SS Samuel G. French Areas With Asbestos Exposure

The SS Samuel G. French was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida, during World War II. The ship was named after Samuel Gibbs French, an officer in the U.S. Army, author, and a major general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. The SS Samuel G. French was laid down on 31 January 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract, and launched on 21 March 1944. The shipbuilding industry was a heavy user of asbestos particularly prior to the 1970s. The toxic mineral was used in engine rooms to insulate pipes, boilers and other machinery. Poorly ventilated areas below deck and particularly in the engine rooms, created a risk of the dangerous asbestos fibers to stay in the air much longer. Unfortunately, asbestos can cause severe diseases to individuals exposed to it, especially if inhaled. On 25 November 1946, the SS Samuel G. French was sold to the Netherlands for commercial use, and renamed Egmond. After going through several more owners she was scrapped in Castellon, Spain, in 1971.