The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-05-21
CrematiOn...A Curious Will.

ONE of the wealthiest persons in New
York, after reading our suggestion in the
Manufacturer and Builder that the most
useful thing to be done with dead bodies
of men and animals is to make gas of
them and use the remainder for fertilizing
purposes, given in our last November
number, has made the following codicil
to testament drawn up long ago, and
bequeathing all the profits to public
useful purposes. The codicil reads thus:
"Not wishing that my body, after death,
shall add to the injury produced by poi
sonous effluvia diffused from cemeteries
among their surroundings, I direct that
the unavoidable dissolution of my re.
mains into gaseous and earthly matters
shall be fastened by cremation, instead of
being retarded by burial, thus utilizing
its material directly for the vegetable
kingdom, to which we all must once fur
nisn food, and at the same time guard
ing myself against the awful pos
sibility of resurrection in q close
and buried coffin. The ancients,
in burning the bodies of their dead,
supposed that the so-called soul or
spirit assembled to heaven with the flames.
Chemistry has taught us in our century
that something more real ascends, namely,
different gases, especially divers carbon
compounds, which may at once be util-
lied, and that the remaining ashes may
be kept separate and prevented from being
mixed with those of the fuel by the de-
tails prescribed in this will, namely: I
direct that my remains, after manifesting
the only sure sign of death, greenish dis
celebration of the abdomen, may be sub
mitted to an autopsy by some professors
of the Medical De; ;artment of the Uni
versity of New York, if they think it
may be useful for the progress OF science.
My remains shall then be injected with
petroleum, cresjlic alcohol, or its disin-
fecting equivalents, be laid in q metallic
(iron) coffin, a. small a. practicable, and
. burial service held at my residence,
presided over by the Rev. DR.. -, or
-, or any other enlightened clergy
man. Immediately after the close
of said service the hearse convey
ing the coffin with my remains
shall proceed to the Manhattan Gas
Works, where the lid shall be removed,
and, with due solemnity, be placed in one
of the retorts, and the same CLOSED for
the space Of three or four hours, the usual
heat applied, so that all the moisture and
gaseous Ingredients may be driven of
partially condenser, passed through tue
purifiers, while the nitrogenized COM
pounds will be collected as ammonia, as
usual, and the hydrocarbons add their
share to the duty of Illuminating the city.
The retort shall then be opened 80 as to
admit air to the heated matter, in order
to burn as much a. possible of the car
bon remaining into carbonic acid escap-
ing. If any respectable party or associa-
tion expresses desire to preserve my
ashes, they shall be placed in an urn, or
other substantial vessels, and delivered to
the same. If no such desire is expressed
I direct that my ashes shall be delivered
to the Central Park Commissioner, to be
used as fertilizing material on one Of the
flower-beds near the music stand, in the
Central Park. The President, Vice Pres
ident and Secretary of the New York
Liberal Club are herewith appointed ex-
ecutors to see that this part of my will be
duly fulfilled. "-Mana5actursr and Build