Fire Insurance.— The laws and prac tices governing this form of insurance approach much nearer to uniformity than those of life insurance. There are very few life insurance companies chartered outside the United States doing busi ness here; but nearly every large fire insurance company in the world has es tablished offices in the principal Ameri can cities. The various companies are distinguished as stock and mutual as to organization; and fire exclusively, and fire and marine as to field of operation. The plan of organization of the two forms is practically identical with that of life insurance already explained. In many large cities the various fire in surance companies combine to provide an annual fund with which a " fire insur ance patrol," or a " salvage corps," is maintained, to co-operate with local 1-ire departments.
Companies are not liable for loss caused directly or indirectly by invasion, insurrection, riot, civil war, or commo tion, military or usurped pov.-er, or by order of any civil authority; by theft; by neglect of the insured to use all rep, sonable means to save and preserve the property at and after a fire or when the property is endangered by fire in neigh boring premises; or (unless fire ensues, and in that event, for the damage by fire only) by explosion of any kind, or light ning; but liability for direct damage by lightning may be assumed by specific agreement.
Marine insurance proper covers the .ship, the cargo, the freight that the ship earns, and the profits that the cargo brings.
Miscellaneous Insuyance.— Of the mis cellaneous forms of insurance the acci dent is the oldest. The age of the in sured is limited to 16 to 65 years, and women and girls as a rule are insured against death by accident only. The
next oldest form is plate-glass insurance, in which companies insure against acci dental breakage, somewhat on the aban donment plan of marine companies. Breakage in consequence of fire or heat therefrom is now so frLquently insured against b-,;- rcgular fire companies by special contract in the policy, that strictly plate-glass insurance companies usually exclude fire from insurance risks. There are also a few companies making a specialty of insuring farm buildings against loss or damage by fire and light ning; and some in the Western States, organized as associations by farmers, on the mutual plan, that insure certain grades and kinds of cattle and standing crops against loss or damage from spe cified causes. Among the more recently established forms of insurance is the casualty, based on the legal liability of employers of labor, in which the com pany insures an employe against acci dent or death resulting from any cause for which the employer is responsible, and makes settlement with the injured and those who may be killed or die from the results of the injury. A clerk, pub lic officer, or other person required to give bonds for the faithful performance of duty, may have his fidelity insured by another style of company, whose guaran tees are received the same as regularly executed bonds; and the clearness of a title to real estate may be insured by a title and guarantee company, which makes all the searches necessary to es tablish a clear title and guarantee its legality.