, 1874-10-03
The Serious Dangers They Per-
.ceive in Chicago.
Mr.. George C. Clarke on the Feeling
at The East.
Tho Situation Neutrality-suspicious.
OF tho Companies.
Comments OF The New FORK rrcss..-Vhat
tho Mcrchants There Will 10.
Opinions Of Correspondents.

INSURANCE MEN AND THE CITI-
zENs' ASSOCIATION.
A moctlng was called nt tho rooms Of tho Citt.
zeua Association yesterday afternoon to hca1
tho yiows Of Mr.. 1iope, President OF tho Con.
ttnoutal Insurance Company, Of Now York, mud
Mr.. Rnnkn tho representative in this country Of
tho Scottiel, Commercial Insurance Company.
Theso gentlemen wore OIL thoir way to st. Louis
to attend d convont!on and woro requested by
como Of o,,r loading business men to stop over
ono day, in ordor that ms fnany Of our oitizena
Rs could he COLLECTED together on short notice
might learn their opinions aa experienced
undcrwritora Of tho condition OF Chi-
cago and tho action Of tho National Donrti
OF Underwriters. About thirty gentlemen, o,,l-
bracipg some OF our iargcst morchanta and prop.
erty-holders, wcro asso.nbtvd, md the meeting,
which was highly profitable ono IN point VI In
struction, laBted about two l,onrs.
After HomS preliminary re1narka by Mr.. G. NJ.
Henderson in reference 10 tho object Of tlio
meeting, Mr.. Rankin WAS asked to present his
riows Of tho action Of ths Nntional Boartl.
NIL. NASK1S
said TINT, in tho month Of May last, the leading
nusi prominent insurance companies, having be-
como alarmed about tho rapid absorption Of their
capital by fires, gtcat md ANAL, determined to
institute anfnyestigation into tho condition of tho
principal cities OF tho United Sta:eB withroforenco
to their fro departments, their. wator-Hrppfy,
md their defensive appliances against tho nu-
moroua hazards Of coutlagraston. 1t happened
that ChlcRgo WAS tho first city to which they
extended their Investigations; but this waa a
nero accident, for other cities werc included In
the examination, and if tho investigation had
~ Mi ;rtf fhnr,
very likely TINT tho National Doard would havo
withdrawn from that other city where tho inyes-
tigntion began, and Chicago might thus far hayo
eHcapcd.
TEE INVESTIGATION
was very thorough one. II was made by por-
fcctly competent anti trustworthy agents,
and rms necessarily sccrot, becauso, il it
had bccn known that such m inycsti-
cation mas In progress, 1t could not hayo
been malo 4fectuat ind Impartial The frat
point to which It was specially directed was tho
Fro Department.. Tho report on Cllicngo was
submitted to tho Executive Committee of tho
National Board on tho 10th OF July. but was not
published at TINT tinle by rcRHou Of the absence
from tho city Of uono members Of the Commit
toe. Tho report was Of suc1i O character that
tho National Board would la.o mate its de-
mauds upon Chlcngo just tho snmc, aud would
ultimately hare withdrawn If tho demands had
not been complied with, Whether
THE FIRE or JCLy "A
had occurred or not. Il was all a
ed rnuie among underwriters in ,rcf-
ercnco to Chicago Or hnd any matorihl In
lucuco III bringing about TINT decision. They
woro intcnt solely upon Saving tlo capital ill.,
only thing .Aoy had to look to, and they wero
prepared to defend their action, il it required
my Iefcnse, upon Duslness principles recog-
nlzod throughout tho civilized world, They de-
sired to Do business III Chicago, or in any other
place where tho conditions Of business woro
ouch Oh to Justify it. They would as soon make
money in Chicago us anywhere o!ao.
He would not 60 into tho de!ailH Of tho dotccts
Of our Fire Department., nor would lie alrnl
competent; ho would affirm, however, that tho
system Of arrangements und tho appliances wcro
alarmingiy defective. aud that tlloy needed
T1.u1.ouGn REORGANIZATION,
nnd mugt Alye 1t, or Chicago would burn down
possessing largo capita, would not put their
money at risk in q placo no badly exposed.
t %as bis belef that the action OF
would DO II 1t had tho effect Of bring
ing about tic reforms WHICH the National Board
positively knew wego required to protect
The city, from another great contagra-
lluIi. LUG NHLlQuhl 41UslA HElO ELIIElEf
Impartial in tboir conduct IN this matter, and
Chicago was not tile only city in the United
States that would be required to adopt reforms
similar to those demanded of her between now
aud tho lst Of January; I1o % Eational Board
81. louiH. Baltimore, or Bohton ~ readily as
from Chicago under tho sasno conditions. Tho
conditions whicl. tho National Board required
were simply tllat the property, they assumed to
piotcct Should bo IN al tnsnrable condition.
II.
then addressed tl'u meetins. Ho said that. If
the wholo nmount Vt premiums paid for
Insurance in tho United statea wero
ns x'S Whole deMu amount u f oeses eas by iGo o Witch ad S
fallen upon tho companies were written down il,
&uothey, tho lossca woutd exceed tho premium
receipts w $4,000, 00u. Thia was tho grim fnct
tnat tho iusnrauco companies hnd to look III tho
face this WAS the grim fact that tho National
Board was now dealing with. Unless changes
ooula bo olocted whereby tho risk Of lro SHOULD
be lceaoned,' aud thu destruction Of property
diminished, insurance NJ 3 business conducted
for profit wonld ceaao aud no insurance conl&l bo
had unless it Woro obtained HI we secured our
eima-houses,- by charity. 1Io undertook to aay
that, II another large tra like that Of
OhIcago Or Boston should occur Mt tic present
bo blotted out 10 ofoctualy that it would 10 usu-
less to attempt to resuscitato it. lIo waa not
hero to apologize for tho National Doarl, or to
.pea4 for the National l'oard. or oFqq for tho
mainod dny III Chicago ut tic solicitation Of
pro OF our citzons, solely 10 give his private
yiows ~ IN underwater mud u fireman (for ho
had served an apprenticeship as q tlron.an), to
such gontlesuau as might desire to hear thon..
1fo MAJ informed TINT fully two;tthiras.
and, probably, u much larger proportion OF
tho ' wealth. and property OF Chicago WAS
embraced IL, ~ ARA OF about ono milo square,
lyug hotwecn tho riYor aud Twolftl, ntrect in the
Houtl Diyaion Of tile city. Flo would lilo to
aux the gentlemen present .--
HOW MANY FIRE-ES01NEs
wore placod in tat district for the protection OF
thi4 vast amount OF property?
No one il the room asetnod aD&e TO answer TUG
question. .,,.....---,..,
4 general exclamation Of Hllrpriso wout around
Air. IIopo continued: Tlaoro ought to 10 tor
nu:ics within tho district nasaet!. Now YORK
.,iSt lux! forty-aaseu aoa'n lrc~onginoa, and W
ho!,cycd that Chicago nceGcd VI lnauy, Tor ihe
r;sp,, tt.tt tllosc WAS Just aA much opportunity
rnru tnryo lire tu start In CAieag0 NJ III NON