The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-01-24
rEor the Journal i

form. which are Of comparatively recent
date. in order that those who have such,may,
before it is too late, learn that their security
is of much less value than they probably sup
pose it to be, or than it would be under poll |
cies of the old form.
We will suppose case under policy OF
each kind-firsta policy of the old form.
Your property is worth ........- s4n0o w
You insure To the amount OFF,. .4,Vo0 w
In case of TOTAL loss you are entitled to-. w
In case of PARTIAL loss you are entitled
to the full amount of the damage, whether
the property be burnt or injured in removing
it to prevent its destruction by fire; and II
matters not how the fire may originate, so
that you do not yourself cause it by negli-
gence or design. There are some exceptions
in all policies. which never have existed IN
this community and are not likely to, such
as invasons, Instructions, &C.
Secondly, we will suppose the same pro-
perty to be insured by a company using one
ofvthe new forms. They are not all alike.
and of course the following statements may
not apply to all of them. Perhaps no one
of them may be liable to all the objections
urged.
You in sure the amount Of 1000 90
In case Of loss you receive...... ...2'OO w
In case OF PARTIAL loss you receive from
the company rateable proportions; that
is:
If the loss be rs per cent, or $4,000, you're
ceive IS per cent OF the loss. or. -. S2,2oO w
II the loss be 5Oper cent. $1,000, you receive
so per cent ofthe loss or -. l,OO0 W
If the loss be a5 per cent, or 8 ,oooyou receive
25 per cent ofthe loss, or.......-...- $50 w
Again:
Your property is worth. $40 oco w
You insure the amount off,. 5Ote OC
The loss is partial, say one half. you receive
from the company onehaf of the loss, or. $500 w
If the loss be 25 per cent. or s9a0o, you re-
ceive from the company % per cent OF The
loss, CD W
! And so on. .T
Again, your goods are in frame house,
and it is certain to be burnt up. IL you can
remove your goods and fail to do it, the com
pany is not liable; ard If you remove them
and save them, but in doing SO they are
damaged, you are entitled to recover only a
rateable proportion Of the loss. For exam
pie:
Your goods are worth $4,000 90
Youinsure TO the amount f.....-......... 5000 90
In removing the goods they are damaged III ooo p.
You will receive only o0O OO
II any explosion takes place in your
house, nothing can be recovered, though
your enemy may have placed keg of pow
der or an Internal machine there, with the
view to destroy both your property and your
life.
If by your own carelessness or evil con-
duct your house or goods take fire, of course
you could not expect indemnity; but you can
policies, if the fire result from the miscon-
duct, negligence or intoxication Of any per-
son in your employ.
But still worse. You rent your house to
a good, prudent citizen, as you suppose. to
be occupied as dwelling or hotel, or for any
other purpose. If your tenant, or any man,
woman or child in his employ, deposit ashes
in a combustible vessel, and thereby your
house is burnt, the policy is void and the
company not liable.
Now the principal object Of insuring is to
secure indemnity against the consequences
of the negligence OF others, for ninety mine
out of every hundred of all the fires that oc
cur, are the results of pure negligence Of
persons in the employ of the owner or ten
ant Of the house.
But | have said enough to accomplish my
object, which is TO induce our citizens to read
their policies, conditions and all, and duly
consider every sentence, and thus ascertain
whether they are insured indeed, or only
Possessed of paper which might as well be
blank.
have taken this course because it is the
general impression that the terms and condi-
tons of all fire policies are, and have been,
time out of mind, substantially the same;
and many persons Ieceive..their policies and
file them away without ever looking at the
conditions, until their property is destroyed.
And | fear that some OF our citizens may
have taken some Of these new policies.
thinking themselves as well secured as by a
policy Of the old form to which they have
been accustomed. ta J..
Bears SURVIVE learn by gentleman
from Newburgh that the severe gale of Sun
day night sunk some half dozen store, pro-
L. = II