USS Seaman (DD-791)
The USS Seaman (DD-791) was launched in 1946 and remained in reserve for a decade and a half in the mid-20th century. She was named for Lieutenant Commander Allen Lang Seaman, a naval pilot who was awarded the Air Medal for his services at Wake Island, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his duties at Hollandia, New Guinea in World War II.He was also awarded a Gold Star posthumously. Seaman was constructed as a member of the Gearing class of naval destroyers.
Construction
Seaman was laid down at Seattle, Washington by the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation in July 1945 and launched in May 1946. Supporting a crew Complement of 336, Seaman was armed with ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, eleven 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, six five-inch anti-aircraft guns, and twelve 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns.
Featuring a displacement of 3,460 tons, Seaman was 390 feet, six inches in length. Seaman was driven by General Electric geared turbines and two screws supporting a cruising speed of 36.8 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots.
Naval History
Seaman was delivered as an incomplete superstructure to the officer in charge of demobilizing shipping, in June 1946, for the 13th Naval District. Placed in the Bremerton Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Seaman was never commissioned. She remained in Bremerton, Washington until being struck from the Navy list in March 1961.
Seaman was sold as a hulk to the First Steel and Ship Corporation at New York in September 1961. Later in the month, the destroyer was then delivered to the Learner Company at Alameda, California to be used for scrap.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Seaman (DD-791)
As Seaman never actually entered service, ordinary Naval personnel had very limited exposure to the asbestos present in her hull and machinery. Though the U.S. Navy used asbestos heavily in its warships of her era, on board Seamen the primary asbestos risk would have been borne by shipyard and dock personnel who built her and later by those who worked on scrapping her.
It is likely that asbestos insulation was present in the compartments and bulkheads of Seaman and workers building her or taking her apart would have been exposed to asbestos more frequently. In areas of the ship in which the chances of a fire are greater, like the engineering room, material made of asbestos was used to fireproof pipes and equipment. Asbestos insulation worked its way into almost every compartment of a ship because it was used to insulate the ship's steam pipes.
When inhaled, asbestos dust damages the mesothelium and can result in mesothelioma. It is understood that asbestos is the cause of pleural mesothelioma, but asbestos ingestion can cause other ailments as well. As it has been proven that inhalation of asbestos can cause serious diseases and significant risk of death, legal recourse is often available to those with asbestos-related conditions.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-791.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd791txt.htm
NavSource Naval History. Seaman (DD-791).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/791.htm
