Richard Smith, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he was injured in an explosion occurring on the 7th day of July 1933 at Hague Street, which explosion occurred at a time Federal agents were either raiding or destroying a still located on Hague Street, in the city of Rochester, N. Y., and further says:

Immediately after I heard the explosion, I was hit by some burning liquid which I now believe to have been alcohol, and that I suffered severe burns to my hands, arms, neck, ears, cheeks, mouth, and face generally. That I immediately went home, which was a short distance from the scene of this explosion, and Dr. Raymond H. Wohlrab, a neighborhood doctor, was called to treat me. I immediately discovered that my hair had been completely burned off and that I also had burns all over my scalp. These burns caused me very great pain. Dr. Wohlrab looked me over and listened to what I had to say and gave me some medicine to reduce the pain. He told me to say in bed and that he would return the next day to see me. He told my mother what to feed me, but I didn't feel much like eating. I slept very little that night and, in fact, had strong pains and general uneasiness for some time afterward.

The next day Dr. Wohlrab returned and I felt somewhat better and told him so. The pain had left, but blisters had begun to form all over where I was burned and they would open up. They were wet blisters.

I felt somewhat better the next day, but couldn't eat everything because of the burns around my mouth and face. The doctor told my mother to feed me certain liquids, like soup, milk, and so on.

The next day, which was 2 days after the time I was burned, scabs began to come out on places where these burns were and caused me a great deal of itching and discomfort. It wasn't for about a week after the fire until I was able to eat anyway near normal.

About a week after the burns and when there were already some scabs, Dr. Wahlrab removed the burned skin and applied medicine and had me wash my skin with boric acid. The entire business of removing the skin and making the washing made the pain, that I first felt, return.

Also I had to stay in bed for about 10 days, and then I was up and around the house but did not leave my house for a couple of weeks. In fact, I did not leave the yard for about 2 months after the explosion had happened because I had no hair on my head and I was covered with scabs and didn't care to have people see me that way.

About 3 weeks after the explosion happened and when I still had a number of acabs, boils started to break out on my neck where I had been burned. Dr. Wahlrab said he would have to lance them and clean them out. He did this for about 2 days in a row. He could not do it all at one time because it was too painful. The pain of lancing the boils was even greater than the pain of the original burns. But in a few days that was improved. All in all I was at home about 2 months, as a result of my injuries.

At the time of the burns, I was carrying a newspaper route on which I made about $8 a week, and while I was laid up, I had to turn the route over to someone else, and I did not go back to it for about 3 months. I used this money to help with the family expenses, and so they lost this extra money besides having to pay the doctor bill.

The liquid diet that I was on continued for about 2 weeks after the accident, and I did not get back to my normal diet for about a month, all told.

Since I started going out again, the scars that I had as a result of the burns commenced to heal up and the scabs that covered my arms and face began to peel off and heal up pretty well. Because of the scabs that I had on my arms, hands, and neck, it was hard for me to dress, and it was very uncomfortable to keep my clothes on. That was another reason that I could not get around for

some time.

I went to see Dr. Wahlrab today and he looked me over and saw that I was completely recovered and that there were no scars left.

Sworn to before me this 18th day of February 1938.

RICHARD SMITH.

ROSE RANKIN, Commissioner of Deeds.

The following is a report of care of Richard Smith, 841 Maple Street, burned at Hague Street fire July 7, 1933:

Back of hands, face, mouth, cheeks, ears, nape of neck, first and second degree burns, impression.

July 7: Burned body in pain, sedatives given, temperature 99, no appetite, amertan applied.

July 8: Better, no pain; blisters on burned areas, blisters opened.

July 9: Crusting present on face and regions burned.

July 11: No temperature, fluids taken well.

July 13: Skin removed where necessary; grease and washings advised with boric acid.

July 17: Much improved; some dryness about burned area; do not believe there will be much if any scarring.

July 25: Several boils on nape of neck opened.

July 26: Boils reopened; good drainage.

July 28: Improved; doing nicely.

Total bill, $40.

STATE OF NEW YORK,

County of Monroe, City of Rochester, ss:

Raymond B. Wohlrab, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is and at all times mentioned was a physician duly licensed to practice in New York State. That he treated one Richard Smith, and that the foregoing report is a copy of his records of this case; that he has seen the said Richard Smith on February 18, 1938, and finds him completely recovered, with no scars remaining as a result of the aforementioned burns. Deponent further states that such burns as Richard Smith suffered are painful.

RAYMOND B. Wohlrab, M. D.

FEBRUARY 13, 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. 1910]

The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 1910) for the relief of Frank Lore and Elizabeth Vidotto, 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.

The facts will be found fully set forth in House Report No. 1877, Seventy-eighth Congress, which is appended hereto and made a part of this report.

[H. Rept, No. 1877, 78th Cong., 2d sess.]

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to appropriate the sum of $1,000 to Frank Lore and to pay the sum of $1,000 to Elizabeth Vidotto, both of Washington, D. C., in full settlement of all claims against the United States for personal injuries, loss of salary, and expenses sustained as the result of being struck by a motorcycle owned by the Economic Warfare Commission at the intersection of New York Avenue and Ninth Street NW., Washington, D. C., on November 8, 1943.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

It appears that on November 8, 1943, at 7 a. m., the driver of a motorcycle in the service of the Economic Warfare Commission was en route to work from the Government garage and was proceeding east along the south side of New York

H. Repts., 79–1, vol. 1—48

Avenue NW., in Washington, D. C., at about 15 miles an hour. It was dark, and visibility was further limited by the fact that it was raining and snowing. The traffic light at the intersection of New York Avenue, Ninth, and K Streets was green as he approached it; nevertheless, he shifted to a lower gear and proceeded slowly across the intersection-observing no vehicles or person in his path. As he entered the cross walk on the east side of Ninth Street and on the extreme south side of K Street, two pedestrians, who were carrying an umbrella, were knocked down by coming in contact with the front and left side of his motorcycle. The driver said that he had not seen the pedestrians and they said that they had not seen the motorcycle. There were no other witnesses. Both pedestrians were taken to a hospital where the one, Elizabeth Vidotto, was treated for minor contusions; and Frank Lore, who sustained fractures of the acronium (shoulder girdle) and left fibula (small bone in leg) was treated in the clinic about 8 times over a period of 10 weeks.

Your committee are of the opinion that Mr. Lore and Mrs. Vidotto are entitled to some compensation for pain and suffering and recommend that the bill be amended awarding the sum of $1,000 to each of them for pain and suffering, loss of salary, and expenses incident to this accident.

Therefore, your committee recommend favorable consideration to the proposed legislation, as amended.

Appended hereto is the report of the Foreign Economic Administration, together with other pertinent information.

FOREIGN ECONOMICAL ADMINISTRATION,
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR,
Washington, D. C., June 22, 1944.

Hon. DAN R. McGEHEE,

Chairman, Committee on Claims,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. MCGEHEE: This is in reply to your letter of May 1, 1944, requesting a report on H. R. 4652, a bill for the relief of Frank Lore.

The bill provides for a payment by the Secretary of the Treasury in the amount of $2,215.75, in settlement of the claim of Mr. Lore for compensation and reimbursement on account of personal injuries sustained as a result of his being struck by a motorcycle owned by this Administration and operated by one of its employees.

Briefly, the facts, as disclosed by our investigation, are as follows: On November 8, 1943, at 7 a. m., the driver of the motorcycle, with running lights on, was en route to work from the Government garage and was proceeding east along the south side of New York Avenue NW., in Washington, D. C., at about 15 miles an hour. It was dark, and visibility was further limited by the fact that it was raining and snowing. The traffic light at the intersection of New York Avenue, Ninth, and K Streets was green as he approached it; nevertheless, he shifted to a lower gear and proceeded slowly across the intersection, observing no vehicles or person in his path. As he entered the crosswalk on the east side of Ninth Street and on the extreme south side of K Street, two pedestrians, who were carrying an umbrella, were knocked down by coming in contact with the front and left side of his motorcycle.

The driver said that he had not seen the pedestrians, and they said that they had not seen the motorcycle. There were no other witnesses. On the basis of the statements of the parties and all of the physical facts, it must be concluded either that all parties were negligent-the driver in failing to see the pedestrians, they in apparently crossing on a red light, hovering under an umbrella, and failing to see him; or because of the fortuitous circumstances, it was an unavoidable accident. Both pedestrians were taken to a hospital, where one was treated for minor contusions and immediately released; Mr. Lore, who had sustained fractures of the acronium (shoulder girdle) and left fibula (small bone in leg), was treated in the clinic about eight times over a period of 10 weeks.