Document EvXw62ObYbOgDBBMokw9ebqLb

FILE NAME Industrial Hygiene Foundation IHF DATE 1934-1944 DOC IHF081 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Multiple Letters A, a 3 . we MANHEIM PENNA May 2 1944 . WAY WAY 5-1944 . 5-1944 , . Mr. S. Simpson President Raybestos Inc. Stratford Connecticut Dear Mr. Simpson Re Industrial Hygiene Foundation of America conference in New York in January about the Metropolitan After our in the textile mill I Life Insurance report on dust counts tFaokuenndation of America to send arranged with the Industrial Hygiene in various textile one of their engineers here to take dust counts departments J am quoting from the summary from the Industrial Hygiene Foundation report . - This is a report of a study undertaken to locate the most important sources of dust and to develop additional dust Manheim plant of U. S. Asbestos control measures at the Sixteen dust counts Manhattan Division of were made in various departments These samples indicate that conditions in the Picker House are not satisfactory but dustiness in the Carding Spinning and Twisting Depart- ments is less than 5 million particles per cubic foot Recommendations are made that can lead to a reduction of dustiness in the Picker House as well as in the Carding De- partment It is believed that while the card room is under the consequent starvation of considerable negative pressure the exhaust equipment is probably not in itself sufficient to account for any marked reduction in control of dust am also including herewith the various departments a record of the dust Picker House ; oe At Pan Crushers Floor Batching Batch feeding vertical opener 52 minute sample at central point of room for general near vertical opener counts taken in . Particles -~- per 8.7 1.7 99 cu.ft million million million 5.6 million 5-12-7 OY M 286 5-12-77 M hereafter imposed by my Federal State or Municipal authority or because of All prices are subject to change in respect of duties excise taxes or other charges tave regulatory measure bereafter adopted . gg ee gp ee Mr S. Simpson Carding General air conditions at in the Breaker Card Room various points General air conditions in Finisher Card Room Particles per cu.ft. 4.0 million 2.8 million At a point beside the condensers in Breaker Card Room . i, At a point near the card condensers in the Finisher Card Room 3.8 million 4.3 million Along central Finisher Card Room - - - Spinning - At mules At Frames on 2nd floor At Frames on 1st floor 4.8 million 4.8 3.6 2.0 million million million Twisters Average for all aisles , Universal Winders | 4. million " 3.0 million In commenting on this report on the phone Mr. McMahon Managing Direc- tor of the Industrial Hygiene Foundation stated the control of dust in this mill was far above the average for an asbestos textile plant He indicated that a dust count under 5 million particles per cubic foot is good However we recognize that this is a continuing program and we propose to first correct the conditions in the ricker House at those points where the dust concentration is over 5 million particles per cubic foot We then propose to make some changes in the card room which will result in further improvement We are fibre continuing to experiment with the We believe that this will result throughout the plant application of oil to the in further improvement Please consider this as a preliminary report as I plan to advise you from time to time of improvements that have been made A little later after we have made some change's suggested by the Industrial Hygiene Foundation engineer we shall arrange with Mr. Fehneolf the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tional dust counts in our various departments to make addi- Yours very truly mrs LL O. H Silvey SOUTHERN ASBESTOS COMPANY HIGH GRADE ASBESTOS TEXTILE PRODUCTS CHARLOTTE December 18 1936 TaN, rey 4 Mtg ~* mrs, u vai f ~ {So ry Vt Mr. S. Simpson President ae Inc Raybestos Bridgeport Conn "49 My ae 2gitye Dear Mr. Simpson 11th We have your letter of December for which we thank you We shall proceed as suggested by you through your Mr. Jeffords We are attaching herewith reprint of article published by J. Rush Shull of Charlotte I am not sure whether you have seen a copy This copy was sent to Mr. Schluter who has asked that I pass it along to you that you can get Dr. Gardner's re- action for the benefit of our industry For your information Dr. Shull so far as my information goes is usually found supporting the employees I have heard rumors that other doctors do not subscribe to Mr. Shull's contention as set forth in this article Many of the employees referred to in the 77 cases listed in the article have worked for our Company I am sure most of them have worked over a period of time for our Company Carolina Asbestos and your plant at Charleston shall be any time very glad we can be We appreciate your cooperation and to extend your companies the same at of service to you GSFabel Yours very truly SOUTHERN ASBESTOS COMPANY Miss Fratel President ~ NO AGREEMENT IS BINDING UNLESS CONFIRMED IN WRITING BY THE HOME OFFICE , RM102- RM102- RM102- RM102- RM102RM102- 4.20.7702 4.20.7702 EXECUTIVE OFFICES MANVILLE CORPORATION TWENTY TWO EAST FORTIETH \ ! ' NEW YORK STREET tas, ~ JAW wt ot . January Mr. Sumner Simpson President Raybestos Inc. Bridgeport Conn My dear Mr. Simpson Allow me to thank you for yours by of January 5th enclosing a reprint of the article Dr. Shull on Asbestosis A Roentgenologic Review of 71 Cases together with copy of Mr. Fabel's letter of December 18th Very truly yours VB Vandiver Brown General Attorney Bridgeport Comm November 10 1926 Mr. F. H. Schluter President Thermoid Rubber Co. Trenton N. J. My dear Mr. Schluter Mr. The writer and Vandiver Brown ofof Manville had a conference with Dr. Leroy Gardner of SaranacSaranac New York and Metropolitan Dr. Lanze and Dr. McComell of the Life Insurance Co. with reference to the Asbestosis situation in the Asbestos industry been Life As you no doubt know Manville and ourselves have coing considerable work in conjunction with the Metropolitan Insurance Co. in the way of eliminating AsbestosAsbestos Dust in our factories and we have made a very satisfactory job of it We have now reached the point where we can eliminate a large part of Dust but as yet have no definite information as the to what Asbestosis will lead into They claim it leads to Tubercu- do losis , but we not find this to be the Still , we cannot go go case into court and state definitely and specifically specifically that it will not Fibres GO SO We do know that Asbestos can and do get into the Fibrosis lungs and may tor name , some set up & doctors have condition which called Asbestosis for want of a bet- Dr. Gardner has a well equipped Laboratory and a number of separate Dust Chambers in his Laboratory Laboratory at Berane and he and his associates have been studying various typus typus of Duct for numbernumber of yours in connection with Tuberculosis but practically nothing has been cone with Asbestos In order to carry on a systematic Lust investigation it investigation , takes from two to three years and these investigations are general- ly pale pale for by industry mostly working as a unit 4 i avg Dr. Geroner's Laboratory Laboratory charge is 5,000.00 per per 3 and period any study should be based on sults that will stand up and a three year period be accepted by the and I believe by the courts in order to get necical fraternity T I think the Compensation Compensation Laus in the various stater stater will T eo a ey become more rigio in the next for ccount of the advertising it had Consonantion Consonantion cases and we should Aubaston yours hd no doubt on had Intely will become one of the nave all the information information we can Ge sibly got to submit to the Compensation Commissions of the various Cf states states when the question of Asbestosis Asbestosis comes up mr. Poo . Dr. Garener not hat hat oa Dust Dust Chamber Chamber buen and and could could start start ; Y , , a Mr. Schluter | . 2 11/10/86 nork on experimenting with Asbestos at once and has suggested to that the Asbestos industry take over this Lust Chamber and employ to carry on the experiments with guinea pigs and rabbits us him " a The idea of Mr. Brown and myself would be to have four or five or even more if no could get them Asbestos manufacturers take over this study by subscribing an equal amount per year for three years and then we could determine from time to time after the find- ings are made whether we wish any publication or not My own idea is that it would be a good thing to distribute the information among the medical fraternity providing it is of the right type and would not injure our companies work This would mean if four of us went in to carry on this it would be 1,250.00 1,250.00 a year for each one of us for a period of three years meeting have a If you are interestedinterested in this subject in New York on Tuesday November at The Biltmore or if this is not satisfactory you care to have it I should like to 17 at 18:30 o'clock can make it any place am asking the following to attend the meeting Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Vandiver Brown Manville Inc. F. H. Schluter Thermoid Rubber Co A. H. S. D. BLlaabgidoennt , Keasbey Asbestos & Mattison Co. Manufacturing Co. G. M. Williams Russell ManufacturingManufacturing Co. S. Simpson Manhattan Inc.. Is there any one else you would suggest Very truly yours SS President November 20 1936 LeRoy U. Gardner M. D. The Saranac Laboratory Saranac Lake New York Director Dear Dr. Gardner At a meeting yesterday attended by certain brake lining manufacturers Mr. Simpson and I were able to present to a fairly large group of interested corporations the proposal that one of your dusting chambers be engaged for further experimentation with asbestos dust The proposal was very well received and it appears that not less than eight and perhaps ten or more corporations will participate in financing these further experiments along the lines discussed when we met with Dr. Lanza and Dr. McConnell a few days ago Accordingly you may consider this letter as an authorization to you to commence the contemplated experiments with asbestos dust for the purpose of determining more definitely the causes and effects of asbestosis It is my understanding that among other questions which it is anticipated these experiments will answer are the following 1 what concentration of dust is necessary to produce the fibrosis of the lungs which is designateads asbestosis 2 Whether exposure to asbestos dust will produce asbestosis without the existence of previous infection and whether the ray changes found in advanced human asbestosis can be reproduced in animals without infection 3 Whether the fibrosis produced by asbestos is of the progressive type that is will the fibrosis increase once it has started after exposure to the dust has ceased -2- 4 Whether the fibrosis resulting asbestos dust is occasioned by tent of the asbestos or by its from exposure to the silicon confibrous structure .5 Whether the presence of asbestos diagnostic significance bodies has any will will that It is also our understanding that these experiments require approximately three years which will mean that they not be concluded until about the end they will cost 5,000 annually or a of the year 1939 total of 15,000 and It is our further understanding that the results ORSSt obtained will be considered the property of those who are advanc- v ing the required funds who will determine whether to what extent and in what manner they shall be made public In the event it is deemed desirable that the results be made public the manuscript approval of your study will be submitted to us for tion prior to publica- I shall appreciate your advising me if the foregoing accurately expresses the proposition you had in mind Also let me know the manner in which you would like to have the funds advanced to you Would you for example desire to have 1250 paid quarterly in advance or just what arrangement would suit you best Any method you suggest will be satisfactory tively Since the experiments are being underwritten by large group it has been suggested that as a matter a relaof con- venience any communications regarding the work be addressed to me and I will where necessary communicate the contents thereof to Mr. Simpson and the other parties You will be provided with funds by either Manville Corporation or Manhattan Incor- porated and we or they will secure from the other parties their pro rata contribution the I will advise you later of names of the other con- tributing parties , I shall appreciate your informing me at possible moment whether the arrangement as outlined with your approval the earliest herein meets VB Sincerely yours You diver ParownParown Vandiver Brown General Attorney THE SARANAC LABORATORY FOR THE STUDY OF TUBERCULOSIS OP THE EDWARD L. TRUDEAU FOUNDATION Mr. Vandiver Brown Manville Corporation 22 East 40th Street New York City Dear Mr. Brown POST OFFICE BORECEIVED BORECEIVED BORECEIVED BORECIVED BORECEIVED BORECEIVED BORECEIVED 7 CHURCH STRIETY 25 1936 SARANAC LAKE N.Y. : s ray November 23 1936 1936 3/4 : , VICE RichRich BE G TREAS OFFICE Your authorization to proceed with the proposed asbestosis experiments at is acknowledged with satisfaction the Saranic Laboratory We believe that such experiments can be expected to furnish asnwers to the questions which you have outlined The estimated cost of annually for a period of three years making a total of 15,000 is correct quarterly Your suggestion to make advanced payments of 1,250 will be entirely satisfactory Laboratory If this is not convenient any other that you may care to make will be acceptable to the arrangement ee of these and that The Saranac Laboratory agrees that the results studies shall become the property of the contributors the manuscripts of any reports shall be submitted for approval of the contributors before publication I would recommend that the experiments be performed with pure Canadian asbestos fibre containing re- latively little serpentine rock aust The Kings Floats used fact in our first experiment was unsatisfactory owing to that it contained such a high concentration of non- the fibrous rock dust If this meets with your approval I would suggest that a sample be submitted to the Laboratory for chemical and petrographic analysis Having mutually satisfied ourselves as to the material to be used I would request that the companies agree to supply a sufficient quantity of asbestos ground to the finest state of subdivision possible I am not aware whether any of fibres the contributo harvse apparatus capable of reducing to inhalable dimensions If this request should not 2.2.763 Pl 2.2.763 Mr.V.Brown 1936 prove practical some arrangement for its will have to be made by the Laboratory material received by us should be broken final reduction But at least the to powder It is impossible to estimate the amount of material necessary 88 its behavior in for our the experiments at the present time dusting apparatus has never been determined 1200 pounds With the Kings Floats tests approximately a year were required It is conceivable that a pure fibrous aust might be dissipated into the atmosphere more rapidly and hence even a larger quantity would be necessary will be 110 are ready pleased to examine can be procured to start the work at any time and samples of aust as soon as they . this program TI haanmking you for your cooporation in arranging With best regards Sincerely yours LUG CC EXECUTIVE Offices ~ MANVILLE CORPORATION a a TWENTY EAST FORTIETH STREET NEW YORK N. } } May 10 1940 Summer Simpson Esq President Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Connecticut Re Dr. Gardner's Experiments Dear Mr. Simpson I am sorry I was away when you telephoned me a few weeks ago However my secretary informed me of the matter about which you wished to speak to me In the same connection I believe you will Saten be interested in the attached excerpt from Air Hygiene TN Foundation Digest of April 1940 covering current matters in the field of industrial hygiene I have SE not read the original article but it is apparent from the Digest that Dr. Gardner is already publishing with- out seeking our advance approval certain conclusions which his reports to us have indicated were arrived at as a result of the experiments underwritten by the textile group I situation shall appreciate your comments on this Sincerely . VB Enc Tardives Tardives Brown Brown Vandiver Brown General Attorney 4-29-77 Jek 1 LP fl - < ' == Manville TWENTY East Fortieth Street NEW YORK yuan December 18 1934 Mr. M. F. Judd Manhattan Bridgeport Conn Inc. Dear Mr. Judd Confirming our telephone conversation I am enclosing herewith galley proof of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's preliminary study entitled Effects of the Inhalation of Asbestos Dust upon the Lungs of Asbestos Workers . I am also enclosing a copy of mine and Mr. Hobart's comments thereon I was just talking to Dr. Lanza and I am inclined to believe he will accede to most of our requests i by making appropriate provisions in the article VB Enclosures _ REGISTERED MAIL SPECIAL DELIVERY Very truly yours Plumm VauVau divedriver Vandiver Brown Attorney Plumm Plumm Plumm Plumm ~ Bridgeport Conn Jan. 2 1935 Mr. Vendiver Brown Attorney Hanville Corporation New York City Dear Mr. Brown Thank you for your letter of Dec. 24 Both Hr ' Simpson and myself feel quite safe in leaving the approval of the report in your hands I do think that Mr. Hobart made some excellent suggestions in his letter of Dec. 15 and hope that Dr. Lanza will give a lot of consideration to the comments | I take it for granted that when this article comes off the press the Metropolitan Insurance Company will see that you get copies of it in which event we certainly would like one for our files Yours very truly MFJ Secretary 7 Va \\v ASBESTOS Published by SECRETARIASELCRETARIALSERVICE SSEERVRICVEICE 16th Floor Inquirer Bldg PHILADELPHIA PA U. S. A. September 25 1935 Mr. Sumner Simpson President Raybestos Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Conn Dear Sir ee You may recall that we have written you on several ioe occasions concerning th publishing of information cussion of asbestosis and the work which has been or disand is Brain being done to eliminate or at least reduce it Always you have requested that for certain obvious reasons we publish nothing been respected and naturally your wishes have Possibly by this time however the reasons for your objection if so we to publicity on would like very this much subject have been eliminated to review the whole matter in and ASBESTOS Our thought is that we could either prepare from data which we have in our files or obtain from Mr. W. A. Godfrey of the Cape Asbestos Company London who is much interested in the subject an article on the work done in England and then someone follow it with an article written by as to the work done here | in your organization We understand from Mr. Stover that your North Charleston plant contains very complete dust control equipment and a descrip- tion of such equipment if you Possibly ing part of th article Possibly or this two showing some part of approve would make a very even you could supply a dust control equipment equipment interest- photograph 2 N) " o ^' y ae oy We await with much interest your reply If there is , serious objection it would sem to be a most interesting subject the for pages ASB.STUS rather the pages or ASBESTOS and possibly a discussion of it in alonr the right lines would serve to combat some of undesirable publicity given to it in current newspapers newspapers very truly BET J. PPoos esse the A yours J. Posse the Posse per ntewbvleewes hana Ne TS !! 9 817 & i. py vad a . M= anville TWENTY EAST FORtieth StreET NEW YORK Sars ~ The -- October 3 1935 Mr. S. Simpson President Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Conn My dear Mr. Simpson I wish to acknowledge receipt of yours of eda, October 1st enclosing copy of the September 25th letter from nene neem the editor of the magazine ASBESTOS a I quite agree with igen you that our interests are best served by having asbestosis receive the minimum of publicity Even if we should eventual- ly decide to raise no objection to the publication of an article on asbestosis in the magazine in question I think we should warn the editors to use American data on the subject rather than English Dr. Lanza has frequently remarked to me personally and in some of his papers that the clinical pic- ture presented in North American localities where there is an asbestos dust hazard is considerably milder than that reported in England South Africa I believe the question raised by Miss Rossiter might well be considered at the committee meeting scheduled for next Tuesday at which I understand both you and Mr. Judd will be present Very truly yours Vander Pororon Pororon Vandiver Brown Attorney - R. 124 4-29-77 Jik Bridgeport Conn Oct. 1 1935 Mr. Vandiver Brown Attorney Manville Corp. 22 East 40th St. New York City My dear Mr. Brown Enclosed is copy of a letter re- ceived from Miss Rossiter of Asbestos As I see it personally we would be just as well off to say nothing about er it until our survey is complete the less mid about asbestos the we are but at the same time we I think better off cannot lose track of the fact that there have been a number of articles on asbestos dust con- trol and asbestosis in the British trade magazines The magazine Asbestos is in business to publish trade and they have not printing the articles affecting the been very decent about English articles I shall be pleased opinion in the matter to have your Very truly yours -: Enc President RM125 RM125 4.79.77 4.79.77 Jud re METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY . FREDERICK ECKER PResident WILLIAM J. McCONNELL Assistant Director NEW YORK CITY } we , October 28 1935 Mr. S. Simpson President Raybestos Inc. Bridgeport Conn Dear Mr. Simpson This will acknowledge your letter of October 19 I shall be very pleased to see you Tuesday when you are in New York I assure you that arrangements had been made to assist your company | in the present litigation Very truly yours J. McConnell McConnell M.D. Assistant Medical Director Director Industrial Health Section ab cat RMI RMI Ie RMI ? / RMI / ? ' . Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport October 19 Conn 1935 HealtMhcConnell Dr. W. J.McConnell Industrial Health Health Metropolitan Life Life Assit Section Insurance Insurance New York City Medical Co. Co. Director My dear Dr HoComall Asbestos Dust at North Charleston Plant As you know our plant at North Charleston as well as the other Divisions the a long time in thethe the <u equiring wise regarding Asbursos have equiring equiring equiring beeninwfoorrkmiantgion medyoiucral Company of informinfoarmatiton ion information with information information medical for and medical and other- other- Dust hamures and Asbestosis Asbestosis We have had a number of suit as you are aware for which you 10 isted ul to prepare and at the last trialtrial your Mr. Panel present curtain sestified information We have depanded on your Company to that our attorney Mr.Mr. JuliJan ulian standstill Mitchell of Charlton , S. C. , ddesiered sdesiired red a an nd d aand nd were standstill standstil know what to do and carry on with th these ese suits for again say we Company's had depended on your very much upsetist reports could not expect any week when court assistance assistance Naturally HE WETCe Mr. Jefford from your that we department due assistance to orders you had received from your Superiors we gy te t v We immediately wanted to have you talk over the situation with Mr. Mitchell . to see they got in touch with do and asked ing Mr. Feimel I told them frankly that what that he could ao I thought it locked of of and when subpoena- me as if that was the only thing we could do if we were going important help of Mr. Fehnel in particularly these served look odd to served going was nothing you that else for this subpound us to do and was I could Mitchell out under the circumstances after Mr. what it was going to mean to him to have Mr. but see had Fehnel going cases really any pointed there out I do hope you will take this into consideration and that the assist- ance of Hr Feel will be given us very cheerfully ' ordinary can recognize the position position of the insura,, escom- pany in testifying in cacassee s s of this xind but as I se^ { \ it these particular particular cases of oursours at Charleston really come into re 4 a different category Pena de - Wes A reba ' i} your not ton We carried Compensation and Health Insurance with when these suits more first brought up at Charles- Company were covered against and of course under thepolicies we Asbestosis 6 dempre suits for AY ---- Metropolitan company much on information wanted lungs on the The Metropolitan Insurance Co. nor no other insurance in the United States had any data that was worth very Asbestos Lust or Asbestosis and naturally your Company health statistics and regarding Asbestos Lust Our Company was more then willing to coonerate with Manville cooperate you and we also induced to end your Company started with a DustSurvey of a number of the asbestos plants ed that When your appropriation for it be carried on until a new this work ran appropriation out you could oe Cand request- secured by your Company and we did to work under your control ourselves so Later but at the on we hired a man Mr. Binder expense of Manville and ad This aallll led us to believe that under the conditions we your would have aasistance ssistance in trying these unfair suits which would your benefit eventually a benefit to you and also have considerable bearing on the Dust racket about which so much has been published lately I feel as if your Company has not taken into consiourution all these various factors when turning down our request for Mr. Fehnel's pres- Chariston ence at the trials in has been following the details of various ramificationsramifications Mr. the Fehnel being the only man Dust Asbestos through all . who its Naturally if we could have foreseen the attitude the Department Metropoliton Insurance Co.'s Medical Department would take at this late date s would have hired a specialistspecialst and he would have had the data which your Company owns owns and as you know allspent large suns to make the Charleston Plant an iccal your one assistance we have with do not believe leston it will ortablish a will have this type of case that by likely precedent precedent come up sir Feheel testifying as it is hardly again for many years at Char- you and I am also certain it it isvery questionable if you will get the same amount of resistance from any two companies that you have boen get- ting from Hanville and ourselves and moreover it was our intention to draw in other esbestos companies in this survey es soon the time was right to bring them in and this would mean a tronendous amount of information on Achettos Dust and Asbestosis in the possession of the Retropolitan only ones in the United States so formation Insurance far as we Co. who would be know having this the in- have been trying to get in touch with my friend Mr. Kavanagh James D. Vice President of the Metropolitan Insurance Co. to endeavor to have him make an appointment with Mr. Ecker your President so I con go over this matter with him very care- fully and thoroughly and I hope to be able to do so next Tuesday Unfortunately I shall be ay the latter part of this weCK Very truly yours e President