Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]research packet 1114-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (thin sourcing disclosed)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (thin sourcing disclosed)
- Evidence ID
- uss-chicopee-ytm747-pkt-1114-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, Chicopee (YTM-747) ex US Army Large Tug LT-1966 - construction, transfer, duty station, disposal, specifications, photo record [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 14/11747.htm header block, timeline, specifications block, and photo captions 141174701-704
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: built by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA (YN 11647); launched, date unknown; delivered to U.S. Army as LT-1966, 1953; transferred to U.S. Navy as the District Harbor Tug (Medium) Chicopee (YTM-747), September 1964; assigned to the 6th Naval District at Charleston, SC; placed out of service, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 1 March 1974; sold to Crosby Towboat Co., Boston, MA, as Chicopee (ON 562367), 1974; sold to C and M Towing Co., New York, NY, 1989; final disposition, scrapped at New Bedford, MA, 2002. Specifications: displacement 310 t. (fl), length 107', beam 27', draft 12', speed 12 kts., complement 16, armament none, propulsion diesel single screw. Award ribbon shown: National Defense Service Medal. Page caption photos document the hull underway in the harbor at Newport, RI, 1970 (contributed via NAFTS by LCDR R. P. Brittingham, tugmaster at the time), and alongside submarine tender USS Hunley (AS-31) as the tender returned from her first deployment to Holy Loch, Scotland, summer 1966.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1952-2002
- Population
- Higgins Industries construction trades (1952-53); Army crew (1953-64); Navy crew, 6th Naval District Charleston (1964-74); commercial crews Crosby/C&M (1974-2002); New Bedford shipbreakers (2002)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates generally track NVR/official records but out-of-service and strike dates are not documented for this hull anywhere in the located record. The 'sold ... for scrapping' DRMS annotation conflicts with the documented 1974-2002 commercial career - resolved in ev-05. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-01
-
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), 'Yard Tugs (YTB, YTM) Built or Acquired Since WWII' - YTM conversion program table, row YTM-747 Chicopee [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/yt3.htm, 'YTM Conversion Program (1964)' table, row 747 Chicopee
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- This hull appears in the 'YTM Conversion Program (1964)' table as: YTM-747 Chicopee, originally LT-1966, built by Higgins Industries, New Orleans LA, 310 LDT, built 1953. The program converted 13 ex-Army LTs (YTM-747 through YTM-759, less 758 which was ex-ST-866) plus 20 war-built YTMs (YTM-760 through YTM-779) - the sisters of this hull's Chicopee class: Yuma (748), Kaukauna (749), Hackensack (750), Manteo (751), Kewaunee (752), Naugatuck (753), Woonsocket (754), Waukegan (755), Owatonna (756), Wahpeton (757), Mizar (759).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1964 (program); 1953 (build entry)
- Population
- YTM conversion-program crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Expert secondary compilation (Tim Colton's shipbuilding database), not a primary registry. Its 'Scrapped 1974' note for this hull compresses the disposition - the documented record (NavSource; USCG documentation ON 562367 via tugboatinformation.com) shows the DRMS sale of 1974 transferred the hull to commercial service until actual scrapping at New Bedford in 2002 - see ev-05. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-02
-
[4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), 'U.S. Army Ocean Tugs (LT, ST) Built Since WWII' - design program narrative and row LT-1966 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/armytugs2.htm, LT program narrative and row 'LT 1966'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Army-side construction record for this hull: LT-1966, Higgins Industries hull 11647, 295 LDT, 1,200 BHP, 107 ft LOA, delivered 1953; disposition column reads 'To USN as Chicopee (YTM 747), sold 1976 as Chicopee.' Program context: when WWII ended the Army had over 700 tugs; a fleet renewal program in the early 1950s, managed by the Navy, produced three designs - a 107-foot LT, a 65-foot ST, and a 45-foot ST. In total 65 LTs were built by Avondale, NASSCO, Higgins, and Matton.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1953-1976
- Population
- Higgins Industries construction trades (1952-53)
- Limitations
- Expert secondary compilation. Its 'sold 1976' conflicts with NavSource's DRMS sale of 1 March 1974 - variant unresolved (see gaps); the documented commercial chain (USCG ON 562367) confirms the hull entered commercial service regardless of which disposal date is exact. The 1,200 BHP figure conflicts with the 2,200 hp rating in commercial documentation (see gaps). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-03
-
[5]tugboatinformation.com vessel record for YTM-747 / Chicopee - transcribed U.S. Coast Guard vessel documentation data (ON 562367) and commercial ownership chain [other_primary]
- Locator
- tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=6604 - vessel detail block and ownership history
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Commercial documentation record for this hull: built in 1952 by Higgins Industries of New Orleans (hull #11647) as LT-1966 for the U.S. Army; USCG Doc. No. 562367; vessel service 'towing vessel'; trade indicator coastwise unrestricted, registry; call sign WYP5810; steel hull; length 101, breadth 26.7, depth 13; gross tonnage 235, net tonnage 159; hailing port New Bedford, MA; single screw rated 2,200 horsepower; previous vessel owners listed as United States Army, United States Navy, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), Crosby Towboat Co., C & M Marine Towing, Inc.; previous names LT-1966, YTM-747 (Chicopee), Chicopee. Acquired by Crosby Towboat Co., Boston, MA, 1974, renamed Chicopee; acquired by C and M Towing Co., New York, 1989; went out of documentation and was scrapped at New Bedford, MA, 2002.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1974-2002
- Population
- Commercial crews, Crosby Towboat (1974-89) and C and M Towing (1989-2002); New Bedford scrapping yard workers (2002)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation transcribing USCG vessel documentation fields - the USCG data items (ON 562367, tonnage, dimensions, hailing port, out-of-documentation 2002) are reliable documentation-grade facts, but the narrative misdates the Navy transfer to 1953 (NavSource and Shipbuilding History agree the Navy transfer was September 1964; 1953 was the Army delivery year). 1952 build year vs 1953 delivery and 101 ft registered vs 107 ft LOA are carried in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-04
-
[6]Correction synthesis across NavSource 14/11747, Shipbuilding History yt3.htm and armytugs2.htm, and tugboatinformation.com/USCG ON 562367 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource timeline lines 1974-2002; SBH yt3.htm row 747 and armytugs2.htm row LT-1966; tugboatinformation.com id=6604
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: circulating dispositions for this hull are wrong or compressed - NavSource's 'sold by DRMS for scrapping, 01 March 1974' and Shipbuilding History's 'scrapped 1974' and 'sold 1976' all read as end-of-hull events, but the documented record shows the hull left government custody in 1974 and continued as the commercial tug Chicopee (USCG ON 562367: Crosby Towboat Co., Boston, 1974; C and M Towing Co., New York, 1989) until going out of documentation and being scrapped at New Bedford, MA, in 2002. The 1974 DRMS sale was a transfer out of government custody, not the breakup.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1974-2002
- Limitations
- Corrects a disposition compression, not a material claim. The DRMS sale annotation 'for scrapping' may reflect the disposal-lot category rather than the buyer's intent - either way the hull demonstrably survived to 2002. Whether an actual DRMS sale document exists is an open lead. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-05
-
[7]NHHC DANFS coverage check: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/chicopee-iii.html returns 404 (verified live 2026-10-05); NavSource states 'There is no DANFS history for Chicopee (YTM-747)'; DANFS covers only Chicopee I (side-wheel steamer, chicopee-i.html, live) and Chicopee II (AO-34, chicopee-ii.html, live) - both different vessels [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC danfs/c/chicopee-iii.html (404); danfs/c/chicopee-ii.html (live, AO-34); NavSource 14/11747 footer note
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No DANFS entry exists for this hull - NHHC has no Chicopee III page (404 verified live), and NavSource confirms no DANFS history for YTM-747. Identity disambiguation verified at the same time: the DANFS Chicopee II (AO-34) entry describes the 1941 Sun Shipbuilding-built Cimarron-class fleet oiler (dp. 22,430, cpl. 279) - a different vessel that must not be merged with this tug in any all-tier same-name match.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 2026-10-05
- Limitations
- Absence of a DANFS entry is itself normal for post-WWII district craft and proves only that NHHC published no narrative for this hull - not that records do not exist (NARA deck logs and BuShips records remain open leads). The namesake for this hull is undocumented; 'a river in Massachusetts' is stated by DANFS only for the oiler.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-06
-
[8]Naval Vessel Register (nvr.navy.mil) - ship detail check for YTM-747; NVR states it does not include ships disposed of prior to 1987 [other_primary]
- Locator
- nvr.navy.mil ship-detail URL check (YTM747) + NVR scope note 'ships and service craft disposed of prior to 1987 are currently not included'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No Naval Vessel Register entry exists for this hull: the NVR ship-detail URL pattern for YTM-747 resolves to the NVR home page, and the NVR's own scope note excludes ships and service craft disposed of prior to 1987 - this hull left government custody in 1974. Period printed NVR editions (1964-1974) would carry the entry but were not located in digitized form this session.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 2026-10-05
- Limitations
- Expected absence, not a substantive gap in official records: printed NVR editions covering 1964-1974 exist in library/ archival holdings and would confirm the service-craft listing if consulted. No asbestos content possible from this source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; released Oct 22, 1979), B-163375 - full text retrieved via Firecrawl [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 (B-163375), transmittal letter and 'Navy's Policy on Use of Asbestos' chapter, pp. 1-4
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-use era that fully contains this hull's 1964-1974 service: thermal insulation 'was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships'; product specifications for thermal insulation were changed to asbestos-free materials in 1973, but asbestos materials already purchased continued to be installed and 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; the Navy's October 1975 policy was to remove and replace only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs (selective replacement in high-maintenance areas added January 1979). The Navy advised GAO that 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables.' The report's fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk; Navy reviews of asbestos-control procedures at all naval shipyards began in 1977.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1979 (report); policy window 1973-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only - does not name this hull, her builder, or her station's yard. The tug's entire Navy service (1964-1974) predates both the 1973 spec change's practical effect and the October 1975 removal policy, so her service window sits inside the unconstrained asbestos-use era - but nothing in this source establishes materials aboard this specific hull, quantity, or individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-08
-
[10]College of Charleston, Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, ArchivesSpace catalog record: 'Asbestos Elimination Agendas and Meeting Minutes, 1979' (Carr papers, Box 5, Folder 4) [other_primary]
- Locator
- asadmin.library.cofc.edu archival object 62861, Series 'Professional Career,' File 'Asbestos Elimination Agendas and Meeting Minutes, 1979,' Box 5 Folder 4
- Finding type
- abatement_record
- Finding
- Archival documentation that an asbestos-elimination program existed at Charleston Naval Shipyard - the naval complex where this tug was stationed (6th Naval District, Charleston, SC, 1964-1974): the Carr papers series on the donor's civilian career at Charleston Naval Shipyard 'contains documents that discuss ... the removal of asbestos from the shipyard,' including this file unit of asbestos-elimination agendas and meeting minutes dated 1979.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard civilian workforce (1979 program era)
- Limitations
- Yard-level archival catalog record, not a hull record and not full text: it documents that asbestos removal was a documented program at the shipyard in 1979 - five years after this hull left government custody. It does not establish that the tug entered the shipyard for an availability, that asbestos work occurred aboard her, or any material condition of the hull. Open lead: the folder contents themselves (Box 5 Folder 4) have not been examined.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-09
-
[11]Pace v. 3M Co. et al. (Foster Wheeler Energy Corp. summary judgment), No. 2:11-67744-ER (E.D. Pa., order filed Apr. 11-12, 2013), transferred from D.S.C. No. 11-02688 as part of MDL-875 (official court PDF, paed.uscourts.gov) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order of Apr. 11, 2013 (filed Apr. 12, 2013), E.D. Pa. Civ. No. 2:11-67744-ER, Doc. 101 granted; footnote 1 (MDL-875 transfer); order text p. 1-2 (allegation recital)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos litigation tied to this hull's duty station: the plaintiff alleged the decedent was exposed to asbestos while working as a marine machinist and apprentice marine machinist at the Charleston Naval Shipyard from 1971 to 1995 - a window overlapping this tug's 1964-1974 presence at the station - with the exposure pertinent to Foster Wheeler alleged to have occurred aboard various Navy ships. The court granted Foster Wheeler's motion for summary judgment (insufficient evidence of causation as to its products) - a defense-side merits disposition.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 2011-2013 (litigation); alleged exposure 1971-1995
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard marine machinists (alleged exposure window 1971-1995)
- Limitations
- Station-level litigation context only: the order does not name Chicopee (YTM-747) or any vessel by hull, and the granted summary judgment is a merits-level negative for that plaintiff against that defendant, not an exposure finding. The alleged exposure window (1971-1995) overlaps the tug's station tenure only in 1971-74. Establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-10
-
[12]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (diesel, single screw; 310 t. fl); Shipbuilding History Army LT design table (107-ft LT design, 1,200 BHP, built by Avondale/NASSCO/Higgins/Matton in a Navy-managed early-1950s program); GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation (ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; SBH armytugs2.htm design narrative and LT-1966 row; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel harbor tug built in 1953 and operated by the Navy 1964-1974 sits inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard a diesel harbor tug of this type and period were engine-room and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets and valve packing in machinery spaces, thermal insulation in accommodation areas, and electrical insulation. As a diesel boat she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply - but a 107-ft harbor tug's compact machinery spaces concentrate whatever insulation was installed.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1953-2002
- Population
- Higgins construction trades (1952-53); Army crew (1953-64); Navy crew and 6th Naval District/Charleston Naval Shipyard base trades (1964-74); commercial crews (1974-2002); New Bedford shipbreakers (2002)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or build specification located for LT-1966/YTM-747. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The Navy-managed Army LT program's actual insulation spec is undigitized.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-11
-
[13]Batch-9494 search ledger (this record): NavSource 14/11747; Shipbuilding History yt3.htm and armytugs2.htm; NHHC DANFS chicopee-i/ii/iii checks; NVR scope check; tugboatinformation.com/USCG ON 562367; GAO HRD-80-2 full text; College of Charleston ArchivesSpace 62861; Pace v. Foster Wheeler (E.D. Pa.) order; NARA catalog (JS-blocked); CourtListener (zero hits on all four base queries); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-chicopee-ytm747-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming Chicopee (YTM-747) or LT-1966 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener was queried at research time (2026-10-05, all four mandated base queries via cl-auth-search.py): "USS Chicopee" opinions 0, "USS Chicopee" dockets 0, "YTM-747" opinions 0, "YTM-747" dockets 0 - a negative litigation result for this hull; no overflow, so no asbestos-variant queries were required. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (mesowatch.org, asbestos-ships.com, gpwlaw.com, mesothelioma-lung-cancer.org) asserting asbestos exposure at her builder or station without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 2026-10-05
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1953 diesel tug serving 1964-74 sits inside the documented asbestos era, and the litigation repository returned zero hits on all four base queries. Deck logs (NARA RG 24), Army Transportation Corps records for LT-1966, the DRMS sale file, and Higgins build specifications are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chicopee-ytm747-12