Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-29
WAR LOSSES.
Insurance Companies Haze Feen
Compiling Statistics.
Thus Far But 90 palicy- holders Are Known TO
Have Died.

Local Insurance mcn are Interested in
the tables ana statistics now being A.
ranged BY the more Important insurance
companies, showing their losses durin.
the recent war between the United states
and Spain; this work has been nccessl-
rily somewhat Slow. ana the companir.;
have been delayed by tile fac: that s,m.
of their poiicy-hoidcrs who incurred
wounds or diseases in camp in this coun-
try, in Cuba and in Porto Rico did nor
succumb 70 their disabilities until within
the pass few months
In April, just previous to the declara-
ton of war, and later on in the summer
after war had been declared. All of I'M.
big companies issued circular letters III
their policy-holder-, stating certain con-
ditions 10 be complied with before hold
ers Of policies in their respective com
panies could volunteer ana ~ To the from,
without nyalidatlng their policies.
Recorder Gam Frost Of the Equitable
Co., has prepared table showing the
number Of men who died Of diseases IN
camps in the United States ana the total
amount of their policies. the number OF
men who We're killed in battle in foreign
countries ana the number Of men who
died of diseases In foreign countries.
with the total amount of their policies.
1t shows that Is p0liCy-hoidcrs. whose
combined policies amounted to SCI. $40.
dled Of disease in camps in this countr,.
Typhoid feve" ana dysentcry were the
t~o principal causes Of death. These are
attributed 70 the bad sanitary. conditions
Of the camps. Four p0lIcy-hollers. whose
combined policies amounted to $500.
We're killed in battle in foreign countries.
Seven policy-holders. whose policies
amounted To $4,000, died of disease In
foreign countries. The company's ,otaI
losses amounted to $75.4l0.
The companies do not consider their
losses a. being very large" said an An
Susta agent, when All things ara taken
into consideration. \ very small pcrccn-
tlge Of the policy-holdcrs in this COM
pany who served during the war were in
jured The number Of men who died IL
disease in this country ana abroad seems
disproportionately large. when compared
with the number who were killed in bat
tlc"
The losses Of the Manhattan Life Insur-
ancc Co, We're exceedingly small in COM
parison with the losses of the other hi
companies. Only three policy holders. tn,
total amount Of whose policies amounted
10 only $ll.0a3, died Or were killed durin.
the war.
Col. Wikof, Of the I'll infantry reEu-
lars who was killed ID the battle Of san
Juan Hill, was the only policy holder 81
the company killed in battle He held
and had held FOR years previous to his
I. s.t.4
holder, volunteer. died Of typhoid fever
at Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point The
amount Of his policy WAS $1,000.
The third poiicy-hoidcr Of the com
pany to lose his life was a Yale man. who
had a policy that had been paid up
few days previous to his departure -
Porto Rico, where he died Of typhoid fe-
yer. The company had to pay out only
s53 on this policy.
Actuary NJ. W. Torrey. in speaking #
the terms made prospective policy hold
ers. ana men already holding policies in
the Manhattan, who wished to volunteer
for the war. said:
I'VE charged a lump sum of five per
cent on the face of the policy to all per-
sons who desired to volunteer in the
army or who Were already in the service.
This extra charge was only made when
men served out of the United States. or
Hawaiian islands as We considered therr
4 part of the United States. Practically
all of our policies were Worldwide in eX-
tent and none of the policy holders We
lost We're compelled TO pay cent extra
On this policy for the privilege Of gerv-
ing his country abroad"
The officials of the New York Life In
surance Co. have not as yet prepared
statement showing the losses they in
Cured during the war.
Another of the very largest insurance
companies furnishes the following state
ment Of its losses: Killed in battle, $l5.-
500; died in camp from diseases. so, 500,
total losses. SlUS,0 This sum represents
the combined amounts of about 10 poll
cies.