The morning call., 1893-03-26
1T MIGHT BURN.
Prison Directors Worried
About Raw Jute.
A Cargo of 1t Worth $4,000 Arrives
on the Oimara From
Calcutta.

When the ship Oimara, 106 days from
Calcutta. arrived in San Francisco several
days ago unusual haste was manifested by
her officers and agents in making arrange
ments to discharge her cargo. The vessel
carried among other freight $500 bales of
raw jute, consigned to the State of Califor-
MIA at San Quentin, the jute being worth
upward OF $4,000 at the present market
rates.
The haste to get the jute on the wharf
was not due TO any desire TO empty the
vessel, but because once the bales were on
the wharf all espOnsibility upon the part
of the owners, agents and officers Of the
vessel and all liability upon the part of the
consignors and insurance men ceased and
no matter whether the jute lay on the wharf
day. an hour or a month or burned up in
six seconds after it was unlOaded the only
loser would be California.
The Legislature of 1S9091 passed a law
prohibiting the placing of any insurance
whatever upon State property of any kind
The law followed In the trend of legisla-
tion of older States, where school buildings
the State capitOls, etc. were subjects for
insurance against fire. but so sweeping in
its pruYisio was the California law made
that 1t likewise prohibited the protection by
insurance of goods and materials belonging
to the State while in transit. Thus il
happens that when jute bought in Calcutta
is landed in San Francisco all insurance
against losses by fire or marine disaster
ceases. When the jute is shipped the con-
sgnors insure it until it is delivered to the
consigBeeS, the State. on the dock in San
Francisco. Hence so long as the freight is
aboard vessel tits protected against fire.
and likewise hence the desire to get II out
Of the vessel and on the dock as quickly as
possible.
From the 0mara there was discharged
yesterday 500 bales of jute, worth about
5000 net This will lie on the wharf in
San Francisco until Monday or Tuesday of
next week, when it will be reloaded on a
barge and taken to San Quentin prison to
be worked up into bags. A barge carries
from $4,000 10 $4,000 worth of jute at a
time and if it should sink en- route from
this city to San Quentin the loss would be
total one 10 the State.
When the present cargo of raw jute is
landed safely in San Quentin, if 1t is landed
safely, there will be in the prison at that
place, uncovered by insurance, 1900 COO
manufactured grain bags. worth $4,000 at
the lowest price for bags to-day, and $50, 600
worth of raw jute, or O total of SI5O 600
worth Of intismmable property.
There is in all 10000 bales of raw lutte
purchased and due at San Quentin prison
within the coming eighteen months outside
of the manufactured bags now on hand,
and the Prison Directors are worrying a
good deal about its beiug uninsured. They
admit that once in the prison the iute is
comparatively safe from fire and admit that
they are prG badly borrowing trouble" in
the matter but add that jute is very, very
lnhammable and that there is no telling
what convicts viii do. or, for that matter,
what an eX-convct might do, with the con-
| signment now lying exposed on the wharf.
to say nothing Ct the liability to everyday