The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-21
A REAL CASE OF CREMATION.

Urn-A Story that will shock HUI
manity.
the following details Of the case Of cremation
that occurred IN Philadelphia on Friday, mention
OF which was made by telegraph, Ia taken from the
sunday Press OF that city
There has been much discussion In Philadelphia
as 10 the formation ola Society Of Cremation, but
no active steps nave been taken. Our readers WILL
therefore, be surprised 10 learn tnat an actual case
The body OF George Opdyke, son OF DR.. Francis
OpdyKe, was burned IN the cellar ol his late resi-
dence No. /, 949 North Fourth street. Information
OF the anair was sent TO the ONCE Of the Press by
DR.. OpdyKe on Saturday morning, with the request
sentative. upon reaching NO. 1,9a9 North Fourth
street. and sending up his card. was invited to the
study OF the Doctor. He found that gentleman a
pleasant individual we should think about sixty
wears OF age attired In wrapper slippers ana skull
cap, with y very benevolent cast OF countenance.
He mad little OF the bookworm or anchorlte appear
auce about him, and received us In the most cor
dial manner. With
to the IyesS because ! have observed that that
journal has lately given good deal OF attention
time 90 into the subject OF your visit at once, Tor
! am a man Of few words-crematlon, say, which
must supersede the barbarous cnsJom or
burial. which Is alike wastetul OF land, hurIul TO
the nealth 0. the living. and expensive. There,
sir, on the mantei. Is what remains o. my son; but
we will come to that IN que course OF time. l am
anxious TO have the result OF my experiment
made public VIII you do it ior ~
REPeRTER-With pleasure.
DocToR-l mourn my son as earnestly as do those
who go weeping ana howllng LII long lines oil car
riages the funerals OF their friends and relatives
do theirs. Perhaps more honestly-out I have
seen much, READ TOO much, and, II you Will eX
cuse q bit OF egotism, know TOO much, to permit
out ward signs OF grief or allow his death to inter-
ere with my work. He would not have wished
that himself. lie was a boy q great good sense.
He was, indeed. pocket edition OF myself.
We VIII drop here The dialogue form in
order to present our narrative in more
from Heidelberg. where the Doctor was edu-
| Gated He came to this country and city when
quite young man, and for number OF years re-
sided in one Of the oldiashoned houses on South
Fourth street. He was married to an American
lady, who died shortly alter the birth OF her only
child, George. the DOCTOR much against his will,
and OWING to circumstances OF strictly private
nature, was compelled to leave his old home and
move further up town to his present residence.
Even at the time OF his wlles death. now nearly
twenty years ago. 1t was his desire, and hers too,
for she had learned to accept his theories that her
body should be burned Lut 1t was feared to attempt
! it then IN the lace OF pubic opinion, and her
| house in which the Doctor now resides, and which
/ he has occupied but short tlme was recently
built and was purchased by him before it was
! finished. Though having nearly all the modern
! improvements the Doctor insisted upon several
ideas OF his own, and among them a peculiar con-
structiOn OF the main chimney. This he informed
! us was with view to what has occurred. Per-
haps peculiar is the wrong word, Tor the chimney
Is much like those in use IN numerous Olj-fashiOned
houses Ia the cellar II Is supported ~ an open
| arcn, into which the end OF the chimney opens,
the opening beng generally sr closed -, with
ing OF the body Oi his son took pace last Friday.
George Opdyke was twenty-one years OF age,
educated at the University OF Pennsylvania, and
| as his father has said, much like him. lie died
last Wednesday, and mis- death notice viii be
/ found in the Press and Ledger OF Thursday. His
demise may be called sudden, though he had been
long suffering from what post-nortem showed to
the truth until alter the latter's death. AS we
have limited, the Doctor has long been believer IN
cremation. and u thoroughly conyersant with tae
! the newspapers he has talked much with his son
about II, and month ago they bound themselves
OF the two would see that the body
OF the other was destroyed by lire.
| the Doctors remains which would have undergone
this operation, but late decided otherwise George
died Wednesday mornlng orders were immedi-
/ atey sent as iollows:-TO a boiler maker Tor
boeri contrivance SIX feet and half long by
two eet SIX inches IN diameter closed and riveted
at b0tn ends and opening In the middle on hinges.
/ Ii was to be made OF the best boiler IRON. 70 q
bricklayer to construct furnace in the cellar,
closing, no with IT the large opening beneath
Half way in the furnace and hall way IN
erected two little brick towers some six leeI
apart. upon which the boiler, or coffin, nat upon
side was TO rest For Two ioads 81 yellow res
work done by Thursday nignt, and on Friday morn
ing at SIX the ceremonies commenced. The body,
perfectly Naked Was placed within the Iron coffin,
which was riveted and screwed together. put upon
the little towers which rose about foot ABOVE the
wood piled under, about and all around the iron
| coffin, ana set on fire. The cellar windows were
that to- the Boiler
ing holes ca were pierced aoo ior the me
O'Clock p M, when they ceased firing up A cord
and half OF wood was used. IL was at hrst
thought that the coffin could be opened about mid
night, but 1t was afterwards determined to allow
it to remain as 1t was until daylight. 1t then
drawn forth. BY the heat it had become much
| warped, and when they attempted to open 1t they
found that the threads OF the screws which had
been used in closing were entirely melted, and
wa npc N piaQl
When opened not vestge OF the body re-
Misunderstanding but about a quart Of
/ spilled upon the cellar floor; tor, or course. the
hinges would not work, and they were compelled
collected and now are IN an urn on the mante IN
the Doctors study. There is not a particle OF
when the ancients burned their dead on wood
piles and collected the ashes they TOOK up with
them many pieces OF bone ior, le SAYS, hearty all
bone. During the burning, which the Doctor
himself snperintenddaed, and which was at
snG obe gs ssG p fSe1e Was e
any, unpleasant odor in the cellar 1t was about
seven 4. N. that the ashes were deposited in the
urn. When we called upon the doctor he showed
US about teaspoOnful OF these ashes They are to
the touch much ike pulyerized sugar ana perfectly
! Od0riess. The vase Is shaped ike common dover
vase, corked and sealed with sealing wax,
ana is about eighteen inches high. Inscribed upon
1t is the date OF the birth and death OF George Op
DYKE 1t Is perfectly white. VI course these urns,
when cremation becomes general, as the Doctor
i declares II must and Will, can be OF any size and
shape and as expensive as desired. In answer to
our inquiry why they did not cool the coffin by
throwing water upon 1t. the doctor said there was
necessity Tor that ana II they had the ashes he
feared would have turned to paste. The expert
ment was rather expensive much more SO than
burning will be when better preparations are
! made, owing to the general acceptance OF Crema-
ton. This Is about the cost
i The boiler NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50 90
The furnace. rs 90
The urn. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 2 so
Two cords Woou. l6 90
/ .
1t Will be remembered but one cord and a hall OF
| the wood was used. Even this amount Is much
less Jnan 1t would have cost TO have buried George
| after the regulation mode IL Is well to add that
! before attempting the burning the Coroner aud
other OF the authorities were consulted, and
4 no reasonable objection could be made
/ though the Doctor was advised against H.
In parting he said that his only regret was
that he did not have. his VIE with George