RE: (erielack) DIAMOND

[Chris Thurner <chris.thurner_@_adelphia.com>]

Ed & Listers:

Yes, I noticed the same ad and had many of the same thoughts.  Are any of
these stations still standing?  Suffern, maybe?  I know Bingo gone.

I work in a building that was originally was built in 1923 as a school.
When it was renovated 5 - 6 years ago, there was a great deal of, abatement
first, then removal of the asbestos in the early stages of renovation.  I
know the foreman of the crews who removed it, and he said that it only is
hazardous when it is disturbed and flakes off into the air to be inhaled.
If it is intact and not flaking, he said the risk is virtually nil.  So, if
your Aunt and Uncle's lines were intact, it probably didn't influence their
health.  However, the boiler workers and those is other industries (e.g.
maritime shops) sadly were very much impacted by this materials adverse
effects, as you noted.

The death and cancer rates where quite high.  Johns Manville has one of the
largest bankruptcy cases on record due to asbestos claims.  I don't know,
however, what the hard data (i.e. # of people, % of those exposed, etc.)
was.

Regards,

Chris

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	MONTGOMERY| ED [mailto:emontgom_@_LAN.TJHSST.EDU] 
Sent:	Wednesday, December 19, 2001 2:47 PM
To:	erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
Subject:	(erielack) DIAMOND

The Johns-Manville ad was a classic piece of advertising 
proclaiming the virtues of asbestos.  You won't see that anymore.

I jokingly tell of how asbestos contributed to the death of my aunt 
and uncle.  They built a house in 1932 and the steam heat lines 
were insulated with asbestos.  My uncle was nearly 91 when he 
died and my aunt live to be 88.

That might have been a different story though for the shopworkers 
on steam engines where they were removing or applying asbestos 
to boilers.  I wonder what the death rate might have been with 
these people.

Ed Montgomery

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