USS Wood (DD-317)
The USS Wood (DD-317) served in the U.S. Navy for a decade in the early 20th century. She was named for William Maxwell Wood who served in the Civil War and Mexican-American War and as the first Surgeon-General of the U.S. Navy. Wood was built as a Clemson-class ship.
Construction
Wood was laid down in San Francisco, California by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in January 1919, launched in May, and commissioned in January 1921 with Lieutenant Commander Paul M. Bates in command. Carrying a crew of 114, Wood was 314 feet, five inches long and armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, one three-inch anti-aircraft gun, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes. She was powered by geared turbines and had a cruising speed of 35 knots.
Naval History
Following commissioning and trials, Wood was placed in the rotating reserve at San Diego, California and remained at that status through the summer of 1921. Wood then conducted drills and exercises off the coast of southern California, operating out of the port of San Pedro as well as the Coronado Islands, until late spring of 1922. In June, Wood sailed up north to Seattle, Washington and conducted fleet exercises in the summer. She participated in tactical drills and exercises at places like Tacoma, Port Angeles, Bellingham, and Seattle.
Wood was overhauled at Mare Island Navy Yard and at San Diego, and then returned to fleet battle practice. Remaining active from then on, Wood served with the Battle Fleet on the west coast, with breaks in this service to participate in Fleet Problems I through IX. During these deployments, Wood was assigned to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Hawaii, Central America, as well as Alaska.
In the fall of 1925, Wood sailed to Australia with Destroyer Division 34. During this deployment, Wood participated in the search for the PN-9 flying boat, and also searched for survivors of the German steamship Albatross in March 1927. Wood was then deployed, from June to July, to support American peace-keeping forces sent to Nicaragua. She was decommissioned at San Diego in March 1930, struck from the Navy list in July, and then sold for scrap in November.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Wood (DD-317)
Revolutionary innovations in industry in the 1800s led to the development of boilers, steam engines, and other heavy equipment which required the use of asbestos insulation. Asbestos fiber possessed several characteristics that made it a perfect fit for use on maritime vessels like the USS Wood, including flame resistance and an ability to be corrosion-proof.
Because asbestos material was used so widely on these vessels, just about every crewman would have had the potential to be exposed to the harmful substance. In some instances, a member of the ship's crew would have suffered additional asbestos exposure, especially if he was primarily employed in the engineering compartment where asbestos products were used in greater abundance. Asbestos gaskets were used in machinery all throughout the ship, and even the paint which coated every surface of Wood was contaminated with asbestos fibers.
The development of malignant mesothelioma is known to be strongly correlated with the level of exposure to asbestos fibers and also to the duration of exposure. Legal options are available for Naval and civilian personnel who are suffering from mesothelioma. Please fill out the form on this page to learn more.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-317.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd317txt.htm) Retrieved 4 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS Wood (DD-317).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/317.htm) Retrieved 4 January 2011.
