Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-18
Fire Insurance and the Fire De>art-
nSEl.

SPECIAL MEETING Or THE UNDERWRITERS
A special meeting OF the Board of Fire
OhoerTrlters was held last night at the cor
ner OF ID and 9th streets, 10 take some action
towards procuring the necessary legislation
securing our citizens from imposition aud
los through bogus insurance companies and
ner occupied the chair, with Mr.. +. w. Pratt
as secretary.
meeting 90 draft suitable bill, xplain its
workings to members, &C, reported progress
and were continued. This association dis
approves the passage of either of the two
bills now pending In Congress-: one intro
duced by Mr.. Wright, OF Iowa, creating an
Insurance department in the District, and
of supervisor of insurance for t4is District,
on the ground that rev officers would have to
be appointed; and I'm either case unnecces-
sary expense incurred thereby.
TIE bill proposed by the underwriters
clothes the District Commissioners with
such duties as would be imposed upon q
supervisor of Insurance, aud excludes all
companies, either home or foreign, from
tTaDsaeltpg any business in the District OF
Columbia when their gaid-up capital stock
y, ,s Isss ihan 500 Coo This PROVISION Is en-
thereby protecting them from bogus compa-
D1es, who promise every thing for the sake of
risks but perform nothing.
The gross cash assets of the 10 al American
and foreign fire companies represented in
the board OF fire underwriters OF this District
amounts TO over $4,000 600. This amount
foreign companies AT their home Offices.
VISIT TO THE ENGINE HOUSES.
AT the conclusion o. the meeting the men,
6ers accepted an invitation rendered by Mr..
Thomas p. Morgan, president of the Board
OF Fire Commits sioners, to inspect the fire
department, and some twenty persons,
among them n. u. Lalner, f. w. Pratt. B.
4. Blackford, \. s. Pratt, y. F. Hamliuk, G..
n. Thorn, q. B. Coburn, w. l.. Bramhall aud
a. Cioughy, OF the underwriters, with Presi-
dent Morgan, and MeSsTs. TAFT, Reed and
Hume, and Chief CroDin and Assistant Drew
OF the IRE department, took seats in vehicles
furnished for the purpose, among which was
one of the new chariots, and proceeded to the
fire alarm telegraph Office, where Chief En-
gineer Cronin explained the uses and work
i1gs Of the complicated machinery TO the
Visitors. The next point was the new engine
house OF Capitol Hill, where the party crept
in on the boys while in their hunks end
struck the alarm gong, and in less than 20
seconds the horses were tackled up, the
men mounted on the apparatGS, and
everything ready for a start. All present
expressed astonishnlent at the rapidity or
This operation, and after an inspection OF
the comfortable quarters of the fire laddies
the party proceeded TO the truck house on
Massachusetts avenue, where similar test
OF the Tapidity of preparing for start was
made, in this instance thirty seconds being
consumed. Complete order and discipline
were observed at this home. The next place
visited was No. 2 engine house which was
reached about 10 O'Clock. The test here re-
Quired thIrty-five seconds. The boys were
lively, and all things considered, did quite
as well Us any OF the companies. This en-
CINE house Is positive disgrace to the SER
vice. During the late gale the chimneys OF
the adjoining house were blown over, and.
falling on the roof OF the engine house, broke
In the roof, causing ii TO leak, and the CELL
ings and walls are orDamented with streaks
OF black mould, the wall paper is falling
on, carpet taken up, and everything
sioners should be invested 10 look in here
The party then proceeded to No. l company,
on X street. The time here was thirty-ffve
seconds. In the plan of this engine house the
stables are situated some distance away
from the apparatus and the route OF the boys
from their hunks to the same is rather cir
cuitCus ole. Everything here was found to
be in good order, and after an inspection Of
the new Clapp * Jones engine, which is kept
here, and the comfortable quarters of the
men, President Morgan made short address
TO the underwriters, and, in response, Mr..
LaTner expressed his qualification q Witness
Ing The efficiency of the force. Ii was tue in-
tent1On OF the party TO visit Georgetown, out
IL was abaLconed, as some of the insurance
men expressed their fears that the efficiency
OF our fire department would tend to injure
the business 81 insurance il carried TO much
greater perfection. The company then sepa-
rated and repaired TO their homes.