The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-08 00:00:00

CREMATION IN DORSET.

first fall masonic funeral ceremony that has
occurred in England for nearly a century, took place
at Manston, near Sturminster-Newton, Dorset, on
Tuesday afternoon, when the remains of the late
Captain Hanham were deposited in the family manso.-
leum to await the cremation he himself in his will
provided for. The invocations were read and ad-
dresses delivered by Provincial Grand Master Mon-
tague Guest, M.P. There was a very large attend-
ance of masons and the public generally.
The body was cremated at Manston on Tuesday
night, in the furnace or " cremator " built close to the
deceased's house, on the banks of the river Stour,
partially from the designs of Captaia Hanham, in
whose lifetime the building was commenced. When
the late Mrs. Hanham, the wife of the deceased, was
cremated, more than a year ago, a good deal of iron was
used in the furnace, but on account of the warping and
partial fusing on that occasion, metal was in the present
proceedings only employed where absolutely necessary.
The masonry of the furnace is very solid, the exterior
hain7 of common brick, and all parts exposed to
7she flames being composed of fire-brick. The place
In which the coffin was deposited was some four or five
feet from the base of the brickwork, and in the clear
was 7ft, long by 21t. 61n. wide. The coffin rested
on fire-brick bars 10in, thick and 9iin. apart. These
bars had sloping sides, down which the ashes and
remains fell on the firebrick plates or pockets.
These plates glanted from a centre ridge to the sides
of the brickwork, and were so arranged that although
the fire could play all round the coffin not a
particle of the ashes or other burnt remains of
the body could escape. The height of the recess
containing the coffin was 2ft. 3m, from the arched
roof to the bare before mentioned, and in the roof
were three apertures, having a cham oer from
which the smoke escaped in a low, square chimney.
There were four peep-holes ranged at regular intervals
round the recessa, so that the medical men could, when
necessary, watch the process. The brickwork at the
back of the recess was twenty-two inches thick, aid
in the front fourteen inches. A short distance above
and below the coffin clamber the brickwork was
strengthened by thick angle-shaped iron. There were
three fire-boxes a short distance from the ground, the
ash-pans of which were level with the ground-.
The coffin, which had been placed in the mausoleum
near the house with Masonic ceremonies dining the
afternoon, was removed to the "cremator" soon after
seven o'clock in the evening, and having been placed in
position under the directions of Dr. Cotnyns Leach,
the front of the chamber was closed with thick fire-
brick slabs or doors, which, together with the peep-
holes before-mentioned, were made air tight with
mortar.

Everything having been got ready, the fires were
lighted at exactly twenty minutes to eight, in the
presence of a few privileged friends of the de-
ceased. The dense volume of smoke which fol-
lowed the immediate lighting of the fires was soon
succeeded by flames from the top of the chimney,
spreading a glare around which could be seen for a
considerable distance. The flames, however, at no
time reached a very great height owing to excellent
arrangements made for internal combustion. The
best Forest of Dean coal was used, and in a very
short time the thick firebrick slabs in front of the
coffin chamber were red hot. At twenty minutes to
ten the peepholes before referred to were opened
alternately by Dr. Oomyns Leach, who pronounced
cremation even then to have been to all practical pur•
poses completed. Nothing of the coffin remained ex-
cepting the handles and screws and small pieces of
white hot charcoal. The limb bones had fallen apart
and had becomed highly calcined, but as some carbon
still remained to be consumed, the peep holes were
accordingly reclosed. The fires still burnt with
unabated vigour, but the brickwork was so
solid that little of the heat was felt under the awning
by which it was covered. So far the proceedings had
been perfectly incoessful. Not the least nffensive
smell con;d be detected, and so far as sanitation was
concerned nothing further could be desired. The fires
were kept up till nearly eleven o'clock, by which time
the cremation may be said to have been completed, and
that very satis!aotorily.