The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-07-14
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you or Colfax, but the dislike felt to becom-
ing in any way mixed up in the Credit Mo-
bllier scandal, together with the need of
spending my TIME in the investigation into
wine importation frauds, which inves igations
was making in the interest of our Govern
Eent, induced me to keep silent, thinking 1
should be home before Congress adjourned.
On my returning to Washington, Congress
had adjourned. l conferred with Mr. II. C.
Blifs, my law partner, Mr.. A. II. Byington,
of Connecticut, and lew other friends, ask
ing them to keep the matter a secret until I
had time to see if could not trace out the
man to whom saw Ames pay the proceeds
of the IS. C. or bearer check.
As had charge of the Rob Roy judgment
against A. s. Mansfield, Oakes Ames ct al, I
had occasion to call on Mr. Ames in April
last. and related to him the circumstances
OF the check. ard asked him who the man
was to whom he then paid the money. His
reply was in substance that it was none of
my business, and assented to the correctness
of his views, Previous TO the death of Mr.
Ames, and since, Mr.. Colfax, to whom Mr..
lByington against my request, had impaired
this information, has urged me to axe full
statement Of the case for the Press.
After thinking over the matter for some
time, have concluded to send to you, the
Chairman of the Committee of Investigation,
as you may deem most Just to Mr.. Colfax,
whom it alone affects.
am dear Sir, very respectfully your obe-
dent servant, JOHN T. DREW, Counsel
or at Law,
No. 1882 F street, Washington, d. C.
DANGER IN CrrIEs.-The evils resulting
from high buildings are two-fold; in the first
place, they are so elevated as to be out of
| reach of water unless in the form of spray,
and the upper lofts are filled with the most
dangerous and infammable materials. These
elevated rooms cannot be let for any ordinary
safe business purposes, and therefore they
are used for the manufa:tu aud storage of
very dangerous articles. If the roofs of the
various high buildings in this city could
be raised simultaneously and the heads of
the Fire Department could look fairly in upon
their occupants, they would find painters
with their varnishes and oils, furniture man
ufacturers with their shavings and sawdust
and shaky stoves, red hot in winter; mat
| tress makers and hatters, friction match
makers and fire-work makers perh APPS; in
| short, all kinds of hazardous OCCUPATIONS are
carried on in these upper lofts.
There are scores OF rooms filled with old
rags, ashes, oiled wool, cotton, straw, drugs,
oils, benzine, everything that is easily ignita-
| Bile or liable to spontaneous combustion.
This condition of things in eevaten rooms is
| not peculiar to Boston; it exists in all large
| cities, and certainly here is a source of pc il
which should receive prompt attention. The
principal fires in this city during the past
twenty years have come from these high
rooms, which ought no longer to be allo we'd
| to be built. Boston, il common with New
York, Chicago and other cities. has permit
ted many buildings to be erected to crafty
the taste ofowners, with less regard to safety
than should be observed. just such fires as
we have had here are liable to occur at any
moment in any of our large cities, as there
are no elements of danger in Boston which
do not exist elsewhere.-Boston Journal o.
Chemistry.