Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-01-20
NEW YORK FIRE ADJusTERs

NEW YORK FIRE ADJUSTERS.
How They Learn of Losses and the Meth
DDS They Pursue.
Men whose faces have long been
familiar to the reporters at police
headquarters hasten through Null
berry street to the steps leading to
the basement of the big, white build
| ing of the central office about
O'Clock each morning. The door
swings on its hinges and the men
disappear. They turn to the left in
the dark passageway, and a second
turn in the same direction brings
them into the little room outside the
telegraph Office, in which are dis
played as soon as received the slips
from the various police stations and
fire headquarters, announcing in
skeleton form the news of the night.
The men care nothing about the
brief announcements of murders,
suicides, thefts and the other evil
dences of criminology What they
are after are the slips which describe
the fires of the night. They are fire
adjusters, these early visitors, and
it is unique business which they
have fostered and developed. They
are not attached to any insurance
company, yet by years of close at
tention to business they are recog.
nized as experts, and as such are
called frequently into court to testi-
fly in arson trials.
Who originated the business no.
body seems to know, but there is a
tradition to the effect that more than
generation ago man whose home
had been damaged by fire had some
difficulty in collecting his insurance.
Hew was quick to recognize the plight
of others placed in similar predica-
ment, and, being aggressive, he de-
termlned to act as an intermediary
in the,matter of settling fire losses,
depending on a percentage fee for
his trouble.
Other men entered the field from
time ito time. At this time more
than score of shrewd, observant
men are engaged in adjusting fire
losses. They do not like to describe
their methods. The field is limited
even for city as large as New
York, and if more men should en-
gage in the business the receipts
| would be less for each individual.
In brief, however, they go about
their work much in the following
manner: The round up of a night
may be dozen fires. Each slip
states the number of the alarm box,
when received, cause of the fire, if
known; damage estimated and if in
sured. The men divide the work Of
the morning as best they can. By
O'Clock the little band has scattered,
but later other adjusters arrive and
take up. the claims as fast as they
are recorded.
It is notable fact that many per-
sons who suffer losses by fire, es-
pecially in the lower east side OF
town, ,exaggerate the damage done
almost invariably, but the fire adj
| juster, with his years of training to
| guide him, is quick to make an i'm
partial appraisement. Arrived at
the scene of the fire, he soon learns
the names of the persons insured
and the titles Of the companies in
surfing them. He explains the object
of his visit, and the insured, being
anxious to have-the loss settled as
speedily as possible, is only too will
ing to consent to pay the adjuster's
fee. The companies, too, are ready
to accept the appraisement, knowing
from experience that the adjusters
are experts in their business and
will see that justice is done to the
several contracting parties.
AS rule the adjusters prefer to
pass upon the damage done by large
fires. The small ones are too trou-
blesome, and clerk from the in
surance company can adjust them
easily. New York Commercial.