Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-21

party fell i'll his life was insured at
Lloyd's coffee house at premium of
; per cent. Travellers who went abroad
were able to insure their safe return,
but the premium was tolerably high.
''One traveller by the name of Henry,
who went to Constantinople. insured
his return for $4,000. but he had to pay
$4,000 premium for it. 1t was only
natural that there should be specula
tive assurances at Lloyd's at this time.
because you may remember that in the
early part of the eighteenth century an
enormous wave of speculation swept
over this country. One indication of
that wave was the South sea bubble
Thousands of people were ruined. 1t
was only natural when speculation rose
so high, when schemes like the bubble
and the DarienPanama colony scheme
were put before the public. when peo
pie rushed for shares IN them, when
tulips coming from Holland rose to 200
guineas a bulb. that there should have
been little speculation carried on at
Lloyd's among underwriters. In 1892
the coffee house was removed from
Tower to Lombard street, and in 1874
premises in the Royal Exchange, where
1t has since remained.
The writer visited Lloyd's few days
ago, between and o'clock in the after
noon, the busiest time in the day. when
some thousands of men are congregated
in the famous underwriting room. 1t
was surely busy scene, and would
have been a revelation to any American
who imagines that Britishers can't hustle
when they want to. Entrance was
gained through a barrier presided over by
gorgeous Cerebus in a scarlet robe and
gold banded silk hat The underwriting
room is a large, long. lofty chamber with
domed ceiling. down either side and
along the center of which are rows of
low pews. technically known boxes
each of which contains narrow writing
table with room for three a side. and
here the underwriters sit with their clerks
beside them TO record the risks accepted,
sign policies or take down claims. At
the end of each writing table is wire
basket in which are placed the signed
policies ready for collection by the brok-
ers, and the two broad gangways are
thronged by an ever-Shifting and busy
crowd of these and their clerks going
to and from one underwater or group of
underwriters to another. most of them
carr S1ng in their hands neat leather cases
of slips on which are written all the
particulars of the risks offered and taken
On the left as one enters is the desk
of the superintendent of the room and
little beyond it is a reading desk. on
which rests, open, one of the most fate
full volumes in existence 1t is great
tome. bound in green leather. known as
the loss book, in which each day is
written the list of the casualties at sea.
In normal times. it seems. the merchant
navies of the world lose nearly 1000 YES
sells every year. ione of five in which is
a steamer. but upon all of which Lloyd's
pay out insurance. What will the total
be this year? At Lloyd's they refuse even
to hazard a guess
AS the visitors walked about the guide
suddenly laid his hand on the writer's
arm. Listen" he said "a loss is just
about to be announced in the old. pic
turesque way.
He pointed TO the top of the partition
screen. to what was evidently an old
ships bell, around which hung = mass
of ehains-rusty rudder chains. Beneath
1t was a-sort OF pulpit, topped by q