Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Pacific Marine Review (July 1940), 'S.S. Delbrasil - Maritime Commission's First Cargo and Passenger Liner is Delivered to The Mississippi Shipping Company as First In a Program of Six Such Vessels for the New Orleans - South American Ports Run,' pp. 42-47 (archive.org full text); Johns-Manville Marinite product literature (Industry Documents / ToxicDocs archive) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- PMR consolidated 1940 volume, July issue, Delbrasil feature, 'Safety Equipment' section (OCR-verified); J-M Marinite doc https://www.toxicdocs.org/d/kmXDy3YmM529OnryQNRr2rdRE
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The July 1940 Pacific Marine Review construction feature on SS Delbrasil (this hull, photographed and described as delivered) states: 'All paneling and joiner work is of metal or metal-clad Marinite. Two class A-1 fire-resisting bulkheads with automatic self-closing fire doors divide the accommodation spaces into three zones. Non-combustible fixtures and furniture are used throughout.' Johns-Manville Marinite of this period is documented by the manufacturer's own product literature as 'an insulating sheet material composed of asbestos fiber, diatomaceous silica and an inorganic binder,' developed expressly to fireproof U.S.-flag passenger-ship accommodations after the 1934 Morro Castle fire / SOLAS requirements - the same safety regime (Senate Report 184) the article cites for this ship's design.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1939-1940 (construction); product documented in-service through scrapping
- Population
- Bethlehem Sparrows Point joiner/outfitting trades (1939-40 construction); merchant crew (78) and passengers (67); Navy crew (302) and embarked troops (up to 1,908) in accommodation spaces; 1969-72 breaking crews
- Limitations
- The trade-press article names this hull and names the installed joiner product but does not itself state 'asbestos'; Marinite's asbestos composition is established at product level by the manufacturer's own literature, not by a hull survey. Does not establish quantity, coverage extent beyond accommodation paneling/joiner work, condition, disturbance during the 1943 Navy conversion or later service, or any individual exposure. Metal-clad installation may have limited fiber release except during cutting/fitting at build and later tear-out (1969-1972 scrapping).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-01
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[2]Pacific Marine Review (July 1940) Delbrasil propulsion section (Boiler room/engine-room plant as built) + 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
- PMR 'Propulsion Machinery' section (boiler/turbine specification); Corn & Starr abstract and article
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The ship's steam plant is documented ship-specifically in the 1940 trade-press feature: two Babcock & Wilcox single-pass water-tube boilers (water-wall tubes, U-tube superheaters, air heaters) supplying a GE cross-compound turbine at 450 psi gage / 750 deg F. Boiler casings, steam-drum and steam-line insulation, valve/flange gaskets, and machinery packing on marine steam plants of this rating and era were manufactured with asbestos-containing materials; peer-reviewed scholarship documents extensive asbestos use in WWII-era U.S. shipbuilding generally. No source names the machinery-space insulation products aboard this hull - application list for the steam plant is era inference.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1939-1969
- Population
- Engine-room and boiler-room personnel (merchant engine crew 1940-43; Navy engineering division 1943-46; Farrell Lines engine crew 1948-60); Bethlehem Sparrows Point machinists/pipe coverers at build
- Limitations
- Propulsion plant is ship-specific documentation; the asbestos content of its insulation systems is NOT - no source names lagging, gasket, or packing products aboard this hull. Steam-plant asbestos aboard AP-105 is era-consistent inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-02
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[3]DANFS, George F. Elliott II (AP-105), Naval History and Heritage Command (published Jul 13, 2015); verbatim text via Internet Archive Wayback capture (live page returns 404 as of access date) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC canonical URL (404 live); Wayback capture web.archive.org/web/2020/ of same URL; NavSource AP-105 page reproduces DANFS text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (NHHC) entry for George F. Elliott II (AP-105), verbatim via Wayback capture because the live NHHC page 404s: 'The second George F. Elliott (AP-105), formerly SS Delbrasil, was built in 1939 by Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, Md.; acquired 25 August 1943; and commissioned 23 September 1943, Comdr. A. J. Couble in command.' Service: two troop-carrying voyages San Diego to Noumea, Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo (Oct 1943 - Jan 31 1944); Port Hueneme embark >1,700 sailors and Marines, Havannah Harbor Mar 9, shuttle runs Espiritu Santo/Guadalcanal/Russells/Manus/New Guinea to Pearl Harbor May 7, 1944; TF 52 Attack Group 1, Saipan D-day Jun 15 (diversionary demonstration landing, air attacks), off Jun 22; Leyte D-day Oct 20, 1944 (air attacks, off Oct 24); Lingayen Gulf D-day Jan 9, 1945 (kamikaze crash witnessed on USS Kitkun Bay); 33d Infantry Division Wake Island to Lingayen Feb 10; Marine reinforcements to Iwo Jima, closed island Mar 18, 1945; repairs at San Francisco from Apr 22, 1945; Seabees Port Hueneme to Okinawa May 30-Aug 15; Magic Carpet round trips Pearl Harbor/Yokosuka/Korea Aug 27, 1945-Jan 18, 1946; Norfolk via Panama Canal Apr 3, 1946; decommissioned Norfolk Jun 10, 1946; delivered to WSA Jun 11; struck from Navy List Jun 19, 1946; sold to Farrell Lines of New York in 1948 and renamed African Endeavor; awarded four battle stars. DANFS statistical line: dp. 14,247; l. 491'; b. 65'; dr. 25'8"; s. 17.8 k.; cpl. 302; trp. 1,908; a. 1 5", 4 3", 16 20mm., 10 .50 cal.; cl. George F. Elliott.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Navy crew (302) and embarked troops (capacity 1,908); passengers under tow/transport
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, service, awards, and disposition framing; contains no asbestos or materials information and supports no asbestos claim. DANFS 'Comdr.' rank for commissioning CO differs from NavSource 'CAPT.' listing - discrepancy logged, not resolved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-03
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - DELBRASIL (Detail 1241), GEORGE F. ELLIOT AP-105 (Detail 12591), AFRICAN ENDEAVOR (Detail 66), incl. milestones and status-card scans [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov ShipHistory Detail 1241 / 12591 / 66 (milestone table; status-card image set); NavSource disposition detail: $171,666.66 in 3-ship sale PD-X-825 dated 13 March 1969, removed 1 May 1969
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD Ship History Database establishes the custody chain across three linked records (DELBRASIL / GEORGE F. ELLIOT AP-105 / AFRICAN ENDEAVOR): U.S. Official No. 239616; built 1939-40 by Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Division / Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard; MARAD type C3-P&C; 465-491 ft, 65-65.5 ft beam, ~7,977 GRT. Name history: Delbrasil 1940-1943, George F. Elliot (AP-105) 1943-1948, African Endeavor 1948-1969. Milestones: Reserve Fleet entry 1946-06-11; MARAD acquisition 1960-09-22 (Farrell Lines trade-in); sold for scrap 1969-04-09 to The Boston Metals Company; physically delivered 1969-05-01. Fate: 'Sold - Scrap.' Scanned vessel status cards exist for the hull (image-only PDFs).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940-1969
- Population
- NDRF caretakers (1946-48, 1960-69); Boston Metals shipbreaking workforce (1969-72)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody and disposition milestones; status cards are scanned images without text layer and were not OCR'd for this pass. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Database spells the ship 'GEORGE F. ELLIOT' (single t) - a registry-data artifact, not the commissioned name.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-04
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[5]Pacific Marine Review consolidated 1940-1941 volumes (archive.org): July 1940 Delbrasil feature pp. 42-47; 'On the Ways - Delbrasil' (Jan 1940, p. 78); yard-activity listings (contract/keel/launch/delivery dates); Pan American Union Bulletin 'Maiden Voyage' (1941). WSA dates per MARAD status card record chain [reputable_press]
- Locator
- PMR 1940 consolidated volume OCR text (yard listings, Delbrasil feature); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1241/12591/66
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The merchant construction record in period trade press: contract for three Delta-type liners (yard hulls 4337 Delbrasil / 4338 Delorleans / 4339 Delargentino) signed December 21, 1938 with Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point; Delbrasil keel laid April 10, 1939; launched December 16, 1939 (sponsor Mrs. Maria Martins, wife of the Brazilian ambassador); delivered May 31, 1940; maiden voyage June 20, 1940 from New Orleans' Market Street Wharf to Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Design: V. M. Friede, N.A., New Orleans, supervising construction at Sparrows Point; described as the first U.S. combination passenger-cargo vessel built to the post-Morro Castle safety regime (ABS highest classification, Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, Senate Report 184, and Navy national-defense features). WSA took over the ship April 28, 1942 (Delta Line as WSA agent); allocated to the Navy under sub-bareboat charter at San Francisco August 25, 1943; title transferred Mississippi Shipping Co. to WSA February 4, 1944 while the ship was at sea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1938-1944
- Population
- Delta Line merchant crew (crew 78); passengers (67); WSA-period crew 1942-43
- Limitations
- Period trade-press and government registry records; establishes construction and ownership timeline only. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement beyond the Marinite joiner-work line carried in ev-01; supports no machinery-space asbestos claim. The Navy conversion yard (San Francisco, Aug-Sep 1943) is not named in any located source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-05
-
[6]U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photographs, NARA RG-19-LCM (19-N-63604; 19-N-85266); Navy Yard Mare Island photo series (1057-44, 1058-44, 1059-44, 1066-44, 1067-44); Hunters Point Naval Drydock photo caption May 29, 1945 - as cataloged by NavSource AP-105 photo archive [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AP-105 page photo table (photo numbers and captions); NARA RG-19-LCM still-picture records
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- U.S. Navy photographic record places the hull at Bay Area naval facilities during documented periods: Bureau of Ships / NARA RG-19-LCM photos 19-N-63604 and 19-N-85266; Navy Yard Mare Island photo series 1057-44/1058-44/1059-44 (off San Francisco, Feb 7, 1944) and 1066-44/1067-44 (plan views, Feb 16, 1944); and a photo captioned off Hunters Point Naval Drydock, San Francisco, May 29, 1945 - during the repair availability that began when the ship 'commence[d] repairs' after arriving under the Golden Gate April 22, 1945 (DANFS). The photograph supports a Hunters Point Naval Shipyard availability/departure in late May 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Shipyard workers during the April-May 1945 San Francisco repair period
- Limitations
- Photo captions document presence and dates only - not the scope, contractor, or materials content of the 1945 repair work. 'Off Hunters Point' during a documented repair period supports a yard relationship; Mare Island photo numbers are a photo-origin credit, not proof of availability at Mare Island. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-06
-
[7]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989), CourtListener opinion 533004 [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109); CourtListener cluster 533004
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Fleet-level litigation context only: In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) - Second Circuit ruling on mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels, barring WWII government-fleet claims on discretionary-function grounds. This hull was WSA-operated with a merchant crew under Delta Line agency April 28, 1942 - August 25, 1943, and WSA-owned (title taken February 4, 1944) during part of her commissioned Navy service - squarely within the agency/fleet posture the case addresses.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1989 (opinion); 1942-1946 exposure period
- Population
- WWII WSA-fleet merchant mariners (class context)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level jurisdictional ruling; does not name this hull, does not find asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes only the litigation posture for WWII government-fleet claims. Affirmed judgment barring the claims - it is not evidence of exposure aboard this ship.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-07
-
[8]Batch-2039 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 opinion/docket searches (authenticated, paced); MARAD ShipHistory; NHHC DANFS; NavSource; NARA record-group guides; Pacific Marine Review 1940 volume OCR; archive.org collection search [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-01 through sl-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying hull-specific litigation located: CourtListener opinion and docket searches for the ship name and hull number in all identities ('George F. Elliott' exact - 88 opinion hits and 9 docket hits, every sampled result a person-name collision; 'George F. Elliott' + asbestos - zero; 'George Elliott' asbestos ship - zero; 'George F. Elliot' single-t variant + asbestos/ship/vessel - 5 hits, all person-name collisions; 'AP-105' + asbestos - zero; 'Delbrasil' - zero; 'African Endeavor' + ship - zero) returned no case naming the vessel for asbestos or any other exposure matter. Operator-level checks: 'Delta Line' + asbestos returned only name collisions plus non-asbestos operator litigation (e.g., Zander & Co. v. Mississippi Shipping Co., 270 F.2d 345 (5th Cir. 1959) - cargo/admiralty dispute naming sister-type hull SS Del Sud, not this ship and not asbestos); 'Farrell Lines' + asbestos returned genuine operator-level asbestos litigation (Bartel v. Farrell Lines, NY App Div 2023 / Ohio Ct App 2020; Vaughn v. Farrell Lines, 4th Cir. 1991 indemnity action; consolidated Bartel merchant-mariner actions), but no opinion in the searched corpus names AFRICAN ENDEAVOR or this hull - classified other-litigation, not attached. No asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or government inspection record naming this hull was located in the public sources searched (ship scrapped 1969-72, pre-dating OSHA-era survey practice). 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 litigation or survey record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the Marinite installation is product-documented (ev-01), and maritime asbestos claims ran under owner/operator names (Delta Line, Mississippi Shipping Co., Farrell Lines, the United States/WSA), not hull names, so hull-name search under-detects. The Farrell Lines operator check completed and confirms operator-level asbestos litigation exists - but no located opinion names this hull, and operator exposure does not attach as hull evidence; standalone 'Mississippi Shipping'/'American South African' asbestos variants were pacer-limited and remain open; the Navy-era federal-tort posture is governed by Robinson (ev-07). Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-08
-
[9]Shipyards registry record 'bethlehem-shipbuilding' (Sparrows Point alias; EPA CERCLIS MD0000605049 / RCRA MDD053945432 rows; PMID 7342758 and 417776 cohort rows); EPA Superfund site documentation for Sparrows Point [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json record bethlehem-shipbuilding; EPA CERCLIS ID MD0000605049 site page
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder-yard asbestos context (not hull evidence): the ship was built at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point shipyard, Baltimore (1938-40). The Atlas shipyard record for the Bethlehem parent (yard record bethlehem-shipbuilding, which aliases Sparrows Point) documents asbestos products at the yard family - 85% magnesia block, Marinite board, Transite, pipe lagging, gaskets/packing, asbestos welding blankets - and carries a peer-reviewed cohort finding of lung damage in Bethlehem Steel Baltimore shipyard workers (PMID 7342758) plus EPA Superfund/RCRA records for the Sparrows Point site listing asbestos among contaminants of concern. Separately, the July 1940 trade-press article confirms J-M Marinite was installed aboard this hull - consistent with, not dependent on, the yard documentation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1938-1940 (construction); yard documentation through 1970s-2004
- Population
- Bethlehem Sparrows Point construction trades (1938-40 hull 4337 build)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation of asbestos materials and worker disease at the builder's site family - NOT a hull record. Establishes the construction environment only; does not by itself prove any product was installed aboard this hull (the aboard-hull Marinite identification rests on ev-01). Does not establish individual exposure or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-09
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178, RG 248, RG 26 (merchant-vessel logbook guidance), RG 24; Bangor Public Library Digital Collections (Omeka S, migration in progress) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 178 / RG 248 / RG 26 logbook guidance pages; bangorhistory.org (item search, Fighting Fox not yet migrated); NavSource link to digicom.bpl.lib.me.us (dead link)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - record-group mapping only; no box-level pull, no spend authorized): NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) - construction records for MC hull 48 at Bethlehem Sparrows Point, East Coast director files (Philadelphia); RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) - the April 1942 takeover, Delta Line general-agency operation, and August 1943 sub-bareboat charter files; RG 24 (Navy deck logs, 1943-1946 commission period); RG 26 (USCG) merchant-vessel logbooks for Delbrasil (1940-43) and African Endeavor (1948-60), distributed regionally by port of submission (New Orleans/New York); RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) - conversion drawings/records for the Aug-Sep 1943 transport conversion and the cited photo series. Crew-published war history 'The Fighting Fox: U.S.S. George Elliott' is held by Bangor Public Library - its digital platform (digicom.bpl.lib.me.us) migrated to bangorhistory.org (Omeka S) and the item was not reachable this pass; physical copy presumed in the BPL Local History Room.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1938-1972 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and collection mapping only - nothing retrieved; the existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 48 / AP-105 (conversion specifications, outfitting lists, deck-log entries) is unknown until surveyed. The Fighting Fox crew history may contain shipboard condition detail - contents unsurveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-george-f-elliott-ap105-10