TOPICS OF THE DAY.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

NTOVEMBER proved a fiery month and disastrous to the underwriters. The fire loss amoi nted to $10,235,000, as against $7, 189,800 in 1807. and $6,211,800 in 1896. The total fire loss for the eleven months of the present year is $106,938,400, as against $98,991,000 in 1897 and $104 293,500 in 1896. Yet in November the fire loss was not the greatest of any month in the year. It was exceeded by that in September, which was $14,203,650; that of February, $12,629,200; and that of May, §11,072,200. In the month just past there were 173 fires in which the loss exceeded $10,000 as follows: from $10,000 to $20,000, seventy-three; 20,000 to $30,000 twenty-six; $30,000 ’o $50,000, thirty-one; $50,000 to $75,000, e'.even; $75 000 to $ioc,coo, thirteen; $100,000 to $200,000. fourteen; $200,000 to $1.500,000, five. The most destructive fires were those at the starch works at Glen Cove (L. I.), N. Y., $195,000; Sacramento Cal., railroad shops, $500,000; Joliet, Ilj., tin plate mills, $150,000; Canonsburg, Pa.,various, $150,000; Perry, la., business section, $337,000; West New Brighton, borough of Richmond (Staten Island). N. Y , Starin shipyards, $225,000; San Francisco Cal., Baldwin’s hotel, theatre, and stores, $1,500,000; Kansas City, Mo., furniture and carpet store, $205,000. The month of December, usually a costly one from a fire insurance point of view has begun on a very fiery scale, which, if even partially maintained, will make the year 1898 a very expensive year for the underwriters.

O很多火灾发生在新奥尔良。on steameis laden with cotton, especially on board those putting in from Galveston, Tex., that the Marine and Fire Underwriters’ association of the former city, have announced a reward of $1,000, to be paid to anyone who gives such information as shall lead to the detection and conviction of the incendiary or incendiaries. This offer will help both Galveston ard New Orleans. Chief O’Connor, of the fire department of th-itcity, recently put in a claim for $1,800 salvage for extinguishing the fires on the Ida and Ilighfield, from Galveston to Liverpool. The claim was refused by the agents,who claimtd that it was the duty of the fire department to extinguish the flames without cost. At the same time, however, they expressed themselves as willing to submit the matter to the foreign insurance agents. The difference was amicably adjusted through a conference between the mayor, the fire board,the city attorney, the president of the fireboaid, and Messrs. Cooney. Pitot, Meister, and McShane, members. Mr. Gilmore’s advice was to leave the matters of salvage or compensation to the ship agents and marine underwriters. This course was decided upon.