The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-06
Ghe9tteltiqenter
BURNING THE DEAD.
Meeting Of Leading and Influential
Men In New York TO Consider
the subject.
IHterss,inG Letters and Discussion

PROM the Tribune OF Saturday
A meeting OF those lAvoriDg the prac
lice Of cremation was held last evening Ia
the lecture room Of the Young Mems
Christian Association Some tlty or six
ty persons were present, among them
Henry Bergh, DR.. @. Lorillard, DR.. SAM
uel Sexton, Prof J. W. 8. Arnold, DR.. F.
AZ. Weld, II, D. Francis. +. G. Bowman
James F. Dwight, o. A. Clough, editor oil
The South, Ellis B. SchnAbcl, Col. Henry
Stone, and Edward IA. CAswell. The
meeting was held for the purpose OF Ell
Iecting permanent organization, and
Was called TO order by DR., Weld, and
Col, Stone chosen chairman, and + A.
CaSwell secretary After the usual rou.
tinO business, number OF letters were
read.
The Rev. .. Il. rockingham wrote as
follows: "ThG subject Is one which |
have given so little attention 10 that 1t
would be but an ImpcrtincncO on my part
TO make speech or write letter about
Il. have certainly no prejudice against
the practice, and am inclined rather TO
favor Il. The usual religious or senli-
mental bearing toward Il has no weight
whatever with me. simply lack inior.
nation 10 regard TO such matters az 10 the
process and It's economy"
o. A. Dana wrote "As lar NJ have
been able 10 examine the subject, my
Judgment Is in favor Of your proposition.
II Is certainly not creditable TO civilil4-
ton that any part Of tho eaTths surface
should be devoted TO grsvGyArds, and that
the remains Of tho dead should DO dis
posed Of in the unsCientilc, cumbersome,
and rcpulsiVe manner as al present"
A letter from H. 8. Olcott was also
read, and in part as follows: u am not
q arm believer In the immortality oil the
soul, 10 view with patience the inconsis--
tency OF those who behave over the dead
bodies Of their friends as Il tho immortal
part were being laid away In the ground.
The more | might love my dead the less
willing l should be TO leave the lair form
that had once held an immortal spirit TO
turn into putrid cSrrion under ground, and
breed myriad Of loathsome creatures out
Of lis own rottenness This attempt to
substitute the scientific poeticsl and ra-
tonal system OF cremation has my earn.
est sympathy. IprRy Heaven that before
l or any OF my beloved die II may be pos.
slble TO commit our bodies TO the pure
hAme, that In one short hour will purge
them Of dross, as gold Is refined In the
furnace seven times heated"
a long letter from Henry Bergh was
read, concluding as follows "You have
invited the expression Of my opinion,
which Is hereby summarized: Cremation
does not conflict with our religion, for the
language Of the burial service 70, Dust Il
dust, ashes 10 ashes Illumination salts
tles no reasonable instinct Of our nature
1t Ia only prejudice, like hundreds OIL
otherS which still exist, or which have
been cleared away by the bright light o.
reason. Cremation speedily ELECTS thai
which the tardy process Of decomposition
Accomplishes with danger and infinite
cost TO tho living, the final result being
in both cases humiliation. II might b
asked whether ! would consent TO q per-
sonAl application Of the ancient custom
unhesllatingly answer yes, for / inf
nitely prefer that my ashes should b
made Of some immediate and pFaclicA
utility, even though they be used as the
great bard has II, TO stop Q crack 10 keeT
the wind away rather than that my body
should be subjected to the bufFetings and
josuings incidental 10 the other system
and which are Is sure 10 ensue as May
day moviugs.
DR., J, W, s. Arnold Of the University
Of New York read the following extract
copied into The American Medical RecorG
from 1hs london Lancet. y =
POT Brunette, tRGrGrr Seisaa SOvs Nov. il,
RiVes the details OF the GppArAtus thai Huult
6orcQulred Tor the process Oi ineFemAtlon, Arr
having made several experiments On Tie hamGI
subIscL in which tho bodies were burned In M
Fet6Sts Of Kas manufactures IN cloSS rccSpt
GelOS, and with freO access of-Alr, be ltsG EAtlS
'Aed himaelI thAt the complete and perfect pr
Torrance Of the process Wopld be Impossible
under all ordinary Circumstances, In the ars
place, thgrO 10 required an OhlonR furnace o
6rSpF0oi hriekA, having 10 holes below, b,
means otWbieh theintensity Of the aie can b
regulated, The upper part OF this should b
followed 10 reeoiv0 the conn, and over this
Soned eoyer is 70 DO placed, by which d
reete upon tho body Within the eor1n iS
metal s1PPqrt table on which the body Test'
SGSd oy thick iron wire. The operation en-
SnsSe thsoe petiOds-lhe heating Of tho body
tne lpontaneons combustion, and duAlly the Il
cncTApol OF the con parts, and the cGlelnatlol
o. we S9AeS During the arst period, Al
Ss. H W ~ heat Alst ne pile Of wood In d
iunAee nos oesn hHhtcd the eombuSttou OF u
BODY eommenets II EiTes CO 3 lGrpe oTRntIf
Of EAs, and the mAnAe6mOnt Of th0 fey1FhatoF
part o. Tie iarnAee 10 Of great ImpoFtSnee,
tes 49, y. "a oeea ven Avrloged, Two houf
aunee 20 pIoduee complete eAf60niTation. Ouj
lug The third pOfiod, The Alr,holeS bSinS onensf
the eAFbonifed mlsl Il collected and piSsS
lpon Q trosh PlAte, and th0 heati 4 nov rfsed
IL ntnolk lrlah imply Of Nnni 4. 49,. :.