murley 20 December 1946 and resumed fishing [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 11/03023, YDT-6/Blue Jay entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The nearest parallel hull documents the whole program pattern: another Murley Fishing Co. dragger built at the same Thomaston yard in 1936, acquired November 1940, converted to coastal minesweeper AMc-23, reclassified diving tender YDT-6 (Boston Navy Yard conversion completed 22 May 1944, operated out of Quonset Point as torpedo retriever/diving tender), out of service April 1946, and reacquired by John G. Murley 20 December 1946, resuming fishing. Corroborates that these small Murley conversions were disposed back into commercial fishing - consistent with the 1955 New Bedford operation documented for John G. Murley in Aho v. Jacobsen.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1936-1946 (Blue Jay); applies as context to Canary 1941-1948
- Population
- N/A - program context
- Limitations
- Sister-vessel context only - Blue Jay's documented return to owner does not itself prove Canary's disposition; the June 1948 Maritime Commission transfer for Canary ended differently in the official record (no documented reacquisition date). NavSource is a secondary compilation; live NHHC DANFS page for Blue Jay unavailable (404). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-08
-
[9]NARA archival leads (unretrieved): RG 19-LCM holds the original print of NH 101963 (per NHHC caption); WWII deck logs (RG 24) and Bureau of Ships / 4th Naval District conversion files for this hull not verified as digitized [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov (JS-only interface); RG 19-LCM reference per NHHC photo caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Leads for hull-level material documentation: (1) NARA RG 19-LCM holds the original John G. Murley photo print (confirmed by NHHC caption); (2) WWII-era deck logs for AMc-25/YDT-7 would be in RG 24, but digitization status could not be verified - catalog.archives.gov is JS-only to automated queries; (3) BuShips conversion work-package records and 4th Naval District files (the likely repository for conversion-yard identification) are not located in digitized public sources.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 2026-09-23
- Limitations
- Unverified leads only - no claim is made that any of these files exist, survive, or contain material specifications for this hull. NARA catalog search could not be completed programmatically (status: pending, not a negative finding).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-canary-amc25-09