Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-30
WORK OF TEN DAYS
Latter Part OF May Witnessed
Much Damage in Iowa.
INSURANCE COMPANIES SUFFERED
Fires, Tornadoes and Lightning Did
Deadly Destructive Execution Dur
ing the Last Week or Two of the
Usual MERRY Month";

Fire, tornado and lightning insurance
companies doing business in Iowa will
long have cause to remember the last
ten days of May, 1903, judging from the
reports of the damage and destruction
of property that was caused in different
parts of the state by these three ele--
ments. Concerning this matter a re-
cent issue of Des Moines paper had
the following to say:
The last ten days Of May, 1903, will
long be remem bered by the fire, lorna
do and lightning insurance companies
doing business in Iowa. Even yet re-
ports of new losses are coming to the
companies, the majority Of whom have
headquarters for the state in Des
Moines. While none Of the losses have
been especially large, they have been
numerous and total into the hundreds
of thousands of dollars. The Farmers
Mutual, which has the main offices in
Des Moines, has reports of more than
], 200 losses in day, with an aggregate
loss of between $4,000 and $4,000.
The damage was widespread, extend
ing to almost every section of Iowa
For northern Iowa, the vicinity of
Rolfe suffered most severely. A severe
wind and electrical storm swept that
section and did inestimable damage.
For the southern section of the state
Creston appears to have been the CEN
trail point, although the damage there
did not equal that of Rolfe and vicinity.
May ConditionalIy Reduce Rates.
The fire, lightning and tornado com
panies of Iowa are seriously consider
ing reduction of rates on live stock
as an inducement to have farmers ex.
tend the use of the newly devised
means of grounding the circuit on wire
fences when struck by lightning. The
loses on cattle, sheep, horses and swine
have grown to enormous proportions
from this cause. In so per cent of the
losses lightning strikes several hun
dred yards from where 1t proves fatal
to the animals. BY occasionally ey.
tending a wire into the ground several
feet near post, and connecting it with
all the wires In the fence, the circuit
can be grounded. j. S. Clark, presi.
dent of the Anchor Fire Insurance com
pany, yesterday said that the leading
companies of the state had practically
agreed to reduce the rate, making it a
stipulation in the policy that the farmer
shall provide the above specified
means of breaking the circuit. The
present Iowa rate on live stock is 8
per cent for term of five years. Cat.
tie risks are considered the most haz.
ardous of farm policies. During a
storm they collect in fence corners and
are easy victims of the lightning.
County Tornado Companies Too Small
Nearly every county mutual hail and tor
nado company in the state has ceased ex-
istence. One of the officials of leading
company said yesterday that he could not
recall one now doing business in Iowa. The
few attempts proved disastrous, although
they had apparently been great success
for few years. The damage from cyclones
tornadoes and hail storms is usually con-
fined to small area. Thus county mu.
tual with a limited territory and member
ship hazards larger percentage than the
company whose territory is extended
throughout a state or group of states
On the other hand, the county mutual fire
and lightning insurance companies are on
the increase, and appear to be prospecting.
The losses from these causes are not so ,nll-
merous or as large as from tornadoes and
hail storms. In Bremen county, the old line
companies scarcely attempt to do business.
They base their rates on their more exten.
siye business and are higher than the mutu.
ais. There are four or five in Bremen coun.
ty, and they do practically all the rural in
surance business. Pottawattamie, Fayette
and Washington are similar in this respect