The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-28 00:00:00

LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS.

Query: How to convert motion into electricity, so
as to be enabled to generate the electric light at a
moderate cost? By means of waterfalls, windmills,
and tidal rivers, answer scientific economists. Good.
But is there not another motive agency which could be
very cheaply and reAdily supplied? Couldn't you get
it out of convict labour? By the simple expedient
of connecting our crank and treadmills with
electro-magnetic machines, a quantity of force
convertible into electric currents, and thence into
light, might be obtained proportionate to tha strength
ot criminals in custody. Thus the moral darkness of
the country might be made to atiord the means of
physical illumination an is tile darkness Bo would be
the light—very great. Isn't this a pretty as well as a
scientific idea ? In, the meanwhile you would put
rogues, thieves, and ruffians to some real use, and
make th,en;t do something for their molasses, skilligolee,
and cell-accommodation, without forcing prison labour
into injurious competition with honest induatry.—
Punch.

CREMATION OF A MEMB.ER OF THE
CEYLON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
The Ceylon Tizneq, of 3lay 7th gives the following account
of the crtmation of the late Sir Mutu Coomara Swarny, the
Tamil representative in the Legislative Council of the
OoicknY, and, a Number of the English bar:—

Offer a thousand persons, representing every class
of the inhabitants of Colombo, assembled in the un-
consecrated portion of the Borella Cemetery on
Monday to witness the cremation of the remains of
the Hon. Sir M. Coomara Swamy, tho Tamil repre-
sentative in the Legislative Cowed:. This was the
first time, we believe, that, a cremation has taken
place in the cemetery, which probably accounted
for the presence el many persons who were merely
attracted l euriosityi and as it may seem
somewlet, atrange that the ceremouy which
wp, .re about to describe should take place
' within a few hundred yarde 0.1 the consecrated
I portion of the cemetery, we may explain that the
Government agent gan the necessary permission on
the principle that ee cemetery was for common tese,
and that the p.eeton of it not consecrated could not be
denied komay applicants, whatever their religiona faith,
and, eeettever their funeral rites mightbe. The neces-
, sary site was therefore furnished lee the funeral pyre
' of the deceased knight, and was indicated by a some-
what novel constructia. our plantain trees, heavily
laden with fruit, treire, placed in such a position that
they formed thstcernere of a kind of altar cornpeeed of
sandahweede The sides of the altar weeo screened
wit 4, white cloth, and the covering as composed of
tha same material, native fruite bong profusely used
Jto give it an attractive appeaeance. Near at hand was
a large supply of Bendel), wood to be used after the
body had been deposited on the pyre ; and
the presence oi two tins of kerosine, of several
chattlee eceaiiaining ghee, and other inflammable ma-
terial, indicated that every precaution had been taken
Ito reduce the body to ashes As quickly as possible. The
" cortbge was announced to leave tne residence of the
deceased at seven cs'clock precisely, but owing to the
roundabout way the procession took, it was consider-
ably past eight before it arrived on the ground. The
, body, which was in a coffin covered by a crimson pall
: with gold fringe, was conveyed to the cemetery nu a
hearse surmounted by a pagoda-shaped constructl43a a
white linen relieved with black and studde4 with of
largo number of miniature flags, aleo, 4 white linen.
As the hearse was slowly drare, by its two horses,
! coolies placed long strips of ele,:th in feont of it, so that
from Colpetty to Borella tetetleoxsea' feet rarely touched
the surface of the eoeed, Behind the hearse wee, es
string of 'AIX ---s hmadred carriages, among tlee °cone
pante (4 vehl,c were Captain Nevil Rayne, ..4.12. C. , re-
prozont.ipg his Excelleney the Governce; Chief J,uetica
I linear, Mr. Justice Stewart, and pe.tny other prominent
I citizens, together with are inane:Alai repeeeentation of
' other classes of the community. When the pyre was
reached the heeeeee was. drawn rcpead it three times,
and the con was then beim* horn the hearse to the
pyre lry Chief Justice Phaar, Mr. Justice Stereatt, the
, Hon. Ur. Vane, and the Hon. J. Van I.4mgenber,
Then began what was anything k,I.A an edifying
sight, 0: one calculated to add to. the solerealiy of
death. A number of nat'eve% mon and women, began
,to pile over the eej4ta huge fogs of sandalwood,
and seerpd te. 4egad the labour as one of a most
, ordinarl *.haractqx, toZ - they chatted, and shouted,
' ye:A pnehe er to, sad frotn knit as if they were unloading
a bpa`t in the har)Your. Log upon log was piled upon
the coffin, until at larit is was altogether concealed
from view, and then two tine of kerosine were
poured over the pile, whilst camphor and other in-
gredierete that have a pleesant odour when burnt, were
liherally employed, tegethee with the ghee in the
, cbatties already mentioned. At last, when the patience
; of the V,-,eropeana, exposed ma, y of them for nearly
twa houes to the heat of the sun' was nearly ex-
hausted, the cooliea who hai so assiduously piled on
. the eapdal-wood were told to desist from their
• work. 4,y this time the pile over the coffin
had reached the canopy, some of the timber, consisting
of wood that had apparently at one time formed the
pillars of a dwelling-house, and that took two men to
. carry. Then Mr, Tamblah, who took an active ele,t
in directing the operations, requested the crowd to re-
tire for a few yards. This request Vaii.willingly ac-
ceded to; and two natives, 'who e.ktre attired as coolies,
but who, we are told, e.eee t!'priests," blew a melan-
choly wail _fel a few 'minutes on conch shells. Ae they
did 4ct, the pyre was fired by means of a toefeh, and in a
; second or two was a mass of flame; the heat from
' which was unendurable. Meet oi the European pre-
sent, having seen thieeteuch 'of the ceremony, at cce
departed ; hot; Liege numbers of natives, we are in-
for.e.7,ed, rainained until the pyre w.c.e nothing btit a
heap of' ashes. These ashes, 1.,:c 'epl4Ari.(l, wilt bo care-
i.
fully collected, and afte?; teoe cereminey, Scattered,
either in the ?_?,i:4,4?-5 tp, o. rski'er;

li4E INTERMENT QUESTION.—OId Gent (disturbed
over his Tinics after breakfast). "There's a vevmiul
smell of cooking comes in from 041 4i)§n window,
Hannah." (Sniffing.) "ceR, you—" —Hannah
(nearly in tearsl. "; N..Eas a goin' to speak to You, sir.
The poc; old at died last night, sir, and the young
gents"—(his two little nephews on a visit)— 'said
they'd buiy it in the garden for me; 'stead of which
they're a they're a "—(breaking 'down)—"creit-
matiz' of it over there by the stables, air t —Punch.
•

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