J.A. Jones Construction Co. Panama
J. A. Jones Construction was just one of the companies that assisted in the massive ship building efforts that were required to keep up the Maritime Merchant fleet during World War II. They ran a plant in Panama City, Florida which was established in the early 1940's. The company originally intended to open a plant in South Carolina, but the Maritime Commission convinced them that Florida would be a better location which would allow them to get new vessels out to sea in a shorter time span.
At the time, Panama City was a very small place that was home to right around 20,000 people. J.A. Jones Construction was greatly responsible for expanding the community as they put up homes, schools and other buildings, created jobs and became a huge draw for people looking for work. The area soon began to develop and grow, and at one point the shipyard had more than 15,000 individuals working full time.
Panama's shipyard, which was commonly known as the Wainwright Shipyard, was largely responsible for building large Liberty ships, but they were also commissioned to create smaller Liberty class vessels that could be produced at a much faster rate. The need for new cargo ships was so immense that the government called for the immediate creation of new vessels to take the place of those that had been damaged or sunk.
J. A. Jones Construction helped give thousands of people jobs, new homes and decent city to live in, but they were also inadvertently responsible for an extreme health hazard that affected a large number of those people. Building a ship involves many different components, and one is to properly insulate the entire vessel to protect the equipment from overheating and to help stop the spread of fires that may break out on board. Asbestos was frequently used to create high end insulating materials that were used all throughout the ships. It was very strong, and could actually help contain and extinguish a fire. Almost nobody knew it back then, but asbestos is also highly toxic.
People who work with or near asbestos will breathe in tiny dust particles that become airborne. Once they are ingested, the poisonous dust becomes permanently lodged in the respiratory system where it will start to scar lung tissue and cause chronic disorders and diseases. Among the most notable results of asbestos exposure is Mesothelioma, a type of cancer that has taken the lives of thousands of people over the years. The people of Panama City were inundated with asbestos from the shipyard, and many people fell ill because of it.
The Wainwright Shipyard was closed down at the end of the war when the demand for new ships steeply decreased. Today the area is part of the Port of Panama City.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
