Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-17

great Jumbo when he came to New
York on Monarch line steamship.
He had such rough voyage that al
one time it seemed as if the under
writer must lose. But he didn't. and
unfortunately for the Barnum circus
Jumbo's owner, he was not reinsured
when later the life was knocked Out
Of him by a locomotive at a railroad
crossing.
Race horses are frequently insured
at Lloyd's; SO are bank deposits, and
once at least the voice of a prima
donna has been.
Another, curious case of Insurance
IN the same line was that in which a
great singer, who had been engaged
to give series of song recitals be-
fore Queen Victoria, insured the life
OF the Queen lest her death should cut
| snort the series, for which the singer
mad ordered elaborate gowns and had
Cancelled other profitable engagements
Also II the queen had died the singer
would have been compelled to 90 into
mourning and could not appear in
opera. The queen lived through the
recltals, so the singer got her money
from another source than the under
writer.
The prince of Wales jubilee stamps
were insured at Lloyd's, a prominent
tlrm Of underwriters guaranteeing that
the issue would be successful. as it
was. somewhat odder risk was the
insurance of glass bed packed in 20
cases and shipped to an eastern DO
tentate. One case was damaged, and
the underwater had to pay in part.
, There is very little that a Lloyd's
underwater will not bet upon. If. for
instance, you are uncertain about the
permanence of your gold tooth, upon
which you have expended capital and
the dentist some skill communicate
with Lloyd's, London. Somebody there
will insure it for you The thing has
been done before.
In the South African war. when tho
lie companies were chary of battle
neld risks, there was always Llovd's
10 run to, and the underwriters there
dld heavy business in such risks. II
came out at the same time that gate
money for cricket and football matches
had been insured.
The underwriters were willing in
the case of popular games, to do this
Tor comparatively small premiums.
though their ability to calculate
chances in this kind of speculation
might seem to be uncertain when the
British climate is taken into consider
alton.
mat doesn't cut so much ice with
the Lloyd's underwater If he loses
on one kind of bookmaking, he eoual-
ICES the loss by another.
Many of them will insure against
twins. One well-known underwater
has made public announcement that he
is always ready to lay a thousand to
one against any such blessing falling
upon a happy father.
Once he insured against twins and
trlplets arrived. But he considered !
that covered by the policy and paid
cneertully, content with the advertis- |
ing the publicity given to the fact con- |
ferred upon him gratis and not even
insisting on deducting from the benefit
the amount of the queens bounty. e5.
which is always bestowed in such a !
contingency.
VI course, marine risks compose the |
greater part of the business under. |
taken at Lloyds, but that has it's out.
features. The presence of |
bullion on ship increases the insur- |
ance rates in proportion to the amount |
involved.
When the steamship ST. Paul ran on |
the New Jersey beach Off Long Branch |
IN Jog six years ago, in her strong |
room was a million and a quarter in
gold bars consigned to firm of bank /
ers in New York. 1t was essential to
the underwriters that this gold should
be taken off the ship at the earliest
possible moment, for if she should
break up their loss would have been
enormous
A special steamer was chartered to
get the gold and special guard was
provided for it. A sagging chute was
rugged from the st. Paul to the other
steamer and down this the gold was
sent, II men armed with revolvers
keeping watch over the operation.
They kept guard till the gold was
landed and transferred by truck to a
vault in Wall street, and the under
writer's fears were set at rest.-New
York Sun.