Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]DANFS / NHHC, 'Mississinewa II (AO-144)' (published 2020-10-20; live NHHC URL 404 as of 2026-09-24 - Wayback capture 2024-05-25) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Mississinewa II (AO-144)', history.navy.mil (Wayback 2024-05-25)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The second Mississinewa (AO-144), a Neosho-class fleet oiler (dp. 11,600 lt.; 655'; b. 86'; dr. 35'; s. 20 k.; cpl. 324), was laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J., May 1953; launched 12 June 1954 (sponsor Mrs. Jerauld Wright); commissioned 18 January 1955, Capt. M. J. Jensen. East Coast/Newport operations until 1 May 1956, then Naples homeport servicing the 6th Fleet through 1964, including Suez stand-by (fall 1956-early 1957) and the July 1958 Lebanon emergency (refueled over 200 ships during the Marine landing stand-by). Flagship of Commander Service Force, Sixth Fleet, 1962-1964. Newport homeport resumed September 1964; western Atlantic operations with Mediterranean deployments and a NATO northern-Norway exercise August 1966; helipad installed during 1957 overhaul. DANFS coverage ends 1969.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1953-1969
- Limitations
- Establishes identity, construction, and service history through 1969 only - DANFS text predates the 1976 MSC transfer and later disposition. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation statement; supports no asbestos claim by itself. Live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-24; citation is the Wayback capture of the canonical page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-01
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[2]Corley v. Long-Lewis, Inc., 688 F. Supp. 2d 1315 (N.D. Ala. 2010) (Davis, M.J.), CourtListener opinion 2316747 - order on plaintiffs' motion to remand, 2:09-cv-01812-HGD [court_record]
- Locator
- 688 F. Supp. 2d 1315, opinion text recounting Amended Complaint exposure list and Corley deposition (depo. pp. 257-58, 262-64)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Docketed asbestos personal-injury action: plaintiff Charles Corley (Navy boiler-room technician and ship-wide maintenance worker, 1946-1973) listed 'USNS Mississinewa' among exposure locations in his First Amended Complaint, and testified in deposition - as recounted in the opinion - that he was assigned to Mississinewa when she docked at the government-owned Norfolk Naval Shipyard for approximately three months in early 1960, supervising boiler-tube removal/replacement and overseeing removal and overhaul of all pumps aboard; he testified there were 'asbestos-insulated pipes all over the ship' and 'asbestos everywhere,' including fire pumps, heat exchangers, boiler evaporators and water evaporators, recalling General Electric as maker of the main engine-room heat exchanger.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- early 1960 (alleged exposure, Norfolk Naval Shipyard availability); opinion filed 2010-01-28
- Population
- Charles Corley (plaintiff; Navy boiler-room technician / ship-wide maintenance worker 1946-1973)
- Limitations
- Pleading/discovery-stage allegation - the opinion exists and the quoted testimony is verified, but the exposure claim was never adjudicated: this order decided subject-matter jurisdiction only (federal-enclave jurisdiction found; remand denied), and the case later ended in plaintiffs' voluntary dismissal without prejudice (see ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-03). The complaint's 'USNS' styling is an anachronism - in early 1960 this hull was USS Mississinewa in commissioned service; she became USNS only 1976-11-15. Hull identification is nonetheless certain: the only prior Mississinewa (AO-59) was sunk 1944-11-20. Does not establish that asbestos was aboard, that any individual was exposed, causation, or quantity.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-02
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[3]Corley v. Long-Lewis, Inc., No. 18-10474 (11th Cir. July 16, 2020) [court_record]
- Locator
- 11th Cir. No. 18-10474, opinion filed 2020-07-16
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Eleventh Circuit disposition of the Corley litigation: the opinion resolves three appellate-jurisdiction questions (finality of a voluntary dismissal without prejudice under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(2); territorial jurisdiction over an out-of-circuit interlocutory order merged into the final judgment; appellant standing). The case closed on a voluntary dismissal without prejudice - the asbestos-exposure merits, including the Mississinewa allegations, were never adjudicated.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2020 (appellate disposition)
- Limitations
- Procedural disposition only - confirms the litigation never produced a merits finding on exposure. Per litigation-stage discipline, the exposure record remains at pleading/discovery stage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-03
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[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - MISSISSINEWA (T-AO-144), Detail 3425 (milestones + status card 3425_RS10414AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 3425, milestone table and status-card scan
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD custody record for the hull: built 1954 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation; NDRF entry/acquisition 1991-07-30; departure from James River Reserve Fleet 2007-01-30 - 'Vessel departed the JRRF this date under Navy custody (per MOA) for scrapping in Brownsville, TX. Title remains with MARAD.'; dismantlement completed 2008-02-11 in Brownsville, TX; withdrawal same date; fate 'Sold - Scrap.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1991-2008
- Population
- Shipbreaking workers, ESCO/International Shipbreaking Ltd., Brownsville TX (2007-2008)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones and disposal; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information and says nothing about hazmat handling during dismantlement. MARAD's 'Specific Type' field reads 'LNG Liquefied Natural Gas' - a data-quality error; this hull was a petroleum fleet oiler (DANFS/shipscribe). Supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-04
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[5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USNS Mississinewa (T-AO-144) ex USS Mississinewa (AO-144) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AO-144 page, chronology block and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Photo-archive timeline corroborating official records: laid down 1953-05-04 at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden; launched 1954-06-12; commissioned USS Mississinewa (AO-144) 1955-01-18, CAPT M. J. Jensen; decommissioned 1976-11-15 and placed in service with MSC as USNS Mississinewa (T-AO-144); out of service 1991-07-30 to NDRF James River, Lee Hall, VA; struck 1994-02-16; title to MARAD 1999-05-01; sold for scrapping 2006-09-09 to International Shipbreaking Ltd. (ESCO), Brownsville; removed from JRRF 2007-01-30; arrived ESCO 2007-02-17; scrapping completed 2008-02-11. A Philadelphia Evening Bulletin photo caption documents the ship being prepared for commissioning at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 1955-01-17.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1953-2008
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled photo archive, not an official record - used to corroborate MARAD/DANFS dates and for the commissioning-site detail. Its 'second of five Neosho class' caption is an error (six built, AO-143 through AO-148, per shipscribe class table). NavSource's sale date (2006-09-09) conflicts with a secondary compilation (navysite.de: 2006-09-27) - noted as a gap; MARAD milestone table does not give the sale date. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-05
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[6]ShipScribe (S.S. Roberts), 'USS Neosho (AO 143)' class page - SCB Project No. 82 design data and construction/disposition tables (compiled from BuShips/SCB records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ShipScribe AO-143 class page: class characteristics, machinery line, construction table row for AO-144
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- AO-144 was built 1953-54 to the SCB Project No. 82 Neosho-class design: geared steam turbines, two boilers (600 psi/675 F), two shafts, 28,000 shp - a high-pressure steam plant constructed during the peak era of naval asbestos use. Era-standard applications for such a plant included boiler casing and fireroom insulation, steam-pipe lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets and packing, deck tile, bulkhead fireproofing, and cable insulation; the Navy did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1953-1955 (construction); era context 1950s-1970s
- Population
- Construction trades (New York Shipbuilding, Camden, 1953-55); crew (1955-1976); yard workers at overhauls
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey or construction itemization located for AO-144. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials on this hull; no quantity; does not establish what (if anything) remains or remained aboard. Era substitution timing per GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-07).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-06
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[7]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 when required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; GAO fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not this ship's builder. Supports era context for why insulation persisted aboard, not any fact specific to this hull; full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch) - description via product page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-07
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[8]U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 'The Fleet Oiler' (September 1958, Vol. 84/9/667) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Proceedings, September 1958 issue, 'The Fleet Oiler' article
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporary (1958) description of the Neosho (AO-143) class: Bureau of Ships began preliminary design March 1951; six ships; roughly double the transfer rate of previous Navy oilers. Mississinewa specifically: 'only oiler ever designated a flagship and converted to suit,' providing Commander Service Force Sixth Fleet with flag accommodations (staff berthing, enclosed flag bridge, helicopter, flagship communications) - consistent with DANFS's 1962-1964 ComServFor 6th Fleet flagship service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1951-1958
- Limitations
- Class-level design and employment context from a contemporary professional journal; ship-specific only as to the flagship conversion it describes. No asbestos, materials, or insulation content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-08
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[9]Batch-1856 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS (Wayback), MARAD ShipHistory 3425, NavSource, ShipScribe class page, USNI Proceedings, Naval Vessel Register, CourtListener opinion and docket searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-mississinewa-ao144-01 through sl-uss-mississinewa-ao144-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding located for AO-144. The Naval Vessel Register retains no AO-144 detail page (stricken/disposed hulls are largely absent from the public NVR). MARAD's disposal milestones document scrapping but are silent on asbestos handling. CourtListener opinion-index searches returned one qualifying hit - Corley v. Long-Lewis (ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-02), a discovery-stage allegation - amid Indiana name collisions (Mississinewa Community Schools, Marion & Mississinewa Railroad, Mississinewa Mining).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1953-55 steam-plant oiler is era-consistent with extensive asbestos insulation, and the Corley deposition (unadjudicated) asserts it was present. Does not establish presence or absence, exposure, causation, or legal eligibility. CourtListener docket-index matches inside the MDL-875 master docket and LoSurdo v. ViacomCBS (D.N.J. asbestos removal) were index-level matches whose specific documents were not retrieved (fleet query pacing) - logged in search_ledger, not treated as evidence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-09
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[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships / SCB records), Norfolk Naval Shipyard workload records; MARAD disposal file for hull 3425 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA RG 24 (deck logs 1955-1976); RG 19 (BuShips/SCB Project 82); Norfolk Naval Shipyard records; MARAD disposal file for ShipHistory hull 3425
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no research-room visit or reproduction order): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Mississinewa (AO-144), 1955-1976, would document the early-1960 Norfolk Naval Shipyard availability alleged in Corley; (b) RG 19 Bureau of Ships records for SCB Project No. 82 may hold outfitting/insulation specifications for the class; (c) Norfolk Naval Shipyard workload/repair records for the ~3-month early-1960 availability; (d) MARAD disposal file for this hull (ShipHistory Detail 3425) may contain pre-scrapping hazmat/asbestos documentation from the 2006-2008 ESCO dismantlement.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1953-2008 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mississinewa-ao144-10