Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS SALEM' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS SALEM' returned 9 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-salem-ca139-cl-name-opinion
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[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS SALEM' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS SALEM' returned 974 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-salem-ca139-cl-name-docket
-
[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'CA-139' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'CA-139' returned 44248 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-salem-ca139-cl-hull-opinion
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[4]CourtListener docket search: 'CA-139' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'CA-139' returned 125144 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-salem-ca139-cl-hull-docket
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[5]Thayer v. Pittsburgh-Corning Corp., 45 Mass. App. Ct. 435, 698 N.E.2d 1279 (1998) (WARNER, C.J.); further appellate review denied Dec. 1, 1998 [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion factual recital and disposition paragraph; full text verified this session via masscasesarchive.com (Mass. Trial Court Law Libraries mirror of masscases.com) - CourtListener throttled (HTTP 429) today
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Appellate opinion recites that Richard Thayer was exposed to asbestos between 1948 and 1952 while working as a machinist's helper on USS Des Moines and USS Salem under construction at the Fore River Shipyard, and while serving aboard USS Salem during overhaul and subsequent naval exercises; diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 1992. Tried to a Superior Court jury (Zobel, J.) on breach of warranty against non-settling defendant Owens-Illinois; jury awarded $242,000 to Thayer and $3,000 to Patricia Thayer. EXACT DISPOSITION: on Owens's appeal the court held the exclusion of state-of-the-art evidence was error under Vassallo v. Baxter Healthcare Corp., 428 Mass. 1 (1998) - 'The judgment is reversed, and the verdict set aside,' remanding for retrial; further appellate review denied Dec. 1, 1998. No retrial outcome located in public sources.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1948-1952 (exposure); 1993-1998 (litigation)
- Population
- Fore River machinist's helper 1948-1952, later Navy crewman aboard Salem; mesothelioma
- Limitations
- Documents exposure aboard this specific hull as recited and tried at trial, but the plaintiff verdict was vacated on appeal (evidentiary/state-of-the-art grounds, not a rejection of the exposure evidence) - this is a trial record, not an affirmed judgment. Does not quantify asbestos aboard, does not adjudicate which manufacturer's products were aboard Salem versus Des Moines or other vessels (settling defendants: AC&S, Fiberboard, GAF, Garlock, $431,000 aggregate), does not establish causation for any other individual, and says nothing about present-day conditions or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-01
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[6]Hickman v. CBS Corp. (A.W. Chesterton Co. et al.), No. 1:16-cv-00308-LPS-SRF (D. Del.), Report and Recommendation, ECF No. 202 (2017), on defendants' summary-judgment motions [court_record]
- Locator
- Hickman v. CBS Corp., 1:16-cv-00308 (D. Del.), ECF No. 202, recital at cited deposition pp. 127-134 (documented pull 2026-09-15); corroborating reserve-basin captions at getarchive.net (NHHC photo archive mirrors)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Report-and-recommendation-stage recital (per documented batch-07 QA-02 full-text pull, deposition pp. 127-134): plaintiff, a Navy machinist transferred to Philadelphia in 1975 for three years, removed pumps and valves from decommissioned ships for reuse aboard active vessels - 'Some of the ships he went aboard include the USS Iowa, the USS Wisconsin, the USS Intrepid, the USS Keasarge [sic], the USS Northampton, the USS Salem, and a few smaller ships' - with his Philadelphia asbestos exposure associated with removing lagging/asbestos material from those pumps and valves. This is a hull-specific exposure allegation aboard CA-139 during her Atlantic Reserve Fleet lay-up at Philadelphia (1959-1994), i.e., reserve-fleet salvage work, not active-service exposure. Context corroborated: period NHHC photograph captions place Iowa, Wisconsin, Northampton, Newport News, and Salem/Des Moines in the Philadelphia reserve basin in 1976-1982. QUALIFYING asbestos-litigation record naming this hull, classified at R&R stage.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1975-1978 (alleged exposure); 2016-2017 (litigation)
- Population
- Navy machinist performing reserve-fleet salvage (Philadelphia, 1975-78); CA-139 in Atlantic Reserve Fleet custody
- Limitations
- R&R-stage allegation recital, not an adjudicated finding; per the documented pull the R&R recommended granting defendants' summary-judgment motions (a magistrate recommendation, not a final merits ruling). The work described is salvage/removal aboard a decommissioned reserve-fleet hull, not operation-era service. Ship-list recital rests on the documented batch-07 QA-02 pull of ECF No. 202 - today's re-verification was blocked by CourtListener throttling (HTTP 429, 125/day) and the docket entry is not hosted on ded.uscourts.gov; the published Ford-MSJ R&R on that site (verified this session) does not name the vessel. If accurate, confirms asbestos material (lagging) aboard the laid-up hull per plaintiff testimony; establishes nothing about quantities or other individuals.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-02
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[7]Hickman v. CBS Corp. (A.W. Chesterton Co. et al.), No. 16-308-LPS-SRF, Report and Recommendation on Ford Motor Co.'s motion for summary judgment (D.I. 150), dated December 11, 2017 (D. Del., published on court's opinions site) [court_record]
- Locator
- Published R&R PDF, Background/Facts section + footnote 3 (ded.uscourts.gov/sites/ded/files/opinions/16-308.pdf); docket termination 2019-08-19 per CourtListener index (documented, not re-fetched today)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Official published R&R verified this session (PDF fetched from ded.uscourts.gov, HTTP 200): plaintiff Gerald Hickman filed this asbestos personal-injury action March 15, 2016 in Delaware Superior Court; removed April 27, 2016 by Crane Co. under the federal-officer removal statute; First Amended Complaint September 12, 2016; plaintiff deposed January 31 - February 1, 2017; alleged asbestosis and asbestos-related pleural disease from Navy service plus civilian automotive work; Navy service included being stationed at Norfolk in 1970. The R&R recommends GRANTING-IN-PART and DENYING-IN-PART Ford's motion (conspiracy claim only). Footnote 3 expressly declines to recite facts of 'Plaintiff's lengthy naval career' because the document addresses Ford's motion only. THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT NAME USS SALEM.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2016-2019 (litigation)
- Population
- Navy veteran, service circa 1960s-1970s; asbestosis and asbestos-related pleural disease
- Limitations
- Verified anchor for the Hickman docket's existence and posture; the 'USS Salem' reference lives in a different docket document (ECF No. 202, see ev-02). Norfolk 1970 service postdates CA-139's 1959 decommissioning and is consistent with the later Philadelphia reserve-fleet assignment recited in ev-02. Establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. Host previously unstable (served 200 then 404 in the batch-07 session); fetched clean today.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-03
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[8]DANFS, Salem III (CA-139), Vol. VI pp. 260-61 (builder, dates, seven 6th Fleet flagship deployments, 2nd Fleet flagship, inactivation; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + full service narrative (losthistory.net/hazegray transcription of DANFS Vol. VI pp. 260-61)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 4 July 1945 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass.; launched 25 March 1947, sponsored by Miss Mary G. Coffey; commissioned 14 May 1949, Capt. J. C. Daniel in command; seven Mediterranean deployments as 6th Fleet flagship (1950-1958, incl. 'permanent' flagship homeported at Villefranche 1956-58, Suez-crisis diversion, Jordan-support presence); relieved Northampton (CLC-1) as 2nd Fleet flagship 11 August 1958; reported to Norfolk Navy Yard 7 October 1958 for inactivation; decommissioned January 1959; berthed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia as of the 1974 entry date. Design complement 1,738; speed 33 kts; class Des Moines. Confirms no post-1959 active service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- Construction trades 1945-49; crew 1949-59
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content; the entry predates the 1990s donation and does not record stricken or museum dates. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404; text verified verbatim this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-04
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[9]DANFS specifications block (Des Moines class; 33 kt) + museum specifications (4 B&W boilers, 4 GE turbines, 120,000 shp, 4 screws) + Atlas shipyard dataset, Bethlehem Shipbuilding/Fore River yard records (documented asbestos litigation and product use) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS specifications block; uss-salem.org specifications tab (machinery); shipyards.json records 'bethlehem-shipbuilding' and 'fore-river-shipyard'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference: Des Moines-class postwar construction (four-boiler geared-steam-turbine plant, ~120,000 shp) at the Bethlehem/Fore River yard in 1945-49 falls inside the documented naval asbestos-insulation era; the builder yard is documented in the Atlas shipyard dataset (tier 3) with asbestos litigation and product-use records covering the same decades, and the Thayer litigation independently recites asbestos exposure at that yard on this class of hull during the same window.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1945-1959
- Population
- Bethlehem/Fore River construction trades 1945-49; crew 1949-59; reserve-fleet workers 1959-1994
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - the ship-specific evidence for this hull is the Thayer row (ev-01) and the Hickman recital (ev-02); this row must not be read as an independent ship-specific finding. Does not quantify material aboard or establish that any specific product was installed on CA-139.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-05
-
[10]USS Salem / United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum official history and specifications pages (uss-salem.org) [museum_official]
- Locator
- https://www.uss-salem.org/history/ - Ship History narrative + Specifications/Machinery tab
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Museum record: ordered by the Navy 14 June 1943; laid down 4 July 1945 at Bethlehem Steel's Quincy Yard; launched 25 March 1947; commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard 14 May 1949; decommissioned 30 January 1959 and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard ('a small city placed in mothballs... for 35 years'); returned to Quincy October 1994 as centerpiece of the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum; re-commissioned into the Historic Naval Ships Association 14 May 1995. Specifications tab: 4 General Electric geared turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers (615 psi/850F), rated 120,000 shp (120,064 measured on trials), 4 screws. Nickname 'Pride of the Sixth Fleet.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1994-present
- Population
- Museum visitors/staff; preservation volunteers 1994-present
- Limitations
- Museum materials document custody, preservation status, and technical specifications only; no asbestos survey, abatement, or hazmat disclosure is published on the site. Commissioning location (Boston Navy Yard) is a museum detail consistent with the DANFS post-shakedown Boston repair entries. '35 years in mothballs' is the operator's framing for the 1959-1994 reserve lay-up.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-salem-ca139-06
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[11]Batch-174 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live page (404), HazeGray DANFS mirror, uss-salem.org site-wide review, ded.uscourts.gov published opinions, CourtListener (throttled - documented prior sweep carried), NPS/HAER/LOC query (no record) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-salem-ca139-01 through sl-uss-salem-ca139-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, or museum hazmat disclosure located: the museum's public site carries no asbestos documentation, no HAER/NPS record for this hull exists, and no additional qualifying litigation beyond Thayer and Hickman was located in the documented searches. Absence is a search result, not a finding about materials aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-49 steam cruiser preserved in near-original condition is consistent with retained era materials. 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-salem-ca139-07