Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The USMC operating manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty-type hulls were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. Typical applications for the type: boiler and steam-drum insulation; steam-line lagging; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; insulation in accommodation spaces; brake linings on winches and windlass.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Construction trades (J. A. Jones, Panama City, 1945); merchant engine crew; Navy engineering crew (1958-65)
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual covers the EC2-S-C1 plant specifically; this hull is the Z-EC2-S-C5 boxed-aircraft variant, and machinery-plant equivalence with the C1 is inferred from the variant relationship, not documented in the cited source. The manual does not name this vessel and does not itself state 'asbestos' content. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped 1974), individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-01
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[2]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 program under which this hull was built at J. A. Jones, Panama City (1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or its type and does not establish that asbestos was or remained aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Covers the construction era; the 1957-58 naval conversion is outside the study period.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-02
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[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Interpreter' entry (YAGR-14 stat line) - transcription mirror at hazegray/losthistory.net; canonical NHHC page https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/i/interpreter.html returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-20 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- hazegray DANFS transcription, yagr14.htm - full entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Launched as Liberty ship Dudley H. Thomas by J. A. Jones Construction Co., Panama City, FL, 1945-02-08; sponsored by Miss Carrie Corbitt; delivered 1945-02-21 to Merchants and Miners Transportation Co., Boston. Aircraft freighter during the war, later cargo ship for various companies; NDRF 1947-1951 and from 1953-08-25 until Navy acquisition 1957-06-05. Renamed Interpreter, converted at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, commissioned 1958-09-29 (CDR J. S. Craft). One of a class of sixteen radar picket ships; shakedown in the Caribbean; departed Guantanamo Bay 1959-02-01 for home port San Francisco; operated with search aircraft on 3-4 week patrols for the Continental Air Defense Command, tracking aircraft and controlling interceptors; regular Contiguous Radar Barrier patrols for six years. Struck 1965-07-01 and turned over to the Maritime Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay. Stat line: dp. 10,760 (fl.); l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 24'; s. 11 k.; cpl. 151; cl. Guardian; T. Z-EC2-S-C5.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1965
- Population
- Crew of 151 (class figure) aboard during 1958-65 naval service
- Limitations
- DANFS transcription via third-party mirror - canonical NHHC URL 404s (same link-rot condition logged in BATCH-01); transcription fidelity assumed, not independently verified against the NHHC print scan. No asbestos content; supports identity/history only. DANFS says 'sixteen radar picket ships' and 'Continental Air Defense Command'; the MARAD card annotates service as 'Navy - DEW Line' - the Contiguous Radar Barrier was the sea-borne barrier system distinct from the Arctic land-based DEW Line; wording kept to source. No casualty, overhaul, or material detail.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-03
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[4]MARAD Vessel History Database, DUDLEY H. THOMAS (O.N. 247267) - vessel status card (Form, 1US_01/1US_02) and reserve-fleet card INTERPRETER (AGR-14) at Detail/2303 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/7681 status cards 1US_01.png + 1US_02.png; Detail/2303 reserve-fleet card 2303_4293AF.jpg (PD-X-984 sale annotation)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD vessel status card documents the custody chain: built by J. A. Jones Const. Co. at Panama City, Fla., MCE hull 2341 (builder's no. 82), completed/delivered 1945-02-21 3:55PM to Merchants & Miners Transp. Co. (GAA); A. L. Burbank & Co. (Int.BB) Newport News 1946-08-20; Moore McCormack Lines (GAA then MC/BB) New York 1947-01-16/1947-02-10; U.S. Lines Co. (GAA then MC/BB then GAA) Baltimore 1947-06-12/06-21/10-22; to reserve fleet Lee Hall, VA 1947-11-04; reactivated to States Marine Corp. of Delaware (GAA) out of James River 1951-10-20; returned to James River reserve fleet 1953-08-25; title transferred to Navy Department at James River 1957-06-05. Renamed INTERPRETER (AGR-14); permanent transfer to Maritime Administration at Suisun Bay, Calif. 1965-07-26; sold to Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation (nontransportation use) 1974-10-03, delivered/withdrawn 1974-11-04 7:20AM PST. Reserve-fleet card: 'To be Scrapped'; displ. ld 10,710 / lt 8,717; ballast 4,866; draft 24'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- Merchant crews under five successive general agents; shipyard and reserve-fleet custody crews
- Limitations
- Primary custody record - documents operators, layups, transfers, and disposal sale, but contains no asbestos, material, or condition information; 'sold for NT [non-transportation] use... to be scrapped' supports scrapping as intended fate but the actual breaking is not documented on the card. Handwritten 'Reserve Fleet' entries partially illegible in scan; dates read as shown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-04
-
[5]MARAD Vessel History Database, INTERPRETER (AGR-14) detail page - particulars and milestones [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov ShipHistory/Detail/2303 (particulars, milestones); Detail/7681 (tonnage)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD detail page records: year built 1945; official number 247267; shipyard J. A. Jones Construction Company; MARAD type Z-EC2-S-C5; length 441.50 ft; beam 56.80 ft; gross 7,200 tons; summer displacement 14,474 tons; fate 'Sold -NTU'; milestones Disposition and Withdrawal both 11/4/1974 ('ex-DUDLEY H. THOMAS'). Companion record Detail/7681 lists gross 7,176 / net 4,380 tons.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Limitations
- Confirms identity and disposal dates; 'Sold -NTU' (non-transportation use) is MARAD's sale-category code - combined with the status-card 'to be scrapped' annotation it supports scrapping as the intended disposition; the database contains no asbestos or condition data and no historical narrative exists for this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-05
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[6]usmm.org (American Merchant Marine at War memorial reference), 'World War II Liberty Ships listed by Shipyard' - J. A. Jones Panama City entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- usmm.org/libyards.html - J. A. Jones Panama City row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The standard public yard table records J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City, FL as producing 102 Liberty ships including 28 'Boxed Aircraft Carriers' (the Z-EC2-S-C5 variant) - the builder and variant of this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Construction trades at J. A. Jones, Panama City
- Limitations
- usmm.org is a private merchant-marine memorial reference, not a government publication - the builder/variant attribution for this specific hull is independently confirmed by the MARAD record (shipyard + type fields); per-yard production totals are not separately corroborated here. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-06
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[7]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Second Circuit ruling addressing mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels; the court considered jurisdiction over a personal-injury claim against the United States for asbestos exposure aboard the WWII government merchant fleet - the same operating structure (WSA control with general-agent operators) under which this hull served 1945-1947. Claims against the government were barred on discretionary-function grounds.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1989 (opinion); wartime exposure period
- Population
- WWII 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 merchant-fleet claims. Reporter citation confirmed: 891 F.2d 31.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-07
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning era insulation typically remained in place aboard ships for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1979 (report); program era relevant to 1958-65 service
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; GAO fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not Philadelphia. Postdates this hull's naval service (1958-65) and disposal (1974) - carried only as era context that asbestos management during her service period allowed installed insulation to persist; establishes nothing about this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - description via product page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-08
-
[9]Batch-750 search ledger (this record): MARAD ShipHistory details 2303/7681 + status cards; DANFS transcription (NHHC canonical 404); usmm.org yard table; CourtListener ship-name and hull searches (blocked); site-restricted litigation search [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-interpreter-agr14-01 through sl-uss-interpreter-agr14-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Interpreter (AGR-14) or Dudley H. Thomas was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener API returned HTTP 429 (125/day rate limit) and the HTML search returned HTTP 403 at research time, so the litigation check is partial; a site-restricted web search of courtlistener.com for the ship name, hull number, and merchant name surfaced only name collisions (court-interpreter opinions, unrelated 'Thomas' criminal dockets) and no qualifying asbestos matter (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 emergency-program hull with a 1957-58 naval-shipyard conversion is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and scrapping records predate modern hazmat disclosure. The blocked CourtListener check means docketed litigation naming the hull cannot be ruled out. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-interpreter-agr14-09
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 181 (naval shipyard records - Philadelphia Naval Shipyard), RG 24 (Navy deck logs); NARA merchant-vessel logbook guidance (RG 26 regional distribution) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov record-group guides: RG 178, RG 248, RG 181, RG 24; merchant-vessel logbook guidance (RG 26)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): RG 178 Construction Division and regional Director for Construction files may hold J. A. Jones Panama City contract/hull records for MCE 2341 including outfitting specifications; RG 248 holds WSA vessel acquisition/operation files for the 1945-47 general-agency period; RG 181 Philadelphia Naval Shipyard records may hold the 1957-58 AGR-conversion work package - the most promising path to any hull-level material documentation; RG 24 Navy deck logs cover the 1958-65 commissioned period; merchant logbooks (RG 26) are distributed to regional NARA facilities by port of submission (Boston/New York/Baltimore for this hull's operators).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1965 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; 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-interpreter-agr14-10