AFFIDAVIT I, John H. Bonney, of Medford, Mass., on oath do depose and say: 1. That my son, Daniel R. Bonney, a member of the Boy Scouts of America, was one of the several hundred boys who volunteered their services for a period of 30 days from September 15 to October 15, 1943, to assist in gathering the potato crop in Aroostook County, Maine, which program was under the direction of the War Food Administrator, Maine Extension Division. 2. That during said period my son, together with seven other Boy Scouts, of which he was the leader, was working on the farm of Mr. Fred Urquart, Jr., and was housed on the upper floor of his newly constructed home on Caribou Road in Maysville, Maine, although the building was not at that time completely finished. 3. That on September 22, 1943, at 2:30 p. m., a fire was discovered on the property by Mr. Perry Jackson, a member of the central staff of the Boy Scouts of America, region 1; that even then flames had entirely engulfed the rear and only entrance to the house, thereby preventing access for the purpose of salvage of personal property, and consequently all personal belongings of the Scouts were completely destroyed. 4. That my son, Daniel R. Bonney, personally sustained loss of various items of clothing and so forth, amounting to a value of $270.50, as stated in H. R. 4036, a bill which has been filed for the relief of John H. Bonney, as legal guardian of Daniel R. Bonney, a minor. The items, together with their respective values, are as follows: 5. That no insurance was carried on the building by the owner, and inquiry made of Scoutmaster Carl Sandberg, at Orono, Maine, disclosed that the Boy Scout organization had no funds available to reimburse for losses of this kind. JOHN H. BONNEY. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex, ss: MEDFORD, February 28, 1944. Then personally appeared John H. Bonney and made oath that the foregoing statements by him subscribed are true to the best of his knowledge and belief, and that as to those statements founded upon information and belief, he believes them to be true. Before me: [SEAL] My commission expires April 24, 1947. HARRY T. BARNES, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace. BLANCHE E. BROAD FEBRUARY 9, 1945.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed Mr. McGEHEE, from the Committee on Claims, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 906] The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 906) for the relief of Blanche E. Broad, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. A similar bill was favorably reported by this committee in the Seventy-eighth Congress but was objected to and recommitted to the committee. The facts will be found fully set forth in House Report No. 27,. Seventy-eighth Congress, which is appended hereto and made a part of this report. [H. Rept. No. 27, 77th Cong., 1st sess.] The purpose of the proposed legislation is to pay to Blanche E. Broad, of Beaver Falls, Pa., the sum of $3,000, for personal injuries and losses sustained as the result of a fall in the Capitol of the United States on May 31, 1940. STATEMENT OF FACTS On May 31, 1940, Mrs. Broad, accompanied by her niece, was sightseeing through the Capitol Building when they entered the west entrance of the crypt; that is, they started, then Mrs. Broad stepped into a depression or stone block which had sunk, causing her to fall, which fall resulted in a double fracture of her left arm and internal injury to her left hip and back; that Mrs. Broad was taken to the Capitol physician for attention, and advised that she should be removed to a hospital for X-ray; that Mrs. Broad was taken to the Providence Hospital, where she was X-rayed and found to have sustained fracture of the neck of the humerus of the left arm, also an injury to the left shoulder joint, and contusions of the left hip and back. According to an affidavit executed by Dr. J. Howard Swick, Mrs. Broad will have at least a 25-percent permanent disability, as a result of her injuries. In a report from the Architect of the Capitol, dated June 17, 1941, he states that: "Examination has been made of the floor of the crypt upon which Mrs. Broad states that she fell, and that, although the floor is worn, it does not appear to be in such condition as to constitute a public danger. However, in fairness to Mrs. Broad, it should be stated that this is the original crypt floor installed when the central section of the Capitol was built in 1818-29, and that there is a slight depression in the floor at the particular spot where Mrs. Broad claims to have fallen. "To the best of my knowledge, there have been no precedent claims for injuries occurring in this section of the Capitol, and therefore I do not feel that I am in position to either recommend for or against the bill." Your committee, after carefully considering the merits of this case, feel that the injuries sustained to Mrs. Broad were a direct result of the depression in crypt floor, and recommend that she be paid her actual expenses of $287.78, and awarded $2,712.22 for pain and suffering. Hon. DAN R. McGEHEE, Chairman, Committee on Claims, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In reply to your request, I have the following report to submit relative to bill H. R. 4524, which Representative Graham has introduced in the House of Representatives for the relief of Blanche E. Broad. I do recall having talked to the late Speaker Bankhead about Mrs. Broad's injury but I did not, of course, witness the accident in connection with which you ask for a report. Examination has been made of the floor of the crypt upon which Mrs. Broad states that she fell and whereas the floor is worn, yet it does not appear to be in such condition as to constitute a public danger. However, in fairness to Mrs. Broad, it should be stated that this is the original crypt floor installed when the central section of the Capitol was built in 1818-29, and that there is a slight depression in the floor at the particular spot where Mrs. Broad claims to have fallen. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no precendent claims for injuries occurring in this section of the Capitol and therefore I do not feel that I am in a position to either recommend for or against the bill. Yours very truly, DAVID LYNN, Architect of the Capitol. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, County of Beaver, ss: Edna Mae Broad, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says: That Friday, May 31, 1940, about 4:15 p. m. her mother (Mrs. Blanche E. Broad), a niece, and herself had entered the United States Capitol Building by the west entrance passing through revolving doors and ascending the stairs to the floor level. That having taken three or four steps in front of her mother she heard a thud behind her and turning saw her mother laying on the floor where she had stepped into a depression, or stone block, which had been shaled or sunk in the floor, causing her mother to turn an ankle and fall resulting in a double fracture of her left arm and internal injury to her left hip and back. That a Capitol physician, an assistant to Dr. Calver, attended her mother first and that Dr. Calver informed her that she should remove her mother to the hospital for X-ray, which was done. That her mother was admitted to the Providence Hospital about 5 p. m. and X-ray pictures were taken about 2 hours after her mother's admission, the X-rays showing the above-mentioned injuries. That her mother's arm was set Saturday, June 1, about 11:15 a. m. by Dr. Paul J. O'Donnell, who advised her to leave her mother at the hospital for at least a week before attempting to move her mother. That she drove home Sunday, June 2, and arranged to send her sister back by train Tuesday, June 4, to be near her mother in case of need. That she returned to Washington by auto Saturday, June 8, to make arrange ments to move her mother to Beaver Falls. Her mother was transported by ambulance to a drawing room of the Baltimore & Ohio train, leaving Washington at 11:50 p. m., Sunday, June 9, and arrived in Beaver Falls at 8:40 a. m., Monday, June 10. Her mother was removed through the Pullman windows and taken to a local hospital by Scott's ambulance. That her mother remained in the Providence Hospital, of Beaver Falls, until June 21, 1940, when she was moved to her home by ambulance and was abed for 6 weeks. That her mother carried her arm in a sling going about the house for 3 months. That the expenses resulting from said accident are as follows: Sworn and subscribed before me, this 19th day of April A. D. 1941. [SEAL] My commission expires March 6, 1943. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, S. W. FULLERTON, Notary Public. County of Beaver, 88: Dr. J. Howard Swick, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says: That Mrs. Blanche E. Broad, 50 Bridge Street, Beaver Falls, Pa., came under his care June 10, 1940, having been injured May 31, 1940, in the Capitol Building, at Washington, D. C. That Mrs. Broad's injuries consisted of a fracture of the neck of the humerus of left arm, also an injury to the left shoulder joint, and that further injuries consisted of contusions of left hip and back. That Mrs. Broad's suffering from this accident was aggravated, first, by the time of year, it being exceptionally hot weather; second, because Mrs. Broad was over 300 miles away from her home; and third, because Mrs. Borad was a woman of overweight; yet in spite of all these handicaps Mrs. Broad was exceptionally patient and made a fairly good recovery. That Mrs. Broad suffers a great deal of pain with the change of weather in her shoulder and hip. That Mrs. Broad has a limitation of motion in the left shoulder and cannot raise the injured arm above her head. That Mrs. Broad is a woman 63 years of age and the prognoses in such cases are not too favorable. That Mrs. Broad will have at least 25-percent permanent disability. J. HOWARD SWICK, S. W. FULLERTON, Sworn and subscribed before me this 19th day of April A. D. 1941. [SEAL] My commission expires March 6, 1943. |