Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]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 emergency Maritime Commission program under which this C4-S-A1 hull (MC 663) was built at Kaiser Richmond in 1944, when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. For a steam-turbine transport of this type, era-typical applications were boiler and steam-drum insulation, steam-line lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, insulation board in accommodation spaces, and winch/windlass brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- 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); here: Kaiser Richmond Yard 3 trades and Navy ship's company
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The product list is era-typical inference for the C4-S-A1 steam plant, not a ship specification.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-01
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[2]Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CA-326-L, 'Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park, Kaiser Shipyards' (Tassava written historical report, National Park Service, Library of Congress record); with NPS Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front NHP 'Historic Richmond Shipyards' page (nps.gov/rori) [haer]
- Locator
- HAER CA-326-L written historical data, pp. 15-16 (Yard 3 construction), p. 30 (8,000-ton steel figure), pp. 43-44 (Squier turbine/outfitting); LOC ca3393data.pdf; https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/historic-richmond-shipyards.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Federal written history documents the construction environment of this hull's builder: Kaiser erected the 156-acre Yard No. 3 at Potrero Point, Richmond, beginning January 1942, around five 590-by-100-foot graving docks specifically to build the C4 troop transports - this hull's type. The C4s were far more complex than Liberty ships (~8,000 tons of steel each; the NPS park page puts it at ~130,000 components vs ~9,600 for a Liberty, 'ocean-liner complexity'); Yard 3 needed six months to launch its first C4 (GENERAL GEORGE O. SQUIER, AP-130, MC hull 653) and nine months of outfitting work with Maritime Commission inspectors and imported Westinghouse 'gear men' to install the turbine engine.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940-1946 (report 2006-2007 era)
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard 3 workforce (1942-1945)
- Limitations
- Documents the builder yard and C4 program, not this named hull - hull 663 is not individually described. The full written report contains NO asbestos or insulation-material statement (keyword-verified for a sister record 2026-09-25): its silence is a negative datum for yard-level materials evidence, not proof of absence. Does not establish asbestos presence or absence aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-02
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[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'USS General M.B. Stewart (AP-140)' - HyperWar/ibiblio transcription mirror (canonical NHHC page history.navy.mil/.../danfs/g/general-m-b-stewart-ap-140.html returned 404 on 2026-09-25; standing NHHC link-rot issue since batch-01) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS AP-140 entry, full text (HyperWar transcription by Patrick Clancey)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record: namesake Major General Merch Bradt Stewart (1875-1934), USMA 1896, Spanish-American War veteran, commanded 175th Brigade A.E.F. in WWI (Distinguished Service Medal), completed his career as Commandant of the Military Academy. Launched 1944-10-15 under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Inc., Yard 3, Richmond, Calif. (sponsor Mrs. M. B. Stewart); acquired and simultaneously commissioned at San Francisco 1945-03-03, Captain Minor G. Heine in command (NavSource CO table: CAPT Minor Charles Heine, 1945-03-03 to 1946-05-24). WWII: San Francisco-Pearl Harbor troop lifts (3,000+ outbound Apr 1945; 1,500 veterans returning), round trip to Pearl Harbor/Admiralties/Leyte Apr 26-Jun 19, Norfolk transit, Leghorn (Aug 5) troop embarkation for Pacific redeployment, two Magic-Carpet voyages to France plus India/Ceylon voyage; Karachi Dec 28 embarked 3,300 veterans, Seattle Jan 25, 1946; occupation troops to Japan Mar 5-Apr 4; decommissioned May 24, 1946, turned over to WSA for Army Transport Service. MSTS: reacquired 1950-03-01; two 1950 Far East voyages (Japan/Korea troops); Bremerhaven-New York refugee runs under IRO 1951-1955; 1953 Korea round trip; Reduced Operational Status New York 1955-04-29; transferred to Maritime Administration 1958-05-21, NDRF Hudson River. One battle star for Korean War service. Type data: C4-S-A1; 9,950 lt disp.; l. 522'10"; b. 71'6"; dr. 24'; s. 16.5k; cpl. 356; trp. 3,595; a. 4 5", 4 40mm, 16 20mm; cl. General G. O. Squier.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1958 (entry compiled ~1960s)
- Population
- Navy ship's company 1945-1946; embarked troops, veterans, and refugees on transport runs
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy narrative history; ends at the 1958 NDRF entry ('where she remains' is a compilation-era statement). Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim. The transcription prints 'Minor G. Heine'; NavSource's commanding-officer table gives 'Minor Charles Heine' - logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-03
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[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GENERAL M. B. STEWART (AP-140), Ship History Detail 1829, incl. digitized vessel status cards (1829_3387AF.jpg, 1829_3387AB.jpg, 1829_3387BF.jpg, supplementary status card PNG) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1829 milestone table + status card scans (Form MA-383 Reserve Fleet Ship Particulars; Vessel Status Card)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD record + vessel status cards (primary custody documents): Year Built 1945; Official No. 509957; MARAD type C4-S-A1; MC Hull No. 663; Kaiser Co., Inc., Richmond; completed 1945-03-03; delivered by builders to USMC at Richmond 3-3-45 1:00PM PWT, to Navy Dept. same time (LB agreement). Navy Dept. surplus to War Dept. at Staten Island, NY 5-24-46 11:00AM EDT (BB agreement; further transport entry 8-30-46). NAVY DEPT. title 3-1-50. Reserve Fleet custody, Hudson River 6-21-57 12:10PM EDST ('Reimbursable - Ready Status,' Group 22 Transports). Returned to Navy Dept. 3-26-58 for lay-up preparation (MSTS letter 3-1-58 / Marad reply 3-6-58 re 22 Transports). Reserve Fleet permanent transfer 5-21-58 1:20PM EDST. Withdrawn 8-2-67 9:45AM EDST - 'Exchange Program,' delivered under contract MA-4351 (card B reason block reads 'Delivered to Victory Transport'; operator line reads 'Albany River Transport, Inc. (Exchange Prog.)'); exchange ship received: SS SULLIVAN BROTHERS. Renamed 'ALBANY' 8-67. Removed from documentation at owner-of-record request 12/74 - 'To be converted to a drilling ship; to be sold to Mission Development Co.' Status-card particulars: Trooper category, passenger capacity 2823/3146 notations, arrival draft fwd 18'0" aft 22'6". Merchant-era endpoints (compiled sources, NavSource/Wikipedia citing The Ships List): rebuilt by Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn as a 10,530-gross-ton cargo ship, entering commercial service December 1968 as SS Albany; sold to Avondale Shipyards, Inc. and converted 1974 to Drill Ship Mission Viking for Mission Drilling & Exploration Corp. (Mission Viking, Inc.) of New Orleans; scrapped July 1987 - the card's own 8-67 rename and 12/74 drilling-ship-sale notes corroborate the chain at its endpoints, and the foreclosure/OSHRC records (ev-06, ev-07) independently confirm the Mission Viking identity.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- NDRF Hudson River lay-up workforce (1957-1967); MSTS inactivation crews (1958)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody, contract, and flag milestones; status cards are custody documents and contain NO materials, condition-survey, or asbestos data. Handwriting partially legible (card images read 2026-09-25); 'Victory Transport' vs 'Albany River Transport' delivery/operator language is unresolved (see gaps). Sale price, conversion yard names, and scrapping details are not stated on the cards - the Todd/Avondale/scrapping specifics in the tail derive from compiled secondary sources and are marked as such.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-04
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[5]Lyon v. United States, 163 F. Supp. 206 (E.D.N.Y. 1958), Byers, C.J. - CourtListener cluster 8743171 [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion 163 F. Supp. 206, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3946 (E.D.N.Y., filed 1958-06-30, No. 19985); text at *207-*210
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Verified court record naming this hull as U.S.N.S. General M. B. Stewart: on 1952-06-02 ship fitter Lyon (Project Construction Corp. employee) fell 35 feet from the boat deck to the pier at Pier 45, Brooklyn during MSTS contract No. MST 222 - a 'major alteration' converting the ship 'from a transport for prisoners of war' into 'a passenger carrier for the families of overseas service men,' cost upwards of $1,500,000 and 95 working days, including Coast Guard repairs and a ten-to-twelve lifeboat outfit increase. The court found the ship was not unseaworthy as to any duty owed Lyon (a business invitee, not a seaman; ship afloat but out of operation with engines under overhaul); the rail had been removed by the contractor; the libel against the United States was dismissed for failure of proof, negligence lying against the contractor under Longshoremen's Compensation coverage. Documents a substantial 1952 refit aboard this hull and her pre-conversion POW-transport configuration.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1952-1958
- Population
- Project Construction Corp. repair workforce aboard USNS General M. B. Stewart (1952)
- Limitations
- Personal-injury/unseaworthiness litigation, NOT asbestos litigation and not exposure evidence - classified 'other litigation.' Litigation-stage discipline: a completed trial-court adjudication on duty/no-duty grounds; the United States prevailed. The MST 222 contract description is court evidence of a 1952 yard period; asbestos scope of that work is not addressed by the opinion and is not inferred here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-05
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[6]International Paint Co. v. M/V Mission Viking, 462 F. Supp. 899 (S.D. Ala. 1978), aff'd in part and rev'd in part, 637 F.2d 382 (5th Cir. 1981) - CourtListener clusters 2142405 and 8923408 [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion 637 F.2d 382 / 1981 A.M.C. 1487 (5th Cir., filed 1981-02-19, No. 79-1965); opinion 462 F. Supp. 899 / 1979 A.M.C. 915 (S.D. Ala. 1978)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Verified court record naming this hull under its commercial identity M/V Mission Viking: consolidated in rem lien-priority litigation on the drilling ship. Manufacturers Hanover Leasing Corp. held a first preferred ship mortgage, bought the ship at the August 1978 foreclosure sale bidding on the mortgage credit, and agreed to pay claims adjudicated superior; the district court held the mortgage waived priority to the extent of $100,000 for liens incident to current operations and gave catering-firm subrogated crew-wage claims priority; the Fifth Circuit reversed the waiver ruling, affirmed crew wages, and directed prejudgment interest. Corroborates the hull's post-1974 drilling operation and the 1981-era transfer of record to Manufacturers Hanover Leasing Corp. (Panama flag noted in compiled sources).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1978-1981
- Population
- Mission Viking crew and supplier/contractor claimants (1978-1981)
- Limitations
- Admiralty mortgage/lien and wage-priority litigation, NOT asbestos litigation and not exposure evidence - classified 'other litigation.' Trial-level lien ranking (462 F. Supp.) modified on appeal (637 F.2d 382); described exactly. Says nothing about shipboard materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-06
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[7]Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission: Secretary of Labor v. Mission Viking, Inc., OSHRC Docket No. 78-0617 (consolidated decision 1981-04-30 with Puget Sound Tug & Barge No. 76-4905 and Northwestern Construction No. 76-5155, 9 BNA OSHC 1764 / 1981 CCH OSHD para. 25,373; Decision and Order on remand vacating order and citations, 1983-07-29) - oshrc.gov decision texts [other_primary]
- Locator
- oshrc.gov/wp-content/uploads/76-4905_78-.html (consolidated decision) and /78-0617.html (1983 vacatur); 9 BNA OSHC 1764
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Verified OSHRC administrative record tied to this hull as Drill Ship Mission Viking: on 1978-01-23 OSHA inspected ship-repair operations at Bender Shipyard #2B, Mobile, Alabama, citing Mission Viking, Inc. for a serious violation - abrasive blasters not protected with proper respiratory equipment (29 C.F.R. 1915.23(c)(3)(ii)) and employees working over water without buoyant vests (1915.41(l)(3)) - plus nonserious posting/recordkeeping items ($560 proposed per serious item). ALJ Cutler vacated on stipulated record, holding the drilling crew were 'seamen' under Coast Guard authority via OSH Act 4(b)(1); the Commission reversed and affirmed all citations 1981-04-30 (Coast Guard had statutory authority but had not exercised it over the cited conditions). On judicial review the case became moot when the Secretary withdrew all citations; the Fifth Circuit remanded (Mission Viking, Inc. v. OSHRC, No. 81-4243, 5th Cir. 1983-07-15) and the Commission set aside the 1981 order and vacated the citations 1983-07-29.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1978-1983
- Population
- Mission Viking, Inc. drilling crew and repair workforce at Bender Shipyard (1978)
- Limitations
- Occupational-safety jurisdiction litigation, NOT asbestos litigation and not exposure evidence - the cited conditions were abrasive-blasting respiratory protection (silica/lead-dust standard) and work-over-water protection, plus posting/log items; no asbestos allegation appears in the decision. Disposition described exactly: ALJ vacatur reversed 1981, then order vacated and citations withdrawn 1983 on mootness. The 1978 Mobile repair period aboard this hull is documented; materials worked on are not established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-07
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[8]International Refugee Organization displaced-persons voyages: Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild manifest transcriptions (immigrantships.net); Tundern-Smith, 'Ships of the Fifth Fleet' compilation (fifthfleet.net); National Archives of Australia immigration series documenting arrivals per vessel (A11772, PP482/1, A2571 as cited in researcher bibliographies); Rutgers RUcore Seabrook Farms photo record doi:10.7282/T3ZK5J79 (a DP family's US arrival aboard this ship); DANFS Bremerhaven IRO line [other_primary]
- Locator
- ISTG 'SS General Stewart' page; fifthfleet.net ships list; NAA RecordSearch series A11772/PP482/1/A2571; RUcore record 10071; DANFS AP-140
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Postwar Army-transport and displaced-persons service naming this hull: turned over to WSA at Staten Island 1946-05-24 for Army Transport Service duty (rebuilt to 12,521 gross tons - compiled figure, The Ships List). As USAT General M. B. Stewart she made five Australia voyages under the IRO resettlement program - Fremantle 1948-02-12 (857 displaced persons; the second of ~150 'Fifth Fleet' voyages by some 40 ships), Melbourne ex-Naples 1949-04-13 (816), Adelaide 1949-07-20 (816), Melbourne 1950-01-30 (1,262), Sydney 1950-04-17 (1,292). In MSTS service she ran Bremerhaven-New York/Halifax IRO refugee shuttles 1951-1955 (DANFS), corroborated at the individual level by the Rutgers Seabrook Farms photo record of a displaced-persons family's arrival aboard this ship.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1948-1955
- Population
- Displaced persons/refugees embarked (1948-1955); ship's crew
- Limitations
- Per-voyage passenger figures derive from volunteer-compiled manifest transcriptions and the Fifth Fleet compilation - secondary compilations, not official manifests reviewed first-hand; NAA series document the arrivals but individual counts vary slightly between compilations (one image site carries differing first-voyage dates). DANFS confirms the MSTS-era IRO role officially. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-08
-
[9]Batch-2068 search ledger (this record): DANFS; MARAD ShipHistory 1829 + status cards; HAER CA-326-L; OSHRC decision texts; CourtListener name/hull/name-variant/operator searches; NARA catalog; ISTG/Fifth Fleet/NAA/RUcore [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-01 through sl-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, construction specification, or docketed asbestos case names AP-140, T-AP-140, MC hull 663, ON 509957, the Albany, or the Mission Viking in the public sources searched. MARAD status cards and the HAER Kaiser-yards written history contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement. All three docketed records naming this hull (Lyon; OSHRC Mission Viking; International Paint) are non-asbestos matters. CourtListener hits classified: 'General M. B. Stewart' = Lyon only; 'Mission Viking' = International Paint + citing cases; 'AP-140'/'T-AP-140'/'USNS'/'USAT' variants = docket-number collisions or no result; name + docket searches returned no qualifying asbestos opinion (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 1944 steam transport is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, the hull underwent major refits (1952 MST 222 alteration; 1967-68 cargo rebuild; 1974 drill-ship conversion) whose materials scopes are undocumented, and she was scrapped in 1987 leaving no present-day survey population. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-09
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs; 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations 1941-1992,' NAID 594258), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), Army Transport Service / MSTS records paths [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG guides 24/178/248; catalog.archives.gov series 594258
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no box-level work or paid reproduction authorized): (a) RG 24 Navy deck logs for USS AP-140, 1945-03 to 1946-05 (commissioned Navy service; the VA/NARA NDL digitization effort covers many WWII-era logs but digitization status for this hull is unverified); (b) RG 178 USMC Construction Division records and West Coast Director for Construction (San Francisco) files - path for Kaiser Richmond Yard 3 / MC hull 663 construction and outfitting specifications; (c) WSA (RG 248) and Army Transport Service records for the 1946-1950 USAT period including IRO voyage files; (d) MSTS contract file MST 222 (1952 alteration documented in Lyon) and USNS-period operating records 1950-1958; (e) merchant documentation records for Albany/Mission Viking (pre-1974).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1987 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only (path established in batch-05 and confirmed against NARA guides); 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-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-10
-
[11]Data conflicts across official and compiled sources: MARAD status card 'MC Hull No. 663' vs NavSource/Wikipedia 'MC hull 707'; DANFS 'Minor G. Heine' vs NavSource CO table 'Minor Charles Heine'; NavSource 'Occupation service in the Far East from 18 to 22 March 1945' line; specification figure variants [other_primary]
- Locator
- MARAD status card 1829; NavSource 09/22/22140; DANFS AP-140; NavSource 09/22/22130 (AP-130 MC 653); batch-2065 AP-136 record (MC 659)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Conflicts resolved and logged: (a) MC hull number - the MARAD vessel status card (primary custody document) reads MC Hull No. 663, and the Yard 3 sequence is consistent (class lead AP-130 General G. O. Squier is documented as MC hull 653; sister AP-136 General H. L. Scott as MC 659); compiled 'MC hull 707' (NavSource/Wikipedia) is rejected as a likely transcription/contract-block error and not carried as fact. (b) CO name - NavSource's CO table 'Minor Charles Heine' is carried; DANFS text's 'Minor G. Heine' logged as probable transcription initial. (c) NavSource's 'Occupation service in the Far East from 18 to 22 March 1945' is impossible as written (ship commissioned 1945-03-03 at San Francisco, still in shakedown); DANFS shows the Japan occupation voyage as 1946-03-05 to 04-04 - the NavSource line is treated as a year typo and not carried. (d) Minor spec variants (draft 24' DANFS vs 26'6" compiled; complement 356 vs 34+391; troops 3,595 vs 3,343/3,528; shp 9,000 vs 9,900) - DANFS ship-specific figures control, variants logged in gaps.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1987
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among official and compiled sources; the MC-hull correction rests on the MARAD card plus class-sequence consistency - a definitive original MC contract register was not pulled. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-m-b-stewart-ap140-11