Document 2qK2qQzbaZ1aQdQ4KreJb4Veg

Mr, m ,\a , Taylor \/ Frit/ X* Mercar ' ; *' ' \; ' -- .* 4 Memo He, Cape Fear Terminal, ,* ' Wilmington, ft. c. Alleged cases of lead poisoning. V ' ; New York charlotte, ft, c. 1 :' : -v - ^ "' July 8, 1948 Dear ratti In connection with the alleged cases of lead poisoning that occurred at Cape Fear Terminal, Wilmington, ft. C., tnere are several hits of Information that are pertinent and worth knowing* . My reasons for not remaining in Wilmington, ft. C. on the 19th June 1948 are the following! 1. Mr, L. km williams, of Tank cleaners Inc., had assured me that workmen who entered tankp&t Carolina Terminal would wear air-line masks and full protective equipment* There was no reason for me to doubt his statement, ae my unexpected and routine observa tions of their crews had always shown that our safety recommendations were being followed* 2* X do not usually carry a typewriter* report forms, stationery, etc., with me on field trips, and X had numerous reports to prepare over the week-end* On Monday, and part of Tuesday, I had planned, and made calls at Esso Standard Division office, Shell Oil company ' Division office, oulf oil corporation District offlee,the Texas company state Sales office- charlotte, ft, c, j f | f A while observing tankcleaning done by Tank cleaners, Inc, in Wilmington, H, C*, o n e o ^ X h j ^ o l o i ^ d employes, curts Nelson, told me the following* colored member of Tank \ '4 Cleaners Inc, crew was on^Mtan^cleaning ob at Fisher's islandf & laai, Florida, with Curtis Nelson* They were cleaning tanks for iBelcher Oil company# ; 4 .. . ' .; ' - '.'Vf* *. *'t- . \vA'\:., %j\. \. ' J The Negroes -styd'-'on .the ''island/h*rln&' iherfid&is, and'-itfei' White men of the crew returned to Miami, The names of the Negroes Sk" fc; N7668 who stayed on the Island w e r e f B M I ^ ^ ^ M E (often referred to a s C u r t i s Nexson^ac^Sward Williams The moaquitoeswer^BObad In the evening that the three hegroes, named above, slept in on of the tanks ___ ___ was sent away from Fisher's Island job to work o n t & n k 11 at cape Fear Terminal* After completion of the Fisher's Island Job, Curtis Kelson and Ed Williams were immediately rushed to Wilmington, K* G* to complet the work there* I observed Curtis Kelson and Ed Williams closely during their-eubsequenti work* and no ill effects were apparent thru the 4th July, 194$* at which time they completed tank cleaning activities at Wilmington, N# c* They departed for Jacksonville, Florida* at approximately 04*00 A*M* on the morning of 5th July, 1948* =. - : h '. .; . 'jc ' `. J* F* Sova; Tank cleaners Inc, Foreman, for the Wilmington, N. C* job from 25ih June 1948 thru 4th July, 1948, informed me Saturday morning (3rd July 1948) that he had talkd with their 'boss', X* Williams, in Jacksonville, Florida, the night before* Sova informed me that Williams had told him to tell me that he would assume full responsibility for the accident that hapnened and the eventsleading up to it* 2 called Jim Baldwin at hiB home.Saturday, and informed him of this development,xsLd this was the first word I had heard from X* Williams since he told me on 18th June 1948, that he would have his men use" protective equl re sent and masks for the cleaning of tanks at Carolina Terminal* 1he n a m ^ o f ^ h e c o lowed Doctor in Wilmington, c* wno examined and allegedly diagnosed the sickness as as a p p e n e T O W B ^ f a s given to me as Dr. James Samuel ray* /I have questioned two of Tank Cleaners Inc*, foremen, e o r c Smith and J* F* Sova, relative to the experience tnat may have had in ihe cleaning of tanks* X am told tna and L* Fll lams actually cleaned tanks together /ears a?o^ana that had had experience also with the cave company, Atlanta, heorgfK^^n the capacity of a crew supervisor or foreaan* Ap parently, however, he had been working for Otis Elevator cocmany in alias, Texas, a few months before he came to tllmington, t.*c. as Representative and job foreman for Tank cleaners Inc* From conversation with the personnel of Tank cleaners Inc* who were in fllsington, N* C*, I have learned the following* 1* Underground Aviation gasoline tanks were cleaned by this outfit for the 0* S* Aray Air Corps, at either roenv i n e , S* C* or Spartanburg, a* c* during ttpy or June 1948* ?- received no notification of this work* 2* "George smith, Foreman, informed m e '" ' 7 '- - w that our R* L. Jordan, in company with a visitor from our New York of* flee, once found Raymond Rouser(colored . tank cleaner) in a large gasollne tank that was being cleaned* working without t .\ ^ 30 Page #3 7 The general impression I have received fro all Tank j. Cleaners Inc. personnel, since learning of the accident to isthat they are most reluctant to discuss anythln^reRtlng to tank cleaning* Their attitude has been one of -secrecy and evasion* Of all the personnel who were in ftilmlngton, the most outspoken and straightforward was George Smith* Yours truly, Frits Y* Mercer