New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-23
Cremation in south Carolina.

heavy. Arrivals of tea decline established prices
on lower grades; fine teas steady. Rice inactive.
Spices continue dull.
Cremation in south Carolina.
A Marion South Carolina, correspondent
of the Charleston Necs and Courier fur
nishes the following:
A strange and solemn event has recently
occurred in this county which carries the
mind back to those ancient days when the
remains of the dead were disposed OF by
cineratiop, and wien the tablet and the
tombstone had not superseded the memo
rial urn. The subject of this remarkable
funeral ceremony was Mr.. Henry Berry,
an aged and highly respectable citizen OF
this county, whose rare tact, industry and
economy, honestly exercised, enabled him
to amass very large property. His habits
of thought were bold and independent, anC
his individuality of taste and temperament
was marked to such q degree that it is
scarcely to be wondered at that he should
have prescribed for himself an exequial
form not in cOnsonance with the usual GUS
tom. Many years ago, IN attempting to re
move the remains of a beloved relative
from the spot where they had lain for some
time, he encountered sight which created
in his mind an uncomfortable aversion to
being buried, and to such an extent did this
i
enjoined it upon his heirs, on pain of disin-
heriting them, to STE that his body was
burned after death. He was careful to des-
ignate the spot where the ceremony should
take place and the ightwood trees that
should be used as fuel on the occasion.
The old gentleman, after lingering for
many months, died on Sunday, the ninth
instant, and on the following Tuesday his
strange desire respecting the disposition of
hSo inc noprsCA IN tho 1ntfor
The funeral service Of the church of which
he had once been member was read, and
An appropriate discourse delivered by the
pastor on the Monday evening previous.
The next morning his remains, encased in
nothing but 9 square box, which, by his
directions, had been handsomely lined in
side and encssed outside with black velvet,
and ornamented with trimmings, were
borne to the spot which he himself had &C.
looted for the purpose. Here three large
ightwo0d logs. each nearly two feet in d.
ameter, cut from the very same trees he had
indicated, were placed alongside on the
ground. and upon these logs the box was
deposited. LightwoOd pieces of sufficient
length and thickness were then piled upon
the logs and around the coffin until
the latter was hidden from view.
The lightwood was then piled in cross
layers until the pyre reached height OF
6eVeu OE cIHuU 1cCus "A LOECu WAS lucu dp-
piled at different corners of the pile, and in
few minutes the raging fire resembled
the burning of large building the flames
leaping many feet in the air, and sending
hundreds of feet higher a vast column OF
pitch black smoke that was seen for many
miles around. 1t Is said that the fire died
cut without entirely consuming the re-
mains, and had to be replenished before the
cremation was complete. 1t was the old
gentleman's express desire that his ashes
should disappear amid the fame and
smoke, or be mingled with the soil under
meath the pyre, and no precautions were
taken to preserve them. The burning be-
gan at eight o'clock in the morning, and
was finished in six hours. 1t was witnessed
by upward Of a hundred persons. Mr..
Berry resided at Berry g Cross Roads, To-
cality that took its name from him. 1t is
about fourteen miles from this place.
This was the injunction, "Ashes to ashes,"
carried out under conditions that made it
impossible to fulfill the other precepts,
Earth to earth. and dust to dust
Another account:
Mr.. Henry Berry, whose remains were
given to the flames in Marion county few
days ago, was possessed OF considerable
means, owning about 20, 600 acres Of land,
and having in bank between SIS, 900 and
$40, 900. About fifteen years ago he had occa-
sion to take up the dead bodies Of two chill
dren, and, seeing their condition, vowed then
that when he died bis body should be
burned instead of buried. He accordingly
made his will, dividing his property out
among his children, but inserting provis0
that his body after death should be burned,
and in case it was not the whole of his
estate to 20 to q church near by, the one
at which he w0rshiped. Some time ago
he took q member of bis family into q
piece of woods near the house and pointed
out to him the exact place where he de-
sired to be burned, and also the trees which
he desired cut down and used for the
purpose. Last Monday he died at the age
Of eighty years, and his body was put in q
plain box las he had directed and the size
Of which he had given), and hauled in q
cart, drawn by mule, to this place. He
had provided that $500 be given to William
Hureling, mulattO, to whom he was much
Six logs of pitch pine were put on the
ground, and on these, forming two tiers,
were laid five other logs. Lightwood was
piled about on the logs, and at the head,
foot and sides of the box containing the
body. The whole height of the funeral
pyre was ten or twelve feet Several male
of the old mans family were
present, and q number of negroes, but CON
sidering the occasion the crowd was small.
Torches were applied simultaneously, and
with good deal of agitation, to the four
of the pyre, and when our inform
ant left the scene the fat wood was burning
and blazing and cracking. The old man
had directed that his ashes should mingle
with those of the wood, and all be blown
away together.