in 1887. President Eugene B. Magnus was elected in 1887, and has since retained the position. George W. Jones is secretary. The total cash premiums since organization amount to $2,242,822; total losses paid, $685,518; total dividends, $1,248,000. Brokers, Fire Insurance, of New York. [See "New York Metropolitan Board of Fire Insurance Brokers."] Brooklyn Life insurance company of New York was incorporated March 21, and began business July 26, 1864. The original capital was $125,000. The present officers of the company are William M. Cole, president; William H. Wallace, vice-president; William Dutcher, secretary; D. Parks Fackler, actuary. The directors are William M. Cole, William H. Wallace, Gen. William H. Lyon, Michael Chauncey, Arnold A. Lewis, Jacob K. Olwine, Isaac Carhart, Hon. Felix Campbell, H. B. Brundrett, Briton Richardson, Alonzo Slote, Charles T. Barney, E. W. Mascord, Alex. Forman, Daniel Birdsall, William H. Ford, William Dutcher. Brooks, Fred S., was appointed in October, 1891, general agent of the Sun insurance office for the states of Ohio and Indiana, succeeding Edmund Gardner. Brooks, John Graham, was commissioned by the United States Department of Labor to pass two years in Germany, studying the German system of compulsory life insurance for the working classes, on behalf of the department. Buckeye Mutual Fire insurance company of Shelby, Ohio: Its charter was revoked by the supreme court of the state, February 5, 1891, on account of insolvency, and the submission of a false statement to the insurance department. The company was incorporated in 1873, and began business January 17, 1874. Buffalo Board of Fire Underwriters: At the annual meeting in April, 1891, C. B. Armstrong was elected president; Wm. J. Sandrock, vice president; J. A. Gittere, secretary: Edward A. Hall, treasurer; George W. White, assistant secretary; and I. J. Clark, manager. Buffalo-German insurance company of Buffalo, N. Y., was organized February 15, 1867, and began business on the succeeding day. The original cash capital was $100,000. May 9, 1871, the amount was increased to $200,000. The officers are Philip Becker, president; Philip Houck, vice-president; Oliver J. Eggert, secretary; Frederick C. Haupt, assistant secretary; and George H. Hofheins, registrar. The directors are Philip Becker, Philip Houck, Jacob Dold, F. Aug. Georger, John Hauenstein, William Hellriegel, Jacob Hiemenz, H. C. Persch, J. F. Schoellkopf, Michael Mesmer, John P. Diehl, Louis P. Adolff, Charles Boller, George Goetz, Adam Cornelius, Henry Breitwieser, Albert Ziegele, Jr., Michael Hausauer, Edwin B. Eggert, August J. Fuchs. Building Construction: The special committee of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, appointed to confer with representatives from the National Association of Fire Engineers, the American Institute of Architects, the National Builders' Association, and the Mutual Underwriters, with the object of formulating a model building ordinance, reported at the annual session of the board, May 7, 1891. The conference was held at the board rooms, April 2, preceding, all of the associations being represented except the Mutual Underwriters. A committee was also appointed from the New York Board, consisting of Peter Notman, William M. St. John, and John W. Murray, to take part in the consultation. The result was the adoption of a general form capable of application in all localities, detailed codes, varying according to circumstances, being left with the large cities for final decision. The general provisions recommended were: 1. That all buildings over 70 feet in height be constructed throughout of incombustible materials, protected in the most approved manner for resisting fire. 2. That interior structural iron work in all buildings be covered and protected by fireproof material. 3. That all buildings over 50 feet in height be furnished with permanent stand pipes and ladders for the assistance of the fire department. 4. That the height of buildings to be erected should not be more than 2 times the width of the principal street on which they are located, and that no building, or portion of a building, except church spires, should be more than 125 feet high in any case, except under a special permit. 5. That the open floor space, not divided by walls of brick or other incombustible material, in all buildings hereafter erected for mercantile or for manufacturing purposes, should not exceed 6,000 square feet, without special permission based upon unusual and satisfactory precautions. 6. That every building to be erected which shall be three stories high or more, except dwelling-houses for one family, and which shall cover an area of more than 2,500 square feet, should be provided with incombustible staircases, enclosed in brick walls, at the rate of one such staircase for every 2.500 square feet in area of ground covered. 7. That wooden buildings erected within 18 inches of the boundary line, between the lot on which they stand and the adjoining property, should have the wall next the adjoining property of brick, or, when built within three feet of each other, shall have the walls next to each other built of brick. 8. That the owner of an estate in which a fire originates should be responsible for damage caused by the spread of the fire beyond his own estate, if it shall be proved that in his building the foregoing regulations were not complied with. A certificate from the inspector of buildings, or other proper official, shall be considered sufficient evidence of such compliance, if the building shall not have been altered since the certificate was issued. The following were recommended as local regulations of the highest importance, which should be applied and enforced as extensively as possible: A. In all buildings, of every kind, the space between the stringers of wooden stairs, if plastered or boarded underneath, should be stopped by filling with incombustible material at three places at least in every flight of stairs. B. All hearths in buildings with wooden floor beams should be supported by trimmer arches of brick or stone. C. In every building the space between all studding and furrings, both of inside partitions and outside walls, in the thickness of the floor and for six inches above, should be filled with incombustible material. Also that the continuous space between the joists of every floor, ceiling and roof, shall be effectually cut off at every point where the joists are supported. D. All brick party walls and brick outside walls adjoining neighboring property should be carried up above the adjoining building. E. At least four inches of brick should intervene between the ends of wooden floor beams entering a brick party wall from opposite sides. F. The walls of brick buildings should be tied at intervals by the floor beams, which, if of wood, should be so anchored to the walls that, in case they are burned off, they will not, in falling, overthrow the walls. By the vote of the board, the report of the committee was accepted, and ordered printed in the proceedings. The committee was continued. Buildings, Height of, Restricted in Chicago. At a meeting of the Chicago Fire Underwriters' Association, December 16, 1891, the appended resolution restricting the erection of high buildings, was adopted: Resolved, That it is the judgment of this association that all office building of noncombustible construction should be limited in height to not more than one and onehalf times the width of the street upon which such buildings may be constructed; and on streets of more than sixty-six feet in width, the height of such non-combustible buildings should be limited to 120 feet from the street level to the highest point of the roof: also that all other buildings of other than fire-proof construction should be limited in height to eighty-five feet from the street level to the highest point of the roof. Provided further, that no building to be occupied for mercantile purposes, whether fire-proof or otherwise, shall exceed eighty-five feet in height from the street level to the highest point of roof. Bullard, A. F., of Kansas City, was appointed in July special agent of the Fireman's Fund insurance company of San Francisco, for Missouri and Kansas. Burlington insurance company of Burlington, Iowa, was chartered December 21, 1860, and began business February 12, 1861. The paid-up capital is $200,000. The charter authorizes fire and tornado insurance, both of which are transacted by the company. The officers are John G. Miller, president, and Jacob Alter, secretary. The directors are John G. Miller, Jacob Alter, H. Clay Seymour, N. Lease, and M. H. Rogers. Burnet, Jacob, Jr., president of the Cincinnati insurance company, died at Cincinnati, Ohio, April 4, 1891. He had been the president of the Cincinnati Fire Underwriters' association for a number of years. Mr. Burnet was succeeded as president of the insurance company by Matthew Addy. The latter resigned soon after his election and Robert T. Bonsall was chosen president. Butler, William A., of Detroit, Mich., died May 6, 1891, aged 78 years. He was president of the Detroit Fire and Marine and of the Michigan Mutual Life insurance companies at the time of his death, succeeding in the latter position Jacob S. Farrand, whose death occurred at Detroit, April 3. Caldwell, William Wallace, of Chicago, died October 30. He was a prominent fire underwriter, representing the Factors and Traders of New Orleans until its withdrawal from Chicago. During the war he rose to the rank of Colonel of the Eighty-first regiment, Indiana volunteers. Caledonian insurance company of Edinburgh was founded in 1805, and is the oldest Scottish insurance company. It was chartered to do a fire and life business. The subscribed capital is £537,500; cash capital, £107,500, and fire fund exclusive of cash capital, £345,948. The chairman is Sir Edward Warrender, Bart.; general manager, D. Deuchar, F.I.A., and fire superintendent, James Cowan, The company entered California for a fire insurance business in July, 1885, and Pennsylvania in September, 1890, going into other eastern states soon after and depositing $200,000 with the New York insurance department October 20 following. Henry W. Brown was appointed United States manager east of the Rocky mountains, with headquar ters at Philadelphia. In April, 1892, the management was transferred from Mr. Brown to the Niagara Fire insurance company of New York, Mr. Brown being appointed one of the United States trustees. The United States assets December 31, 1891, were $965,545; liabilities, including deposit capital, $707,213. California State Insurance Department, 1868-1892. The insurance department of California was organized in 1868. The insurance commissioners, from its creation to the present time, have been as follows: George W. Mowe, J. N. E. Wilson, May 5, 1868-April 1, 1872 Mr. Wilson is the present commissioner, his term expiring in 1894, and M. M. Rhorer is deputy commissioner. California insurance company of San Francisco: The eastern department of the company was discontinued in October, 1891, the fire risks being re-insured by the People's Fire of Manchester, N. H., and the marine risks by the Insurance Company of North America. In April, 1892, the company re-insured the remainder of its business east of the Rocky mountains, in the Home of New York, and a few days later the Fireman's Fund took its Pacific Coast and marine business, and also its business building in San Francisco. The California was organized in 1861, with Dr. Samuel Merritt as president, and Charles T. Hopkins as secretary, these two gentlemen being the active promoters of the enterprise. In 1866, Mr. Hopkins was elected president, and in 1885 resigned on account of ill health, being succeeded by L. L. Bromwell. Its name at first was the California Mutual Marine, and its business was confined to marine insurance. In 1864 the company was re-organized and its name changed to the California insurance company, and it commenced doing a fire insurance business. Its subscribed capital of $200,000 had only ten per cent. paid in. A stock dividend was declared of $80,000. In 1865 a further stock dividend of $60,000 was declared, and the stockholders paid in $40,000, making its paid-up capital $200,000. In 1870 the capital was increased to $300,000 by capitalizing $50,000 of surplus and securing subscriptions of $50,000 in cash. In 1881 the capital was increased to $600,000 by a payment of $300,000 in cash subscriptions. It has paid to its stockholders $1,432,285, and it is estimated that the sale of its business will return to the holders of the stock over $800,000 more. California Insurance Report: The twenty-third annual report of the insurance commissioner of California was issued May 25, 1891. The average percentage of losses to premiums on California fire business in the year ending December 31, 1890, was 43.7; on marine risks, 72.7. An act was passed by the legislature and approved March 19, 1891, requiring all assessment companies to report in future to the insurance commissioner's office, and subjecting them to supervision by that official. The receipts of the department amounted to $28,244.09; expenditures, $6,533.45; balance in favor of state, $21,710.64. Campbell, A. G., formerly secretary of the Texas Board of Fire Underwriters, committed suicide at Dallas, April 10, 1891, being hopelessly ill from consumption. Camden Fire insurance association of Camden, N. J., was incorporated March 12, and began business in April, 1841. The original and present_capital is $105,730. The officers are: Henry B. Wilson, president; Jonathan Burr, vice-president; Edmund E. Reed, treasurer; and Joseph K. Sharp, secretary. The directors are the above named officers and W. P. Tatem, C. J. Mines, Edmund E. Reed, Jr., W. W. Bozarth, Frank J. Burr, R W. Birdsell, William S. Scull, John Campbell, Jr., and George W. Gilbert. The company had assets December 31, of $249,615, and net surplus of $100,194. Canada Life insurance company of Hamilton, Ont., was incorporated in 1847, and entered the State of Michigan in 1889. It has a capital of $125,000; assets of $10,996,522; surplus as regards policyholders, of $1,108,695. The amount of policles in force December 31, 1891, was $54,086,801. The company has $100,000 on deposit with the Michigan insurance department. Alexander G. Ramsey is president; W. T. Ramsay, superintendent; Rolland Hills, secretary; and T. Donnelly, Detroit, the Michigan manager. Capital City insurance company of Montgomery, Ala., was chartered and began business in August, 1871. The charter authorizes insurance and banking. The stock fixed by the charter at the outset was $100,000. The company called in 20 per cent., and in 1882 paid up the balance from the business. The amount was then increased to $150,000. E. B. Joseph is the president; M. Kalm, vice-president, and Sam A. Ellsberry, secretary of the company. The directors are Messrs. W. D. Brown, S. C. Marks, J. R. Warren, M. Kalm, B. L. Holt, J. Greil, E. B. Joseph, F. Lilienthal, J. Goetter. Capital Fire insurance company of Concord, N. H., began business March 19, 1886, the original paid-up capital being $25,000. The present amount is $200,000. The officers are: F. W. Rollins, president; Henry McFarland, vice-president; Lyman Jackman, secretary; and J. E. Fernald, treasurer. Capital insurance company of Des Moines, Iowa, began business January 24, 1884, the original paid-up capital being $25,000. The amount authorized is $100,000. The company conducts lightning, fire, and tornado insurance under its charter, confining its business exclusively to the state of Iowa. The officers are W. W. Lyons, president; J. K. Gilcrest, secretary; C. E. Campbell, assistant secretary. The directors are William W. Lyons, W. L. Read, F. T. Campbell, C. E. Campbell, J. K. Gilcrest, W. H. Gilcrest, C. L. Gilcrest, W. K. Lucas, W. F. Conrad, J. A. T. Hull. Carleton, W. T., appointed in November New England special for the American Casualty insurance and security company of Balti more. Carrol County Board of Fire_Underwriters (New Hampshire), organized in August with John H. Beacham of Wolfeborough as president, and F. B. Osgood of North Conway, secretary. |