Document rB851BKZo2yzDqGZqK00R4YRJ

FILE NAME Industrial Hygiene Foundation IHF DATE 1934-1944 DOC IHF081 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Multiple Letters MANHEIM PENNA May 2 1944 WAY5-1944 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 counts in various textile one of their engineers here to take dust departments I am quoting from the summary from the Industrial Hygiene Foundation report . Inc. This is a report of a study undertaken to locate the most sources of dust and to develop additional dust important at the Manheim plant of U. S. Asbestos control measures Division of Manhattan Sixteen dust counts 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 ; se 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 9.9 cu.ft million million million 5.6 million 286-2.1 M other charges hereafter imposed by my Federal State or Municipal authority authority or because of All prices are subject to change in respect of duties excise taxes or love requlatory measure bereafter adopted ~ 7 a 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 , . 3.8 million At a point near the card condensers in the Finisher Card Room 4.3 million Along central Finisher Card Room Spinning - At mules At Frames on 2nd floor At Frames on 1st floor 7 - 4.8 million 4.8 3.6 2.0 million million million Twisters Average for all aisles , Universal Winders | 4.0 million 3.0 million In commenting on this report on the phone Mr. McMahon Managing Director 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 continuing to experiment with the fibre 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 changes suggested by the Industrial Hygiene Foundation engineer we shall arrange with Mr. Fehnel of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tional dust counts in our various departments to make addi- Yours very truly O. H Silvey SOUTHERN ASBESTOS COMPANY HIGH GRADE ASBESTOS TEXTILE PRODUCTS CHARLOTTE December 18 1936 <4 Mr. S. Simpson President tee he Inc 2 Raybestos Bridgeport Conn 6.8 eoey gye l 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 published of article I am not sure by J. Rush Shull whether you have seen a of Charlotte 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 Shull's other doctors do not subscribe to Mr. as set forth in this article contention 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 Yours very truly SOUTHERN ASBESTOS COMPANY GSFabel President ~ | NO AGREEMENT IS BINDING UNLESS CONFIRMED IN WRITING BY THE HOME OFFICE , RM102- RM102- RM102- RM102- RM102RM102- 4.72.7702 4.72.7702 Executive Offices MANVILLE CORPORATION TWENTY EAST FORTIETII STREET ' NEW YORK . oro nel re, January 6 1937 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 Thermoic RubberRubber Co. Trenton N. J. My cear Mr. Schluter Saranac Metropolitan of Mr. The writer end had a conference with Dr. Dr. Lanze und Dr. McConnell Asbestosis with reference to the Asbestosis Vandiver brown Manville Jeroy Gardner of of the Saranac New York and Life Insurance Co. situation in the Asbestos industry As you no doubt know Manville ourselves have and been coing considerable work in conjunction with the Metropolitan way Life Insurance , in the of eliminating Asbestos Dust in our Co. factories and wewe have made a very satisfactory job of it definite point bu have now reached the where we can eliminate a large part of the Dust but as yet nave no information ns to what Asbestosis will lead into They chain it leads to Tubercu- losis but into court GO SO We we do not find this to be the case and state definitely and specifically specifically do know that Asbestos Fibres can it Stillwe cannot go that will not and do get into the which lungs and may set up a Fibrosisconcditoionndition condition Asbestosis tor name some doctors have called Asbestosis Asbestosis for want of a bet- and Dr. Gardner has a well equipped Laboratory a number of separate Dust Chambers in his Laboratory Laboratory at Berunze and he and his associates have studying various typesof Duct for number of yours in connection with Tuberculosis but practically nothing has been cone with Asbertos years takes In order to carry from two to three a systematic Lust investigation it one these investigations are general- ly pale for by industry mostly working as a unit ( t JM, yearperiod 5,000.00 any study Dr. Geroner's Laboratory should be based on a three Laboratory charge three year sults that will stand up and be accepted and I believe by the courts is 5,000.00 por 3 , 23316 period in order to get re- by the necical fraternity | ft, ys ot Se sp C * C C Lf - I think the Compensation Compensation Labs in the virious state will Deone on rigio in the next for ccount of the advertising had Compensation casos and we should Sears onG, no doubt Abastou had will become Intely information save all the information one we on of the can pos sibly got to submit to the Compensation Comissions of the various st,ates when the question of Asbestosis Asbestosis comes up fot 3 Er Garoner not he & " t Eust Chamber ben and could stort stort ' Ad rey a . Lf Mr. Schluter . f. . * KO Re , 11/10/26 ; wd org on experimenting with Asbestos at once and has suggested to us e that the Asbestos industry take over this Dust Chamber and caploy him a to carry on the experiments with guinea pigs and rabbits . on 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 This would mean if four of us went in to carry on this work it would be 1,550.00 a year for each one of us for a period of three years If you are interested in this subject have a meeting 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 . SS SS - G . Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Vandiver Brown Manville Inc. F. A. H. H. S. S. D. Inc. Co Schiutor Thermoid Rubber Blagden Blagden Keasbey Keasbey & Mattison Mattison Mattison Co Vv Co Blagden Keasbey & Mattison Co. Labiont Asbestos Manufacturing Co. G. G. M. Williams Russell Manufacturing Co. S. SS.. Simpson Manhattan Inc.. +. Is there any one else you would suggest Very truly yours 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 experi- mentation 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 procuce the fibrosis of the lungs which is designated as asbestosis 2 Whether exposure to asbestos dust will produce asbestosis without the existence of previous infection and whether the ray changes found reproduced in advanced hunan asbestosis can be 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 M3-3-1RR22 M3-3-1 -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 of the year 1939 and they will cost 5,000 annually or a total of 15,000 15,000 It is our further understanding that the results 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 the event it is deemed desirable that the results be made public the manuscript approval of your study will be submitted to us for approval 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 _ tributing parties of names of the other con- I shall appreciate your informing me at possible moment whether the arrangement as outlined with your approval the earliest herein meets Sincerely yours VB 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 OS New York City Dear Mr. Brown RECEIVED POST OFFICE RECEIVED RECEIVED RECEIVED RECIVED RECEIVED RECEIVED . 7 CHURCH STRIATY 25 1938 SARANAC LAKE . . $4 \ November 23 1936 wt eft, . BEC 4 TREAS DEFICE Your authorization to proceed with the proposed asbestosis experiments at the Saranic Laboratory is acknowledged with satisfaction We believe that such experiments can be ex- pected 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 Your suggestion to make advanced quarterly payments of 1,250 will be entirely satisfactory to the Laboratory If this is not convenient any other arrangement that you may care to make will be acceptable . of these and that approval The Saranac Laboratory agrees that the results studies shall become the property of the contributors the manuscripts of any reports shall be of the contributors before publication submitted for I would recommend that the experiments be performed with pure Canadian asbestos fibre containing re- latively little sermentine rock aust The Kings Floats used in our first experiment was unsatisfactory owing to the fact that it contained such a high concentration of non- 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 ouantity of asbestos ground to the finest state of subdivision possible 1 am not aware whether have any of fibres the contributors apparatus capable of reducing to inhalable dimensions If this request should not 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 as its behavior in for our the experiments at the present time dusting apparatus has never been determined With the Kings Floats tests approximately 1200 pounds 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 ---- are ready pleased to examine can be procured to start the work at any time and samples of aust as soon as they . this progprogram ram TI haam nking you for your cooporation in arranging With best regards Sincerely yours LUG CC 16.9 16.9 16.9 MANVILLE CORPORATION St ea ast foots a TWENTY EAST FORTIETH STREET - EXECUTIVE OFFICES NEW YORK N. , } May 10 1940 Summer Simpson Esq President Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Connecticut Re Dr. Gardner's Experiments eee 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 be interested in the attached excerpt from Air Hygiene Foundation Digest of April 1940 covering current matters in the field of industrial hygiene I have 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 shall appreciate your comments on this situation Sincerely VB Enc Vandiver Brown General Attorney 7 == Manville TWENTY East Fortieth Street NEW YORK asia 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 f inclined to believe he will accede to most of our requests by making appropriate provisions in the article Very truly yours . VB Enclosures REGISTERED MAIL _ .SPECIAL DELIVERY F Vandiver Brown Attorney 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 Mr. 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 ovent we certainly would like one for our files Yours very truly MEJ Secretary Lt DP oy Nw ASBESTOS ASBESTOS ASBESTOS ASBESTOS ASBESTOS ASBESTOS ASBEASTSOBSESTOS by Published * SECRETARIAL SECRETARIAL SECRETARIAL SECRETARIALSERVICE 16th Floor Inquirer Bldg PHILADELPHIA PA U. S. A. September 25 1935 Mr. Sumner Simpson President Maybestos Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Conn Dear Sir You may recall that we have written you on several i occasions concerning th publishing of information or dis- f cussion of asbestosis and the work which has been and is i being done to eliminate or at least reduce it Always you have requested requested that for certain obvious reasons we publish nothing and naturally your wishes have been respected Possibly by this time however the reasons for your objection to publicity on this subject have been eliminated and if so we would like very much to review the whole matter in 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 subject the follow it as to the an article on the work done in England and then wwoirtkh a dn onearthiecrlee written by someone in your organization We understand from Mr. Stover that your North Charleston equipment plant contains very complete dust control tion of such equipment if you approve would make and a descrip- a very interest- ing part of the article Possibly even you could supply a photograph or two showing some part of this dust control equipment + 7 y ae ~ oF Wo await with much interest your reply If there is nj serious objection the for pages lines ASB.STUS of along it would seem to be a most interesting suoject ASBESTOS and possibly a discussion of it in the right would serve to combat some or the rather undesirable publicity given to it in current newspapers newspapers wae came mca 8 ee meee eae cones ee ee ree em te J. very truly yours Posse Posse A 5 B72 J. Posse tu pe ee eee ee oe ee 5 B as a wee Posse J. + rrr rerrea Wow ene eR rer an ress A17a: 9 > Jad == Manville ; TWENTY East Fortieth StreET f - NEW YORK N.Y. - PM | kobits October 3 1935 ---- -- Mr. S. Simpson President Manhattan Inc. Bridgeport Conn ff My dear Mr. Simpson I wish to acknowledge receipt of yours of eR, October 1st enclosing copy of the September 25th letter from the editor of the magazine ASBESTOS I quite agree with rn Lyte you that our interests are best served by having asbestosis receive the minimum of publicity Even if we should eventually 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- 4\ ture presented in North American localities where there is an asbestos dust hazard is considerably milder than that reported i in England South Africa I believe the question raised by Miss Rossiter might well be considered at the committee meeting scheduled for next Tuesdaayt which I understand both you and Mr. Judd will be present Very truly yours Vandiver Ver on Vandiver Brown Attorney '- RM124- RM124- Jrk 4-27--77 4-27--77 Jrk 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 received from Miss Rossiter , of Asbestos personally As I see it we would are be just as wellwell off to say nothing about 2s it until our survey is complete I think the less mid about we are but at the fact time lose tracktrack of the asbestos asbestos same the we better cannot off 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 publish business to articleas rticles affecting the been trade and they have very decent about not printing the English articles I shall be pleased to have your opinion in the matter Very truly yours SS Enc President RNIZEA and RNIZEARNIZEA 4.79.77 a METROPOLITAN LIFE INSUrance ComPANY * . Frederick Ecker PreSIDENT NEW YORK City WILLIAM J. McCONNELL Assistant Medical Director py , 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 arrangements REI I assure you that erin had been made to assist your company faa in the present litigation + Very truly yours Machamelled Machameled Machamel ed Machameled H. J. McConnell M.D. Assistant Medical Director Director Industrial Health Section ae ret eh RMI RMI ? eee rai, vias ett fll Lote Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport October 19 Corn 1035 Dr. W. J. Industrial HMecaClotnhneHealtlh l Metropolitan New York City My deax Dr. HoComall Dust at North Charleston Plant As you know know know , a long the other timeinDivisions Divisions wise regarding the regarding regarding Asbestos our plant at at Charleston Charleston as well North Charleston Company been working working working working with your your your your for of mcdicalmmcdicalcdical and other- Asbestosis Asbestosis for which your Mr. Rahel information S. present certain of Charleston desired know what to do and had depended your on your your Company's Company's very much upset that that that work work work when could not expect any court court court court court assistance to orders you had received received from from suit suit , suit suit you are aware at the last trial your your Company Company Company Company tto o Mr. Julian Julian Mitchell standstill standstill standstillstandstill standstill to Iagain again say Unturally Unturally we were that se that se due We immediately immediately wanted to you talk over . immediately situation with Mr. Mitchell to see thatthat Mitchell thought co they ggot ot in touch touch ing Mr. Feimel I with told wo and ated ated what what what what wo frankly frankly them them franfrkanlklyy that that it losed we that was the only thing we could do It help of Mr. Fehnel in these look odd to you that this particularly was subpound subpound was was was coculod uld couldcould could thought thought losed losed of of to going cases cases really rreallyeally have the may may there other was Mitchel Mitchell any out nothing else for us to do and under the circunstances after I Mr. Mr. Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell Mr. had there what it was was going to mean mean to him to have have Mr. Fohnel Fohnel there hope you will take take take this into into consideration consideration consideration consideration and that that thatthat cheerfully ance of Hr Fekuel be will be given given us verveyry very very cheerfully . way ppooinitend ted pointed out I do the assist- assist- the I can recognile recognile the position position position position position position of the insurance com- | aaa % i rae ordinary pany in testifying testifying in it these particul r cases cases different a category cases ordinary cases of this xind but as I se of ours at CharlestonCharleston really come into Pfferen Pfferen Pfferen Pfferen your ton We carried Compensation and Health Insurance with Company when these suits and of course under the more more more first brought up policies we were not at Charles- covered against against demere suits for AsbestosisAsbestosis Asbestosis . Metropolitan company The Metropolitan in the United Insurance States had any Co. data nor no other insurance that was worth very much on Asbestos Lust or Asbestosis Asbestosis and naturally your Company wanted health statistics and information regarding Asbestos Lust on the lungs Our Company was more then willing to cooperate with you and we also induced Manville to cooperate end your Company plants ed that of request- started with a Dust Survey When your appropriation for it be carried on until a new a number of the esbestos this work ren ont you appropriation could Jo Jo Jo 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 _ . all led us to believe that under the conditions Te would have your assistance in trying these unfair suits which would eventually be benefit to you and also have considerable bearing on the Dust rarcackkeett racket racket about which so much has been published lately I feel as if your Company has not taken into consideration all these various factors when turning down our request for Mr. Fennel's pres- ence at the trials in C. C. Fehnel being the only man who has been following the details of the Asbestos Asbestos ramifications Dust various . through all its . Naturally if we could have foreseen Metropoliton Insurance Co.'s Menical Department Department DepartmeDenparttment Department attitude the attitude would take the at this have Inte date as would have hired a specialistspecialst and he would had it all the which your Company row so so as you know we have Plant spent large suns to make the Charleston an iccal one with your assistance assistance do not believe that by kir Fahrol testifying at Char- it will ortablish a procedant as it is hardly likely you leston will have this type of case come up again for many years and I also also certoafin amount certain it is very questionable if you assistassiastance nce from any two companiecs ompanies will get the same that you have boun get- from Hanville ting Johns Hanville and ourselves and moreover it was our intention to draw in other asbestos companies in this survey es soon the time was right to bring them in and this would mean a tremendous amount of information on Asbestos Dust and Asbestosis in the possession only ones in formation formation of the Retropolitan the United States so Insurance far as we Co. who would be know having this . the in- I 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 can go over this matter with him very care- Unfortunately fully and thoroughly and i hope to be able to do so next Tuesday Unfortunately I shall be away the latter part of this neck SS . Very truly yours President