SS Excalibur

In the late 1800's a man named Archibald H. Bull established the New York and Puerto Rico Steamship Co. and created a route for sailing ships back and forth between the two destinations. The company was successful, but Bull was thrown out during a hostile takeover in 1900. Though down, Bull decided he would not allow himself to be out of the ship running business, and in 1902 he set up another route that would be known as the Bull Line. Once he had that established, Bull set out to build up a new fleet of ships to transport merchandise to and from New York and Puerto Rico.

There were two times when A.H. Bull had to give up some of his ships to the US Maritime Commission (USMC): for World War I and World War II. During the second World War, the government commandeered 3 of his vessels to aid in the war effort by joining the Merchant Marine fleet. By 1945 the fighting came to an end and Bull had lost more than a dozen ships aside from the ones taken by the USMC.

People who sailed on the civilian vessels and the military ships faced many of the same problems. They had to watch out for German submarines that were targeting American crafts, deal with tumultuous weather conditions and endure exposure to a toxic material that was on board each vessel. The hazardous substance in question was a mineral called asbestos.

For years asbestos was considered to be an extremely valuable natural resource, and it was used to create a large variety of products. One of the earliest and most common uses for it was to make insulation. The mineral was a great addition to any insulating product because it made them stronger, longer lasting and resistant to the most extreme temperatures, such as those produced by the equipment on every large ship. Asbestos was utilized abundantly until it was finally recognized as a poison that could be inadvertently inhaled by anyone who got too close.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to various maladies, and millions of people have been afflicted by it. Two of the more recognizable and serious health hazards that stem from inhaling infinitesimal bits of the mineral are Asbestosis and Mesothelioma, and there is no cure for either condition. Even those who are lucky enough to avoid these illnesses are likely to develop tissue scarring and breathing disorders.

The ships that sailed along the Bull Line contained copious amounts of this hazardous material. Tragically, this means that large numbers of people may have become afflicted by asbestos exposure and faced serious illnesses or even death simply by being on board.

Last modified: December 09 2009.