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examination of the files of this Department failed to disclose a record of the accident, the custodian was requested to furnish a complete report with regard thereto. The Custodian replied to the effect that no formal complaint was presented to his office at the time the accident occurred and, therefore, he was unable to express his opinion as to the merits of the case.

The Custodian's report further stated, however, that there was a possibility of the alleged damages having been caused in the manner set forth by the claimant, inasmuch as snow adheres to the dome of the roof of the building and on the slightest thaw, rolls off into the street in great volume, due to the fact that there are no guard rails on the roof.

The custodian further stated that he had taken up the matter of installing rails on the roof with the district engineer, who made a personal investigation as to the necessity for the installation of the rails.

The district engineer, in report dated September 20, 1938, invited attention to the necessity for installing snow guards and submitted specifications providing for furnishing of all labor, material, and equipment required for the_installation of same. No action in the matter, however, has been taken by the Department up to the present time.

It will be appreciated if you will furnish this section with an expression of your views as to whether the dome is so constructed as to constitute a hazard, as set forth in the communications above referred to.

Please return the attached correspondence with your reply. (Signed) J. H. SCHAEFER, Office Manager.

Memorandum to Chief of Architecture.

Reference is made to the memorandum of March 9, 1939, from the office manager relative to the claim of Mrs. Anna H. Rosa for damages to her automobile caused by snow falling from the roof of the above-titled building, and to the request of the office manager for expression as to whether the dome is so constructed as to constitute a hazard as set forth in connection with the above noted claim.

You are advised that examination of the drawings indicates that the base of the dome comes within 41⁄2 feet of the extreme edge of the cornice at two sides of the building, namely, Customhouse Street and on the opposite side at an alley. It is quite conceivable that snow sliding down the dome would gather sufficient impetus to slide over the top of the cornice and drop to the street below, the curb of which is only 21⁄2 feet outside the overhang of the cornice which is approximately 59 feet above the sidewalk. The possibility of damage occurring in the manner quoted by the claimant is quite apparent.

The subject of a snow guard to prevent such occurrences was included in the report of September 20, 1938, by the assistant district engineer with which he submitted a drawing for the snow guards and a tentative estimate. Nothing has been done in connection with this matter and in order to avoid a repetition of the accident referred to herein it is recommended that the snow guards be installed at an early a date as possible.

All papers herewith.

MARCH 14, 1939.

(Signed) ARTHUR L. BLAKESLEE,

Principal Architect.

PROVIDENCE, R. I., March 17, 1939.

Memorandum for the supervising engineer:

This section has been requested by the chairman, Committee on Claims. United States Senate, to submit a report on bill S. 1448, Seventy-sixth Congress, first session, authorizing and directing the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to Mrs. Anna H. Rosa the sum of $30 for damages to her automobile caused by snow falling from the roof of the customhouse at Providence, R. I.

The supervising architectural section was requested to furnish this section with an expression of its views as to whether the dome is so constructed as to constitute a hazard which could cause an accident as set forth by the claimant. There is attached hereto for note and comment memorandum from Mr. Arthur L. Blakeslee, principal architect, in which it is recommended that snow guards be installed on the roof of the building at the earliest practicable date. Kindly return the attached correspondence with your comment. J. H. SCHAEFER, Office Manager.

PROVIDENCE, R. I., March 30, 1939.

Memorandum to office manager, Mr. Schaefer.

With reference to your memorandum of March 17, 1939, relative to damages to the automobile of Mrs. Anna Rosa, caused by snow falling from the roof of the customhouse, Providence, R. I., in view of the reports from the field and the statement by Mr. Blakeslee in his memorandum of March 14 that the possibility of damage occurring in the manner quoted by the claimant is quite apparent, action will be taken to have drawings and specifications prepared for installing snow guards.

The correspondence attached to your memorandum is returned herewith as requested.

(Signed) NEAL A. MELICK, Supervising Engineer.

PROVIDENCE, R. I., September 7, 1938.

Rear Admiral CHRISTIAN J. PEOPLES,
Director, Procurement Division, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR SIR: By advice of Senator Theodore Francis Green, I am writing concerning damage to a motor vehicle of my client. The facts, as follows:

January 4, 1938, Anna H. Rosa, of East Providence, R. I., caused her automobile to be parked on Customhouse Street in Providence near the Old Federal Building, R. I. This building. I am told does not come under the jurisdiction of the Post Office Department. The car was parked at 2:30 p. m. and between that hour and 3 p. m. snow fell from the roof of the said building damaging my client's car. The damage consisted of a broken windshield and caving in of the roof of the car. The damage was $30.

This claim was taken up with the collector of the port of Providence and he advised Mrs. Rosa that she would have to request an appropriation through her Congressman. However, I am advised by the secretary to Senator Green that this department is the proper authority to make claim in this matter.

As I understand that, this matter can be settled without any formal proceedings. I would thank you for any action necessary.

Very truly yours,

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A. E. BOSTROM

JULY 13, 1939.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed

Mr. FENTON, from the Committee on Claims, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 1812]

The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1812) for the relief of A. E. Bostrom, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to pay to A. E. Bostrom of De Smet, S. Dak., the sum of $309 in full settlement of his claim against the United States on account of the loss of certain personal property which was destroyed by fire on January 23, 1935, at Onigum, Minn., while said claimant was temporarily employed by the Indian Service as a physician.

The facts are fully set forth in the Senate Report No. 311, which is appended hereto and made a part of this report. Your committee concurs in the recommendation of the Senate.

[S. Rept. No. 311, 76th Cong., 1st sess.]

The records of the Interior Department show that Dr. Bostrom was employed temporarily at the Consolidated Chippewa Sanatorium, Onigum, Minn., on account of the illness of the regular physician. During this employment quarters were furnished in the physician's cottage. On the morning of January 23, 1935, the night fireman made his rounds at 7 to tend the furnace. Dr. Bostrom, who was the only occupant of the dwelling, left at 7:30 a. m. to make his morning rounds of the general hospital and sanatorium buildings. At 9 a. m. he was notified that his cottage was on fire. Efforts were made to save the building and at least part of its contents, but a high wind and the fact that the building was of frame construction, built in 1897, made this impossible. Secretary Ickes states that the amounts claimed for the various articles appear to be reasonable, and that, in view of the circumstances, he will interpose no objection to the enactment of the bill.

This claim appears to be meritorious and your committee recommend its passage.

The following communications are appended hereto and made a part of this report.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, August 5, 1935.

Hon. JOSIAH W. BAILEY,

Chairman, Committee on Claims,

United States Senate.

MY DEAR MR CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your request of July 15 for a report on S. 3264 for the relief of A. E. Bostrom, of De Smet, S. Dak. Dr. Bostrom was employed temporarily at the Consolidated Chippewa Sanatorium, Onigum, Minn., on account of the illness of the regular physician. During this employment, quarters were furnished in the physician's cottage. On the morning of January 23 the night fireman made his rounds at 7 to tend the furnace. Dr. Bostrom, who was the only occupant of the dwelling, left at 7:30 a. m. to make his morning rounds of the general hospital and sanatorium buildings. At 9:00 a. m. he was notified that his cottage was on fire. Efforts were made to save the building and at least part of its contents, but a high wind and the fact that the building was of frame construction, built in 1897, made this impossible.

Under date of February 27 Dr. Bostrom submitted to the superintendent a list of the things he lost, a copy of which is enclosed. The amounts claimed for the various articles appear to be reasonable.

In view of the circumstances, I will interpose no objection to the enactment of S. 3264.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. J. S. MONKS,

HAROLD L. ICKES,
Secretary of the Interior.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., February 27, 1935.

Acting Superintendent, Consolidated Chippewa Agency,

Cass Lake, Minn.

DEAR SIR: Herewith I am enclosing a list of personal effects belonging to me, and destroyed in the physician's house at Onigum, Minn., when the same burned to the ground. Besides this list, there were destroyed manuscripts, special pamphlets, life-insurance policies, and numerous articles on which I can place no monetary value but the destruction of which I feel is a real personal loss. On the clothing and other articles I have placed what I consider a fair value.

Respectfully yours,

A. EDWARD BOSTROM.

The following is a list of articles belonging to Dr. A. Edward Bostrom, which were destroyed by fire while in the Government's physician's house, that burned on January 23, 1935, at Onigum, Minn.

[blocks in formation]

Value

$24.00

37.50

25.00

35.00

10.00

7. 50 12.50

5. 00 7.40

5. 00

3.00

4.00

3.00

3.00

4. 50

6. 00

4. 50

1. 25

2.75

5.00

2.00

26. 00

1.50

2. 10

8.00

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