Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-04-15
View. Of Farmer. and Fire Marshal.

buildings reported as burned by light
ming in South Dakota was 81, with a
loss of S57,321. This makes the aver
age loss on a building fired by light
ming $2,729, while the average from
all other causes is 81 ,301, or less than
half as much.
When barn is struck the proba-
bility is two to one that it will be en-
tirely destroyed, contents and all. Ii
dwelling, the chance is but one in
seven that it will be fired at all.
The fire marshal gets no report of
the large number of houses struck by
lightning in which chimneys are de-
molished, siding torn off, foundations
damaged and occupants killed.
Lightning comes third as a cause of
loss, and statistics show that mills,
elevators and large farm barns are
the source Of the heaviest loss. Sta
tistics also prove that buildings prop
erly provided with lightning rods burn
only in exceptional cases, and ! am
VI CiC oFilloI UIIdI w IOIp Vlit PitN"b
tion is taken to properly rod build
ings of this class the loss could be re-
duced over one-haf.
The Farmers Mutuals
The persons giving most attention
to the prevention Of loss from light
ming are the officers Of the farm
mutual insurance companies. In
several states these companies carry
more than three hundred million in
surance and in a large number half
as much. Their experience shows
that the loss by lightning each sum
mer in states in the Mississippi Valley
Is from two-thirds to three-fourths as
great as that from all other causes
added together. In Iowa in 1902 the
fire loss on farm property from light
ming was three times as great as from
all other causes combined.
In the meeting of the American
Association of Mutual Insurance
companies at Denver, the matter of
reducing the assessment where the
building was rodded was discussed
favorably. This has been done by
many companies. Other companies
penalize the absence Of a lightning
rod by paying but so per cent. of
the loss, II it is by lightning. Others
put rodded and mrodded buildings in
separate classes. Aside from this
many companies have been formed to
insure rodded buildings only.
During a discussion at the last an
nual convention of the mutual insur-
ance association Of Iowa it developed
that about half of all farm buildings
in that state are rodded. One dele
gate said: I'm cur company, where
more than half the buildings are rod
ded, it is a fact that in Is years there
isn't a case on record of single
building with rods on it that has been
struck by lightning, and great many
OF them that were not rodded have
been, To quote from the report of
an annual meeting of the Illinois As
sociation OF Mutual Insurance Com
panies, Mr.. Hanlan asked if any
one could tell of an instance where
barn burned by being struck by
lightning when it was protected by
lightning rods in perfect order. No
one could"
sold Line" Insurance Companies
"Old line" companies have been
discussing the necessity of making a
charge for the lightning clause in the
policy II the building is not rodded.
The president ofa company rank
Ing in the first three in amount of
farm property carried writes 81
want to say that IL we could secure
the proper rodding of all detached or
semi-detached buildings, like dwell
Hngs, barns and schools, we would
save sums of money for the people. 1t
may interest you to know that dur
ing the past twelve years our records
show that Is per cent. of our protect
ed school-house losses were due to
lightning. BY protected / mean
under the protection of fire depart
ment.
The manager of the company doing
the largest farm business wrote a
u year ago: 1--WE think it will not be
long until insurance companies will
D charge higher rate for property un-
protected by rods than for protected
that is, q difference in rate will be
made.
The fact is that owing to the large
number Of lightning fires, farm barns
have been losing proposition to in.
snrnnce companies for several years
State Fire Marshal. Inve.tis ate
The State Fire Marshal of Wiscon.
sin says in his annual report:
From personal investigation as to
the methods used by all the concerns
IN the lightning rod business today
a ~ Sr1xs.~ Al