Volume 3
The insurance cyclopaedia : being a dictionary of the definition of terms used in connexion with the theory and practice of insurance in all its branches, a biographical summary ..., a bibliographical repertory ..., an historical treasury ..., and also containing a detailed account of the rise and progress of insurance in Europe and in America ... / by Cornelius Walford.
- Date:
- 1871-1878
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The insurance cyclopaedia : being a dictionary of the definition of terms used in connexion with the theory and practice of insurance in all its branches, a biographical summary ..., a bibliographical repertory ..., an historical treasury ..., and also containing a detailed account of the rise and progress of insurance in Europe and in America ... / by Cornelius Walford. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
134/672 (page 130)
![EXPLOSIONS—BOILERS. explosion on the women ; other of the children are dwarfed and unhealthy ; one mother had become a raving maniac. I20 persons were wounded, 15 being permanently injured, with loss of eyes, legs, arms, etc. There was also about ;^20,ooo worth of damage done to property. The neighbourhood was a densely crowded one. We believe there was no attempt to claim on the ins. offices in regard to the property ; but the life offices and the accident ins. cos. stood to suffer. The case did not come under CiviL COMMOTIONS. Household Boilers.—Nearly every house built for genteel occupation, either in town or country, has a close-boiler kitchen range, intended to supply a bath-room and other portions of the house with hot water. A certain number of explosions ann. arise there- from, producing mostly considerable injury to property ; and not unfrequently loss of life. The fire offices exclude the consequences of fires resulting from such causes from their pol., under the general exemption of liability from explosions. The steam-boiler cos. now insure these risks. [Household Boilers, Ins. of.] Lightning,—The electric fluid of the clouds has, in passing to the earth, been the cause of many serious explosions. It is very difficult to obtain complete returns of such casualties. All such cases as we have met with are included and specified in the list of explosions we have given under sub-heading Gunpowder. Prob. many others have occurred, of which there is no distinct record. At the Dartford Mills it is one of the regulations that during storm's the workmen leave the magazine, taking care to secure all doors and windows. [Lightning.] Loss of Life.—Life, health, and accident ins. cos. pay in case of death by explosion, in the absence of fraud, and on proof of identity. Some of the steam-boiler ins. cos. have powers to ins. specific sums on work-people in case of death by explosion of boiler. Schemes have been proposed to insure miners in the event of death by explosion. [Miners, Ins. of.] Ships.—If ships be insured under fire pol., as they usually are while in dock or harbour, being laden or unladen, the pol. does not cover explosions from whatever cause arising. But ordinary marine pol. generally cover the risk of explosion. [Steam-ships.] Steam-boilers.—Since 1859 the bus. of ins. steam-boilers has been a recognized, and a constantly increasing branch of ins. bus. The loss of the boiler, however, may and frequently does constitute but a small portion of the entire loss in such cases. There is usually a greater or less destruction of buildings ; frequently considerable damage to machinery or stock ; and too often sacrifice of life. Each of these several risks may be insured against—Steam-boiler. Ins. Cos. But there are several cases presenting different points to be mentioned here. In Millandoii v. Nati Orleans Ins. Co., before the Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1849, the action was to recover the value of a quantity of sugar and molasses destroyed in the sugar-house of the plaintiff by the explosion of the steam-boiler, which was used in the manufacturing of sugar ; the loss being alleged to have been caused by fire. The sugar and molasses were covered by an ordinary fire pol., and the value of the articles destroyed was proved to be 6500 dols. The damage done was confined exclusively to that produced by the explosion ; none having been done by fire. The Court below found for the defen- dants ; this finding was now confirmed:—Held, that the chances of loss by explosion are not the same as those from fire : the former being dependent on the condition of the machinery, the mode in which it operates, and the care and attention with which its operation is overlooked. In St. John V. American Mut. Fire and Marine Ins. Co., before the Court of Appeals, N.Y., 1854, the pol. by which the property was ins. against loss or damage by fire contained a condition that the insurers would not be liable for any loss occasioned iy the explosion of a steam-boiler; and there was an explosion of a steam-boiler in use in the building where the property was situated, whereby fire was brought in contact with and consumed property that the loss was within the exception created by the condition, and the insurers not liable. In Hayward v. Livej-pool and London F. and L. i860, where the pol. insured against loss or damage by fire on the building occupied as an India-rubber factory, and on property contained therein, and on machinery, tools, steam-engine, and shafting, and provided that the Co. shall not be liable to make good any loss or damage by fire which shall happen or arise by any explosion. One of the conditions forming part of the pol. declared that neither will this Co. be answerable for loss or damage by explosions of any kind. The insured premises and property were destroyed by a fire, which origin- ated from and was caused by an explosion of one of the boilers of the steam-engine belonging to, and used in, the said India-rubber factory, and covered by said pol. :— Held, the Co. is not liable for the loss, even though the steam-engine was necessary and ordinarily used in carrying on the bus. of an India-rubber factory. [7 Bosw. N.Y. 385.] In the Ahil. Ins. Co. v. Tweed, before the Supreme Court of the U.S. on appeal in 1868, the facts were these: Cotton in a warehouse was ins. against fire, the pol. containing an exception against fire which might happen by means of any invasion, riot, or civil com- motion, or any military or usurped power, explosion, earthquake, or hurricane. An ex- plosion took place in another warehouse, situate directly across a street, which threw down the walls of the first warehouse, scattered combustible materials in the street, and resulted](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21915404_0003_0134.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
