SS Thomas H. Barry

The SS Thomas H. Barry was originally a passenger ship known as the SS Oriente. She was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in 1930 and sold to the War Department in 1941.

When the United States military took control of the ship, they renamed her the Thomas H. Barry and utilized the craft to transport army personnel overseas. The vessel was intended to be taken over by the US Navy, but that never happened and the Army continued to use it throughout all of World War II.

Prior to the 1970's, most every ship that was built in the United States featured products that contained mass quantities of the mineral asbestos. Since it was initially discovered in America during the late 1800's, asbestos was thought to be among the most beneficial natural resources of all time. Not only was it easy and economical to mine, but the mineral added a great deal of strength and durability to every product that was made from it. To make matters even better, asbestos is naturally flame resistant, so it was able to slow and even stop the spread of fire. This feature was especially beneficial on large transport vessels because they all had several pieces of equipment that produced copious amounts of heat and were an extreme fire hazard.

No one would argue that asbestos provided several benefits, but one detrimental quality outweighed all of them. The mineral is poisonous and therefore extremely dangerous to animals and humans. When people spend time around asbestos in any form, they can inhale microscopic bits of the material that have become airborne. This asbestos dust then settles into the respiratory system and leads to the destruction of formerly healthy tissues. As time goes on, the mineral can produce breathing disorders and various diseases. Mesothelioma is a well known type of cancer that is almost always brought on by exposure to asbestos.

Everyone who spent time working and living on the SS Thomas H. Barry may have been subjected to breathing in unknown quantities of asbestos. Civilians who enjoyed it before World War II, and Army personnel who served within the ship's walls could have been exposed to this toxic material and may have suffered from health problems as a result.

Last modified: December 09 2009.