The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-13
sHuRsDAY MORNING. OCTOBER 10.

tablet to the Times, the red rooed beadie IN
his box and the numerous omclais OF the
numberless life and fire assurance companies,
be reaches the great nan 10 wnlch u mer'
SAINT daily resorts TO pisk up scattering news,
and which is known by the name of the old
cngee house, Lloyd's
The first object which attracts the attention
of the merchant and which is to be explained
20 the stranger on entering the hall, is the bull
letin board. There are, in TACT, many bulletin
boards, but each is duplicate of the other and
a number of them is used for the greater con-
yenience of the crowd. These bulletins con-
tain the news of the day, showing the vessels
cleared al the custom house, those which have
sailed, those which have arrived at home
and at various foreign ports; the latitude
and longitude and the whereabouts OF vessels
spoken at sea, also giving the date when seen
and the condition OF the vessel; the vessels III
port at all sorts of places; such events occurring
at sea as would affect the rate OF insurance, as
for instance, changes in the lighthouses, sigma
stations, etc.. and everything of the kind inter-
esting TO shippers, insurance men, captains
and pilots.
room, is the loss book, or as it is commonly
called "the black book" This volume con-
tains all the informant IN not usually registered
en- the bulletins in regard to disasters at sea.
In fact, the bulletin board is the register OF
good news the "hlack book" is the recorder OF
bad news. The announcements in each are
made in the most laconic style which the prac-
tissd clerks Of Lloyd's can command. Tney
seldom occupy more than couple of lines aud
are, of course, written by hand. In the black
book the number of pages thus covered varies
with the season. In summer one or two pages
are used daily; in winter, the season of heavy
storms, as many as dozen pages are filed. 1t
is seldom that anything is said II the loss DOCK
of the loss of life. Lloyd's takes no cognizance
of the doomed being; it is
PROPERTY, NOT LIFE,
which the underwriters OF Loyds insure.
The entries on the bulletins aud the black
book the indications of the meteorological ln-
struments and reports of the various insurance
inspectors on vessels, combine to M AXE up the
daily paper published by Lloyds and known as
Lloyd's List.
Is the chart ROOM where are displayed maps OF
every sea, ocean, bay and port in the world,
each on q roller and arranged with great care:
aud there is a reading room, where the files OF
newspapers, maritime gazettes, CONNER lal
circulars, ETC., are arranged according to ma
tions and continents Oh two large tables, which
may be said to represent the two hemispheres.
The method of collecting ship news by
Lloyd's is not materially different from that OF
the New York Associated Press, but it is more
elaborate and perfecA and far more reliable.
Lloyd's has its agents in every part OF the
world-on every habitable rock in the sea, as
well as in every open port OF every nation.
Lloyd's is q signboard to be found in every
port that a ship can enter. The agents en-
ployed are either highlands foreign officials
generally consuls) or English merchants of re-
pute residing in foreign countries, and always
men of such official or commercial standing
and reputation as enables them to obtain the
EARLIEST SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
These agents are in constant communication,
by letter and telegraph, with the central Office
in London, and here their reports finally con-
centrate At the same time that their infor-
nation is on its way to London it is circulated
In every port touched at by the vessel bearing
the communication to Lloyd's, and thus Lloyd's
news is dissem mated.
From the Office the accumulated information
goes in bulk, and not piecsmeal. Besides these
agencies of information, the merchants OF Lon
don who are subscribers to IIloyd's furnish
their news. received by letter otherwise, to
She institution, and the captains and crews OF
vessels often report to Lloyd's before they go to
their owners 1t costs $4,000 annually to sus-
tain such an institution aud pay for the news.
This is not so large SUN as the New York as
ISOLATION puts out for news, but II must be re
msrnbered that the London institution is con-
iued to one branch of news collecting, while
that of New York embraces all kinds of news
The business of Lioyd's is conducted by COM
mittee of twelve members, one of whom, gem
orally leading merchant and q member OF the
British Parliament, is chosen as the Chief The
working staff is headed by Secretary, who is
an Admiral OF the British Navy, and is other
wise composed of large number OF assistant
secretaries, clerks and walters, the latter title
heing given to the messengers in remembrance
OF Lloyd's coffee house. The revenne of the
association consists of the subscriptions of the
members (Sl25 TO $3.50 each per annnm), by
the sale of the news to the English newspapers
and the subscriptions to the List, which has
large circulation in all parts of the world.