Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'USS J. Franklin Bell (AP-34/APA-16)' - transcribed text via HyperWar (NHHC live page returned 404 at access date, consistent with fleet's prior NHHC link-rot note of 2026-09-14) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'USS J. Franklin Bell (AP-34/APA-16)', full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS records the full official narrative: laid down in 1918 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; completed 1 March 1921 as passenger/cargo ship Keystone State; delivered to Pacific Steamship Co. 28 May; renamed President McKinley 9 June 1922; transferred to Admiral Oriental Line 21 December; operated in the Pacific until laid up in Seattle in 1938. Army purchased her 26 October 1940, renamed her J. Franklin Bell, and converted her to a military transport; transferred to the Navy 26 December 1941; commissioned in ordinary, then in full at San Francisco 2 April 1942, Capt. H.J. Grassie. Reclassified APA-16 1 February 1943. Campaign record: Adak reinforcement voyage Aug-Sep 1942; Attu landings 11-15 May 1943; Kiska August 1943; Tarawa/Betio November 1943; Kwajalein 31 Jan-8 Feb 1944; Saipan June-July 1944; Tinian July 1944 (diversionary demonstration); Leyte (Dulag) 20-21 Oct 1944 under repeated air attack; Okinawa/Hagushi 17-18 June 1945 unloading Seabees under air alerts; postwar troop lifts; arrived Suisun Bay and decommissioned 20 March 1946; transferred to WSA for disposal and sold for scrap 3 April 1948 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore. Six battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1918-1948
- Population
- Crew (683 complement) and embarked troops (up to ~1,800) during 1942-1946 Navy service
- Limitations
- Authoritative official ship history via faithful transcription mirror; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information whatsoever and supports no asbestos claim. Several dates (lay-up year, Navy transfer date, decommission date, scrap-sale date, battle-star count) conflict with NavSource ship-data values - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-01
-
[2]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive, 'AP-34 / APA-16 J. Franklin Bell' ship page (volunteer-compiled naval photo/data archive) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship chronology, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer list, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive entry for AP-34/APA-16 documents: laid down 13 May 1919 for the Emergency Fleet Corp. as SS Keystone State under USSB contract 2579 at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden; launched 5 May 1920; delivered 28 May 1921 to Pacific Steamship Co.; renamed President McKinley 9 June 1922; Admiral Orient Line 21 December 1922; returned to US Maritime Commission 1939 for Reserve Fleet lay-up at Seattle; acquired by U.S. Army Transport Service 26 October 1940 (renamed USAT J. Franklin Bell 12 February 1941), homeport San Francisco POE, Fort Mason; transferred to US Navy 2 December 1941 and converted; commissioned USS J. Franklin Bell (AP-34) 2 April 1942; reclassified APA-16 1 February 1943; TransRon Twelve / TransDiv Thirty-Four; seven listed campaign participations (Attu, Tarawa, Kwajalein/Majuro, Saipan, Tinian, Leyte/Dulag, Okinawa); occupation service 11-22 Oct 1945; decommissioned and returned to Army 21 March 1946; struck 12 April 1946; transferred to Maritime Commission by War Department 12 February 1947 at Suisun Bay; sold for scrapping 2 January 1948 to Boston Metals Co.; withdrawn from NDRF 2 April 1948 via NASSCO. Ship-data block: 8 B&W header-type boilers 265 psi/480 F, 2 Bethlehem Curtis turbines, Falk gear, 2 propellers 12,500 shp; complement 46 officers/637 enlisted; troop accommodations 103 officers/1,740 enlisted. Photo captions document a major overhaul and refit at L.A. Shipbuilding Yards, San Pedro, completed before a 30 April 1944 shakedown, with SG radar and Measure 32/41T camouflage.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1919-1948
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troops, 1942-1946; shipyard workers during the 1941-42 naval conversion and the early-1944 L.A. Shipbuilding overhaul/refit
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive, not an official Navy publication; several dates conflict with DANFS (transfer to Navy 2 Dec vs 26 Dec 1941; decommission 21 Mar vs 20 Mar 1946; scrap sale 2 Jan vs 3 Apr 1948; 'seven' vs 'six' battle stars) - DANFS treated as primary, conflicts in gaps. Propulsion and accommodation specs document asbestos-relevant machinery categories but mention no materials; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-02
-
[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - J. FRANKLIN BELL (APA-16 / AP-34), Detail 2344 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 2344: vessel data block, name history, milestones table, status card scan
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record 2344 for J. FRANKLIN BELL (APA-16/AP-34): U.S. Official No. 221314; built 1921 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation; USSB type; 14,127 GRT; length 535.16 ft; beam 72.16 ft; displacement 21,900 t summer / 13,529 t lightweight; vessel name history 1921-1923 Keystone State, 1923-1940 President McKinley, 1940-1948 J. Franklin Bell (AP-34); mission World War II; milestones: Disposition 4/3/1948 ('ex-PRES. MCKINLEY') and Withdrawal 4/3/1948; fate 'Sold - No Further Info'; digitized status card on file.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1921-1948
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones, registry identity, and tonnages; narrative section empty and contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information - supports no asbestos claim. Status-card handwriting not fully transcribed here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-03
-
[4]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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as fireproofing and insulation in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era in which this hull underwent its 1941-42 Navy conversion, its wartime amphibious service, and a major overhaul/refit completed April 1944 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and naval hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- 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)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull during construction, conversion, or refit, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-04
-
[5]Franke, K., and Paustenbach, D., 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (2011) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed state-of-the-science review concludes that federal government and Navy documents from 1900 to 1970 reflect growing knowledge of asbestos health hazards in shipboard insulation and shipyard work - a span covering both this hull's 1921 construction as a steam-turbine liner and its 1941-46 Navy service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1900-1970 reviewed; article 2011
- Population
- Navy sailors and shipyard workers across 1900-1970 (class context)
- Limitations
- Era-level literature review of government knowledge, not a hull record; does not name this vessel or establish asbestos presence, quantity, exposure, or causation aboard it. Authors are industry-associated experts frequently retained in asbestos defense work - cited here only for the uncontroversial era-level proposition that asbestos use was widespread in marine insulation practice.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-05
-
[6]shipyard-exposure-map, shipyards.json record 'new-york-shipbuilding' (aggregating underlying product and cohort citations incl. DOI 10.3109/08958378.2011.643417 and a 1944 U.S. Maritime Commission report to Congress) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Atlas shipyards.json yard_id 'new-york-shipbuilding', asbestos_products_documented and evidence rows
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The Atlas shipyard record for this hull's builder - New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N.J. (yard where the vessel was built 1919-1921) - documents asbestos products in yard use, including Pabco Six-Ply Super Caltemp block (15% chrysotile), Ehret 85% Magnesia insulation, Johns-Manville Transite panels (10-30% asbestos), asbestos gaskets and packing, and felt insulation (5-50% asbestos), plus elevated asbestos-disease findings among yard trade groups.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1919-1921 construction
- Population
- New York Shipbuilding trades workers, 1919-1921 construction period (yard context)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation only: it establishes asbestos use at the shipyard that built this hull, not aboard this hull. Does not establish that any listed product was installed in this vessel, nor quantity, exposure, or causation. Some underlying yard-row citations are broader than the yard itself (e.g., a British cohort study) - the product documentation, not the cohort rows, carries the weight here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-06
-
[7]Fowler v. American Mail Line, Ltd., No. 7143 (9th Cir. 1934), Wilbur, Circuit Judge [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener cluster 6961130; lead opinion snippet naming 'steamship President McKinley ... American Mail Lines'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- One published federal opinion plausibly names this hull under its merchant-era name: Fowler v. American Mail Line, Ltd. (9th Cir., decided 16 March 1934), a seaman's libel by a saloon watchman employed aboard the steamship 'President McKinley' owned by American Mail Lines, Ltd., brought under the federal statute forbidding flogging and corporal punishment of seamen (46 U.S.C. s.712 context). The appellate court affirmed dismissal of the libel. Non-asbestos maritime employment litigation - stage at conclusion: trial-court decree dismissing libel, affirmed on appeal.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1934 opinion; events early 1930s
- Population
- Merchant crew of SS President McKinley (saloon watchman appellant)
- Limitations
- Hull attribution probable, not certain: the opinion names the ship but gives no official number; only one U.S.-flag vessel bore the name President McKinley (Official No. 221314) during 1922-1940, and American Mail Line was part of the same Dollar-line Seattle operation that ran her, so the match is strong but unconfirmed within the opinion's text. Employment libel unrelated to asbestos; establishes litigation history only, not any asbestos condition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-07
-
[8]National Museum of the Pacific War, Oral History Interview with Thomas Lyons, September 12, 2009 (Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas) [museum_official]
- Locator
- Oral history interview record, NMPW/UNT metapth1605672
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- National Museum of the Pacific War oral history interview with Thomas Lyons (12 September 2009): Lyons served aboard USS J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) beginning April 1944; his job was to maintain 'everything from the superstructure of the ship forward to the bow'; he describes the first Alaska voyage in heavy seas, the Attu landings, training with the 2nd Marines for Tarawa (ship landed ~3,500 Marines and took on ~1,300 wounded, serving as an interim hospital), and subsequent operations at Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Leyte, and Okinawa through mid-1945; discharged January 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1942-1946 recollected; interview 2009
- Population
- Ship's company, April 1944-January 1946
- Limitations
- Crew-member recollection corroborating service history and documenting crew work areas aboard this hull; contains no asbestos or materials information and supports no asbestos claim. Recollection-level source for operational detail.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-08
-
[9]U.S. National Archives, Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations WWII War Diaries - 'USS J FRANKLIN BELL - War Diary, 9/1-30/44' (NARA id 134377489); NARA RG 24 deck logs [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog id 134377489 (via DPLA record); monthly war-diary series
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- National Archives holdings for this hull confirmed: WWII war diaries for USS J FRANKLIN BELL are digitized in the Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations WWII War Diaries collection (e.g., war diary for 9/1-30/44, NARA identifier 134377489, microfilm serial 90528); Navy deck logs for the vessel also exist in Record Group 24 (not digitized). These records were identified but not examined; shipboard war diaries and logs occasionally contain material-condition and maintenance detail relevant to insulation work.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Limitations
- Holdings confirmed to exist and be digitized; contents not examined for this record - presence of asbestos-relevant maintenance detail is possible but unverified. Log-books in RG 24 require archival access.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-09
-
[10]Batch-2118 search ledger (this record): DANFS/HyperWar; NavSource; MARAD ShipHistory 2344; CourtListener API v4 opinion+docket searches (ship name, prior name, hull numbers, asbestos); NARA catalog; NMPW oral history; law-firm ship-list pages (excluded, logged) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-01 through sl-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated/docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the authoritative sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion search on the ship name returns only the namesake's 1920s litigation (Gen. J. Franklin Bell, the person); 'J. Franklin Bell' + asbestos returns zero hits; the lone genuine name match is a non-asbestos 1934 seaman's libel under the hull's merchant name (ev-uss-j-franklin-bell-ap34-07). Asbestos content of the vessel's insulation is unknown - neither established nor excluded by any located record.
- 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 1921 steam plant and 1942-45 wartime service are consistent with era-standard asbestos materials, and the hull was scrapped before asbestos documentation regimes existed. 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-j-franklin-bell-ap34-10