The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-12-13
Steam Threshers and Fire Insurance.

Steam Threshers and Fire Insurance.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club held its regular
monthly meeting at the residence of Mr.. Thomas
Lochary, and discussed the question, 'Should
the use of steam threshers yitae fire insurance
policies 7" The majority of the members are
insured in mutual companies, and the discussion
of the subject by number of intelligent practi-
cal farmers will doubtless afford data to the
directors in dealing with the question.
Mr.. Thomas Lochary thought there was very
little danger, provided the steam engine was in
careful hands. He would rather trust 10 steam
engines in careful hands than to one careless man
with pipe or matches about a barn. If the
thresher and farmer would share part of the loss,
in case of fire. it would make them both more
careful. He would therefore favor granting
permits for the use of steam threshers, upon
certain conditions.
David E. Wilson thought there was certainly
more danger from steam threshers than from
horse power, on account of the fire used. Insur.
ance companies ought not allow them to be used
without the payment of an extra premium
George r. Glasgow thought the companies
ought to give farmers permits without extra
charge. There is, of course, greater risk
Benjamin Silver, Jr, said that if any barn
should burn down from the use ola steam thresh.
er, the company ought not to pay the insurance
There might not be much danger from sparks,
but the engine might blow up and burn your
barn in spite of everything. He thought com
panies ought to grant permits and charge SO
much per day while the engine is used.
s. NJ. Bayless would not like to risk a steam
thrcsher in his barn, on account of sparks, but
prefers to stack in the field and use it there
The company ought to grant permits and charge
extra for them; then he would be willing to
put a steam thresher in his barn.
Thomas A. Hays said it was q decided risk
but farmers should be granted permits and pay
for them.
John Moores thought there was some risk in
their use, on account of increased danger from
fire. Some small engines are really dangerous
He would feel perfectly safe, however, with one
of Pages heavy engines in his barn. The COM
panies in which we insure are generally mutual
Some farmers thresh with steam and some with
horse power. We all ought to be on an euuali-
ty, and those who assume the additional risk
ought to pay for it. The companies ought to
grant permits for the use ofsteam threshers, and
charge for them, or provide that in case stea
threshers are used without permits, and fire oc
curs the insured shall receive only three-fourths
| the amount of their insurance Horse powers
| have become nuisance, and insurance compan-
| les ought not to compel us to use them He
would rather pay hve cents bushel to have his
wheat threshed with large steamer than to have
| it threshed with horse power for nothing A
| small steamer is of no advantage except saving
| the horses
William Webster thought there is q small
risk in the use of the steam thresher, because of
the presence of fire, but he threshed his entire
crop this year with one and set the engine among
the straw at the barrack. The companies ought
to grant permits and it would only be fair for
farmers to pay for the additional risk while the
machine is at work, just as carpenters risks are
paid for. 1t is unfair to compel farmers to use
horse powers when steam threshers are so much
more advantageous.
X. John Rogers is in favor of the company
granting permits, but thought the members
should pay for the same by the day. He did
not believe there was SO much danger of fire
with the steam thresher in the hands of careful
men, as with the treadmill for two or three
weeks, and have lot of darkies about all that
time They are apt to smoke and nearly ALWAYS
carry matches. If insurance companies would
grant permits threshing would be done almost
entirely by steam.
James II. Ball thought where there is fire
| there must be some risk. The doors of the en-
CINE may be opened and the fire blown out so that
| it would communicate with the combustible
material around He has never paid one dollar
| for insurance, and never expects to, but the
| next season he will run the risk and use the
| steam thresher.
William F. Hays thought there was of course
additional risk, but farmers ought to have per-
| mts and pay for them accordingly
Vim. Munnikhuysen supposed there was some
| little additional rsh, but IL was not q material
risk, such as would vitiate policy. The lower
courts and the court ofappeals have decided that
a man can take necessary additional risk on
his property but not material risk. He would
rather sec large steam engine In his barn than
a man with light. As he is insured in a mu-
tual company he would not object to pay for
the additional risk of using the steam thresher
r. b. Mccoy thought steam threshers increase
the risk materially. If we could be assured
of always getting the best machine the case
might be different; but machines of different
kinds would be carried around the country. He
came to the conclusion that the company ought
to grant permits and charge so much that few
would use the steam thresher.
Samuel Gibson thought the risk of usinp
steam threshers was not great, If they are care
fully handled. Permits ought to be given, but
farmers ought to pay for them.
Christopher Wilson was decidedly of the opin-
ion that you cannot take steam engine about
barn without increasing the risk Of fire. In
the Western country, where he lives he had
seen great many steam engines used and seen
some of the dangers both as regards fires and
boiler explosions. He thought one element of
danger in the use of steam engines about barns
will be the want of competent and experienced
men to run them. He thought the danger of an
explosion would also be increased by the use of
different kinds of water in the boiler, on differ
ent farms. By using hard water the boiler be-
comes ncrusted. Then if you use cistern water
it foams and 1t requires an experienced engineer
to know whether the boiler Is full of water or
not. There is also danger of boilers corroding
from want of use. There is always some risk
where steam is used but that risk can be lessen
ed by having an experienced man to manage the
machine. Insurance companies ought to grant
permits TO use steam threshers, but they ought
10 charge for them, SO as TO have fund to paw
for barns burned down by accidents from the
use of steam threshers.
Silas b. Silver had used steam thresher this
season. The engineer was exceedingly careful
about the kind of water used, &C., and he saw
no smoke nor sparks when the fire was kindled
nor afterwards He thought farmers ought to
pay extra insurance and receive permits to use
st 5am threshers.
r. Harris Archer thought that while there was
no doubt the risk was increased, fire insurance
companies, as we'll as everybody else, must keep
up with the spirit of the times. In few years
every one, no matter how small his crop is, will |
use the steam thresher. As for the Increased |
risk, we are sometimes compelled to have the tin |
spouting on our barns repaired, and the timer |
takes furnace up the ladder to the top of barn |
10 repair it. That is an additional, but necessa-
ry risk, but we do not pay extra for it, The |