Evening star., 1952-04-29
Parents Of Men Lost
On Hobson Urge Probe
OF SeaWorthiness

manding an investigation today
of the SeaWorthineSs of the vessel
The Navy announced, mean
while, there will be a formal court
of inquiry into the collision with
the aircraft carrier Wasp in mid
Atlantic which sank the HobSon
with 174 men missing.
A. E. Lamison of 5064 Temple
Hills road. Temple Hills. Md
whose only child, Boiler Tech
nician &c Jack Eugene Lamison,
26, is reported missing-said his
son was very critical of the con-
dition of the ship.
Only 81 of the Hobson's crew
survived They are aboard the
Wasp which is Steaming slowly
toward Brooklyn Navy Vary where
it is expected Friday or Saturday.
Feared She'd Crack Up.
IT think if it were checked"
said Mr.. LamiSon, "it would be
found that the Hobson has spent
half the time in the yards under
going repairs"
Mr.. LamiSon was not the only
parent to raise the question.
Erwin S. White, ST., of Lyn. Mass,
said his son had told him that the
crew feared that she would "crack
up, either in heavy seas or byi
hitting something in the water"
Herman j. Duke of Richmond,
Va, whose son is one of the
missing, said that before the fatal
voyage his son had told him that
the Hobson had been found un-
safe for sea duty and had under
gore repairs.
Mr.. Lamison said his son "tried
to transfer to the destroyer Weeks
just before Christmas, but he was
turned down."
Critical Letter Missing.
The family had not kept all the
letters from the young seaman
and the father believed that the
most critical one had been burned.
AS he remembered. it said that the
Hobson had been 80 beaten up in
the war that it should have been
sunk by our own guns"
The LamisonS had visit from
their son last summer when the
Hobson was under repairs at
Charleston IS. CO. Navy Yard.
I've done a lot of the same
kind of work he was doing on
boilers and tubes and pipefiit-
tings," said Mr.. Lamison. $50 we
used to talk about it a great deal.
He had young man from the
crew with him who had married
an Indian Head girl. I can't re-
member his name.
''At that time they were ex-
pecting to be sent to the Medi-
terranean and they said they
didn't think the ship would make
it. Their bet was that it would
have to be towed half the way"
Says Work Was Rotten"
After the Hobson left Charleston
Navy Yard last year, Mr.. Lamison
said, she had to put right back for
repairs.
They tried to blame somebody
for throwing grinding compound
in the bearings" he said.
I've worked for the Navy for
IS years, here in the Navy Yard,
and it makes me sick to think how
rotten their work is. This ought
to be investigated. I don't want
to start controversy. But I have
nothing to lose. I've lost every
thing"
Admiral Lynde Mccormick,
commander in chief of the At
lantic Fleet. said that shortly
after the Wasp arrives he will set
the time and location for the
inquiry A naval court of inquiry
can take, sworn testimony, find
facts. express opinions and make
recommendations, but not impose
punishment.
Mr.. White said he would ask
his Congressman, Representative
Bates, Republican, of MaSsachu-
sets to ask the Navy about it.
Rear Admiral w. V. O'Reagan
denied at Norfolk, Va, last night
that the HobSon was unfit for sea
duty. He said the ship was in
spected April 2. He reported that
$4,000 was spent to bring the
Hobson "up to the high standards
demanded by the Board of Inspec-
tion and Safety."