St. Mary's beacon., 1858-08-12

over xil9ests that the ashes of our friends
mieht + preserved in q kstefiul manner; the
NlneFal urny c,rifaining these ashes, "replacing
on cur cnusxsles and nlantelpieces the orna-
mcnts3 Ill branxe cl,ciSs and china vases nuw
iosipa tse OR anthsr. having shwun that
&c. xr.aaE9tl sAse us frnan the dangers nf
- concIasles hix fseaiies By a care6al
xIeafiItssn II the manner 10 wisicls ..ss wuuld
carry out the burning process. Aud certainly
bis plan cortains As little 20 shock one a. may
be. IN carryin: out system necessarily sus-
gestivc of violence aud craeliy. There is moth
ing like the responsiveness of the Hs'rioo bUFh-
ing, only half carried ont, or nG Mr.. Trelaw-
| NETS furnace for burning poor Shelley. do
not remeniher to have lately read anything
more CHASTITY and revolving than the eutire
account of Sheiley's cremation. 1t Says much
| for Mr.. Trelawney's nerves; that he was able
to- lO'k IN at il; ana il was ~ wonder that il
turned Byron sick. and that Mr. Leigh Hunt
kept beyond the sight Of it. / intended t"
have quoted the passage from Mr.. Trelawney :
bo,k, but really cannot venture To do So.
But it l. right tu say that there were very g.sd
reasons for resorting 81 that melancholy mode
! Of dsposing Of the pets remains, and that
Mr.. Trelawney did all he could to accomplish
! the burning with efficiency and ,ieucncy; though
| the whole story makes nne feel the great
phyi al difficulties that stand in the way of
carrying out cremation successfully. The AL
vocate of furn-sepulture, however, Is quite aware
of this, and he prdp'sAs tn Use all apparatus
| by viii they would lie e.Itircly overcome. 1t
is only fair to let him speak for himself
and | think the following passage will be
read with interest
"On gentle crnincnce, surroundea by plea.
saut gfotlGds, stands a convenient, we'll ven
tilatrd chapel, with high spire or stceple. At
the entrance, where some of the ni"urners
might prefer {" take leave Of the b"dy. are
chambers for their accommodation. Within
the edi6ce are seats for th,se who fellow tn,
remains to the last; there is also an organ, and
gallery for chnristers. In the centre Of the
chapel, embeIlshed with appropriate emblen.,
and devices, is erects;l a shrine of marble
somewhat like thne which cover the ashe.
Of the great and mighty in our old cathe.
,lrals, the openings being filled with prepared
plate glass. Within ths-a sufficient space in.
tervcning--is an inner s',.ine, covered viii
bright non-radiating metal aud within thi.
again Is q covered sarc"phaguS Of tempered FIR,
clay, with one or more longitudinal Sits neal
the top, extending its whole length: AS sooI
as-the body is deposited therein sheets of fame
: - ssSa ssfsssa
through tie long aperturcs from end TO end
and. acting ~ d combination of modified oxy
hydrogen blnwppe with the rcvcrberatur,
furnace, utterly and completely Consume ant
dcconpnse the bsly in an Incredibly shor
spdce Of time. Even the large quantity o
water it contains is decnmpnsed by the extrem
heat, and its elements, instead of retardiGS. aiC
combustion as is the case in fierce conilaSra
tions. The gaseous products OF combustion
are conveyed away by tiucs; and, means bein:
adopted to consume anything like sm kr, al
that is observed from the outside is occasional
! ly quivcring transparent ether hnating ava,
from the high stceple to mingle with the 1t
mosphere.
At either end Of the sarcophagus is closel,
fitting hre-prouf dnor, that farthest from tn
chapel entrance communicating with a cham
Der which projects into the chapel and adpin
the end CT the shrine. Here are the ATTENDANT;
who unseen, conduct the operation. T
,Our at the other end of the sarcophagus, Wit
a corresponding opening in the inner and out
er shrine, is exactly opposite a slab of mar
bic on which the coffin is Deposited whe
brought into tue chapel. The funeral servic
then ctnuu,erfccs dccofding 10 any form dc
VA. HS al SiShAt IiS CH'
of the coffin, which Is placed jus: within tn
opening in the shrine, is removed, aud th
body is drawn rapidly but gently and with
out exposure ihto the sarcrfhagus; the side
of the coffin. constructed for the plirlns
collapse, aud the wooden box il removed t
be burned elsewhere.
Meantime the body is committed to Il.
flames to be consumed, AMI the words 'ashe
tn ashes, dust to dust, may be appropriated
used. The organ pcals forth solemn strain
and hymn or requiem for the dead is sung
In few minutes, or even seconds and with
out any pcrccptihie noise commotion, a.
is over, and Eoihing but a icw pounds q
ounces 0f light ash remains. This is careful
IL collected by tire attendants of the adfi,l
l-lSsS chamber, dor cotfitnunicating with IT,
chapel Is thrown open; ami the relic, en-
closed N vase Of glass or other material,
brought in and placed before the mourner
+, be finally enshrinei in the funeral urn q
marble, alabaster, stone, or metal"
Speaking for myself, ! must say that
think it would cause a strange feeling il
must people n part at the chapel-d,s,r Witl
the corpse Of QUO who had been very dear
and, after few minutes ofhOrrible suspense
during which they should know that it Wa
burning IN = fierce furnace, to see tue vesse
Uf white ashes brought back, and lie tOl,
that there was ell that was mortal OF tn
departed friend. M doubt it may be weak
tess and prejudice. but think that few c,,ul,
divest themselves Of tie feeling of Sacrilegiou
whence Better FAR TO lay the brother %
sister. tendrrly as th0sgh stfil theS fsi:, j,
1 the last reSfing-place, 50 soft and trim.
sontheS asj If it does nc good TO them, anr
the sad change which we know il soor
10 EAlow is wrought only by the gentle ha,,C
of Nature. And only think of q man point
Ing to half-A-duzeu vases on BIS mGnteipiece
/ and as uSaut f1nfG Cd hls chef5onicr, aud say
sing--"There the wicked ceaSz from troubling
| and there the weary are af rest 10