The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-29

though thousands of them remained in the
city until tine epidemic had passed, there
were only twenty five cases of yellow fever
developed
I'm the insurance business we are COM
PEELED to study statistics of health from all
over the country. The result of very close
attention in this respect has convinced US
that we have much more to fear from @
spring crop of pneumonia than from all the
yellow fever with which the south has ever
been afflicted. The reports from Jackson
Vile show that out of z, 900 cases of yellow
fever there have been 200 deaths.
| do not believe that any
sane man would venture an opinion
that the proportion of deaths would
be so small in 1900 cases of pneumonia
Now, pneumonia is disease which is very
liable TO be inflicted upon the class of peo-
pie who insure their lives, while quite the
contrary is the case in regard to yellow
fever. Typhoid fever is also disease
which insurance people fear much more
than they do yellow fever. Beginning in
July, 1897, and continuing into last winter,
there was run of typhoid fever over a
belt 200 miles wide and extending south
and east from Duluth which was simply
appalling. 1t went through Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia
ware and southwestward into Texas. In
July, 1887, seven policy holders of this com
pany died Of typhoid fever, five of whom
lived in Illinois. In August of the same
year we lost six of our policy holders from
typhoid fever. Either of those months
brought us greater losses from ty-
phoid fever than we suffered from
yellow fever losses during the
epidemic of of 1873. If there had been five
Of II, Tl1ipNio in, TIlxy
1887, the entire state would have run wild
How many cases of typhoid fever there
were, do not know, being interested only
in learning how many of our policy holders
died of that disease No one will remem-
Der, however, that the prevalence of
typhoid in Illinois in July, 1887,
m ide any great impression upon the coun-
try. At any rate, it did not serve to
excite alarm beyond the communities imme-
diately affected. For insurance purposes it
impressed a lesson already learned-that
typhoid fever is very apt to attack those
who insure their lives. In regard to pneu-
monia, there is no need of giving figures.
will only say that if | were to read to you
from our book of losses for the spring
months of any year it would startle you.
During the present epidemic we have
had two losses from yellow fever One was
on the policy of the Rev. John r. Sharp,
OIL OllubSNlll6, WIN WOlb W OdCh-
sonville, and was there taken with fever
and died. He was insured for $500 The
other was Of a man in Tampa. His
policy was net large enough to make
the total amount of our losses more than
$4,000. Neither of these persons was
resident of Jacksonville, but both of them
belonged in the south, and were thoroughly
acclimated. We sustained a small loss in
July from the death of telegraph opera
tor from pernicious remittent fever at
Cottondale, Fla. That was not a case
cf yellow fever, but it may go in the Flor
ida list
eve look upon yellow fever as we do
upon any other epidemic. The cleanlier
class of the community Is not the class that
usually suffers most from a scourge. There
are Just as heavy risks, we think, In writ
ing insurance in northern communi les,
which are subject to visitations of small
pox, as there is in going into the south for
business for our companies. The figures
l have given you show that in the
insurance business typhoid fever is much
more to be dreaded than yellow fever
Pneumonia is also a much more dangerous
foe for the insurance companies. Viewed
simply from the standpoint OF business, we
can better afford to go through a yellow
fever epidemic than to go through another
storm in this city like the blizzard of last
March. The blizzard cost the insurance
companies more money than all the cpl
denies put together"
Inquiries elsewhere failed to find any
other companies doing business in this city
who maintained agencies in the yellow fever
districts. The United States Life insurance
Company has an agency at Atlanta, but
was led to take business there only when
satisfied that the country in that section
was thoroughly healthy. 1t has purposely
avoided going further south for business
and its officers said yesterday that theywould
not under any circumstances write insur
ance for the district which yellow fever Wis
It's. The Etna Life Insurance Company does
business in Virginia and North Carolina,
but refuses to approach the southern coast
or to write insurance for any resident in
that section. Only the Mutual, the Equit-
able, the Manhattan and the New York
Life will solicit insurance at Memphis,
although that city is now commonly re-
garded as in very high sanitary condition.
These companies. however, would probably
not withdraw their agencies even were
Memphis liable to such a visitation
as it had during 1878, because the insurance
losses in that city at that time we're in
significant. The experience OF the
four companies during the present epidemic
aggregates to date a loss certainly within
$50 900, the Equitable having but two
losses and the Manhattan none SO far as re-
ported. The Manhattan still maintains
Florida agencies at Tallahassee and at
Quincy. Officers Of these companies do not
think that any one can fairly call such loss
as has been sustained extraordinary. They
will feel justified also in reopening their
offices in the fever district as soon as the
epidemic shall have passed