The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-05

A CAMpNGS AGAINST CoAL-On- MEETING
AND AcTIoS OF BALTIMoRE UNDERwRlTERs.-
The Baltimore Board of Underwriters met
Yesterday at noon in the Maryland Building,
corner of Second street and Post-Otice ave.
me. On motion, John b. Seidenstrlcker
was called 10 the chair, and Joseph l.. Mil.
nor appointed secretary. Mr.. Seidenstricker,
president of the National Fire Insurance
Company, stated the object OF the meeting
This meeting is called ia the interests OF
humanity. The many fearful disasters OF
late from coal-oil. climaXed by the death Of
Mrs. Coale, has awakened feeling that ac'
ton by this body is necessary. 1t Is IN.
tended to employ counsel and prepare
laws that will restrict the use, sale, and
storage of explosive oils, and use our en-
Geayors to bare the City Council or the State
Legislature take proper action. A law was
brought before the Legislature by Mr.. Hol'
loway some time since and passed, but oW-
ing to the efforts OF q large dealer in eXplo-
Sive oils the law was amended" MIR. Sell
denstricker then dweit upon the abuse OF
official power, and continued: "ln some o.
the States there is a law that the seller o.
liquor is responsible for the damage that
NAV result from intoXicati0n, and it wouiC
be we'll to have a law here holding the dis
penser of coal-oil responsible for all loss re
sulting from it."
MIR. Charles T. Holloway presented com
municatiOn, accompanied with his annual
reports and the laws formerly iii force icl
communication stated that only eight sam
pies Of oil out Of 100 examined had stood thu
test; also, that the last Council had refused
10 pass an ordinance presented by him il
reference to coa.oil, and that the presen
storage law was inadequate.
Joseph Il. Milnor, president Of the Mary
land Fire Insurance Company, moved thai
committee of six be appointed, with Mr.
Seidenstricker as chairman, to examine tht
present laws, and apply for action TO the
Council or Legislature, in order to prereD
the storage and sale Of explosive oil; which
" IS adopted.
Messrs. Seidenstricier, Minor, George B
Coae, Andrew Reese, y. P. Campbell, anC
c. L. Holloway were appointed the com
mittee.
MIR. Seidensticker said be felt enthusiastic
in reference to this subject, and would follow
it to the end. sit is q deep and burning
shame that this intelligent community should
continue to allow men to make money out OF
the lives of their fellow creatures and as for
me, would rather insure house stored
with gunpowder to-day than one containing
coal-oil."
Mr.. Andrew Reese asked if the city was
countenancing the sale of gasoline by using
it in their street lamps?
Mr.. Seidenstlicker did not know if any
of the City Council were so grossly ignorant
as to allow such to be the case, but did know
that whenever the subject was brought up
councilmen used as an argument that the
poor should not be deprived of cheap oil.
This led Mr.. Campbell to remark that he
knew large firm who were selling coal-oil
at eighteen cents gallon. Several houses
were spoken Of in which were stored large
quantities of coal-oil, and which were care.
less in its use, &c. The meeting then adj
journed.-Baltinore Sun, Sd.