The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-06-16
RICHMOND,
PorULn sUPREMA'EEx."
and Opposition -
Certain Modern Theories Of Sepul.


Ant1.CFemati0n. and OppOsition -
Certain Modern Theories Of SePul.
ture.
tE,ror,, the Cincinnati commercial.l
From the London Times, of recent
date, containing an article headed.
Earth to Earth" we make several
important extracts upon the subject
Of sepulture, in which the writer
states that the apostles of cremation
assert that interment is repulsive in
idea, costly and Intellectual, horrible
in practice, a vilifcation of the dead
and danger to the living. They de-
nounce the practice of interment it
self The writer of the article makes
the following propositions, in support
of the theory of interment by deposit
ing the bodies of the dead In the
earth: s
First-That the destination Of all
organized bodies that have lived and
that die on the earth's surface is the
earth.
Second-That the evils which the
cremationists would have us believe
to be inseparable from the principle
of interment are independent of that
principle and wholly of our own cre-
alton.
Third-That the source of these
evils is to be found, not in the burial
of the dead, but in the uDreasoning
sentiment which prompts us to keep
them unburied for as long as possible,
and then to bury them in such a way
that the earth can have no access to
them.
Fourth-That the burial of the
body supposes its resolution by the
direct agency Of the earth to which
we commit it. and again, that the
earth is fully competent to effect that
resolution.
Fifth-That to seek to prevent this
benefcent agency by inclosing the
dead in hermetically sealed collins.
brick graves and vaults, is in the
highest degree unphilosophical, since
it does but engage us in a vain resist
ance to an inevitable dispensation,
and since it has led US to accumulate
in our midst a vast store OF human
remains In every stage and condition
of decay.
Sixth-That the remedy for such
evils is not in cremation, but in
sensible recognition of, and in time
ly submission to a well defined law of
nature, and in legislative action to
enforce the provisions of that law.
In Spring Grove Cemetery, the
modern model of all rural cemeteries
of any note in the United States, there
are only fifteen private vaults that are
built above the ground, and three
that are constructed under the ground.
The construction of private vaults in
rural cemeteries is beginning to be
considered the relics of past age,
and is being discouraged by all men
of taste, and should be, from sani-
tary point of view. It is a question
that demands the attention of our
Boards ofHealth and members of the
Legislature, to protect the health of
the living by prohibiting the erection
of these charnel houses on top Of the
ground, that only spread disease and
death by rapid decomposition of the
bodies inclosed therein throughout
the surrounding territory. Peter
Cunningham says: MY father al
ways had an abhorrence of Westmin-
ster Abbey. He is now buried in
Kensal Green Cemetery, not in
close, damp, pestiferous vault, or in a
brick grave, just as bad. but in his
native earth, that he may mingle with
his desire OF being laid where the
wind can blow over and the daisy
grow upon his grave"
Mr.. A. Strauch, in his report as
Superintendent of Spring Grove Gem
etery, in 1869, says: How much bet
ter for the health of the living and
the honor of the dead were the money
now laid out in building vaults ex-
pended on handsome monuments, or
on increased space Of ground, and
how much more natural and agreeable
to see the grase-covered graves of a
family side by side than to have them
remain unmixed with the earth. de-
posted on stone shelves above ground
and forming separate portions OF pre-
served corruption, from which vol
umes OF pernicious gases are coDtinu-
ally exhaled. The mortal remains of
Washington Irving rest in a simple
grave at Tarrytown. on the Hudson,
while those of the immortal Alexan-
der Won Humboldt were committed
to his native soil in the garden at Te-
gal, near Berlin. Nothing, however,
exceeds the simplicity Of the late
Duke Of Saxe-Gotha. In his last will
he desired his son to allow no cere-
mony ut his burial, except such as is
customary for poor man; to erect no
monument, but to plant tree on his
grave. The burial took place at the
midnight hour, when the body Of the
sovereign was deposited in a plain
grave, situated on an island in the
park. The reigning duchess, with
her child in her arms, had strewn
flowers around the grave, and the
whole ceremony was only interrupted
by the sighs and tears Of all present"
Spring Grove Cemetery contains
about twenty six thousand interments
of persons OF all ages, diseases and
conditions. We're each lot holder al
lowed to construct q vault, and keep
the bodies therein as was witnessed
BY US day before yesterday, the atmos-
phere for mile around would be pol
luted by gases arising from human
decomposition, and the effect upon
the general health would be terrible,
while the value of property in the i'm
mediate vicinity would be materially
deprecated, and people would not be
very apt to select such locality for a
breathing place." Mr.. Strauch, the
well known originator of the land
scape lawn plan for rural cemeteries,
so successfully carried into operation
at Spring Grove Cemetery, and adopt
ed by all the leading cemeteries in the
United States, discountenances the
erection of private vaults from a sani-
tary point of view, and suggests that
it would be we'll for Cemetery Asso-
Citations, by fixed regulation, to limit
the period for depositine bodies in
private vaults as well as their inter-
ment therefrOm undar certa;p roe<r;c