Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-12-20

r 4ftfEf. -
n erndic on tho front Of the retort. tn
ofTheat was 80 intense tbataeycn beioI
e. the head was inside Of the oven th
lc smoke began TO rise and the bearers o
o. the foot quickly showed the cradle an
~ body into the retort. A thick, light
Of cclored, almost odorless smoke poure
ie out through the door. Still not wor
'hl was said, Instantly the fresh doc
Q was raised and adjusted the cremation
d was begun. The open door had some
n what cooled the retort, and, when tn
70 fire IN the furnace was not az hot as !
J. might bAye boen, somebody suggeste,
I that the retort, was not hot enough
y Hot enough?.s replied the fireman
:. why, lisa second edition ofhelf"
1 IL was just halfpast 8 o'clock; ;Pifts
Q bnrgh time, when the body vert Int,
0 the rctort. -For five minetes or NOR,
tnobody ventured 70 open the peep
J hole and i0ok IN Then tho Time
I man pushed il open and looked In. 81
!. was dark as the grave. Not ray o
q light anywhere. Two minutes latter
!. thick, whitish smoke could be seer
breaking out here and there into q
: little blaze Of fire. Then the white
5 smoke came and circled about the
opening, shutting of the view again.
Al quarter before nine the winding
sheet was still unburned, though the
iron cradle was red.hot. The retort
was gctting to bright heat again and
its interior could be seen plainly.
though the s0les Of the Baron's feet
: were so near the loop-hole that only
: g i:..!!ee il:...!ee cs liz hedy eenld ha seen.
!. At this time, the eyergreens and palm
leaves were still. intact and 10 shape,
though completely turned 20 ashes, But
there was no air inside to disturb them.
While the Baron was baking away, the
spectators went into the reception room
and the newspaper men sat down and
wrote their notes on the cataialque (;
the doors Of the building were
opened, and the crowd outside were
allowed 10 come in two at time, take
a look into the retCrt, and then 20 out
again. AT quarter before 10 O'clock
the fire bad fairly begun IFS work the
feet had fallen apart, leaving clear
view Of the body, and the ribs were
standing nearly upright. On one side
lay the bead it had burned complete
ly loose from The body and had roam
cd ont Of place, but X was nothing bat
skull. There was not a particle Of
flesh lett on any part OF the body, and
every bone except the skull was as red
hotand transparentas as the cfurnaceitself
A skeleton Of fire lay in the iron era
dle-a skeleton without head, for the
skull was not heated 30 thoroughly
and did not look as il il could ever have
belonged TO the same body. Even the
iron cradle was beginning 10 feel the
effects Of the climate 1t was warped
and bent and fattened beyond all rec
ognition. From this time the crema-
ton OF the Baron's body was rapid.
At eleven o'clock the skeleton was still
almost intact, but 1t was evident that
the larger bones were ready to crum.
bic the moment the air touched them. |
All through the morning line Of peo- |
pie from the ncighboring towns climb
cd the snow-clad summit Of GaiIows
Hill 10 look at the rapidly disappear
ing body.
At hali.past l2 o'clock the cremation
was considered complete. The inside
Of the retort was at white heat. and /
the iron cradle looked like the ribs Of
some huge animal. Some Of the larger
bones we're still to be seen. The skull
retained something Of its normal shape,
and little mounds on the bottom Of the 4
retort marked the spot where hand.
fulls Of hot ashes had fallen through /
between the ribs Of the cradle. The
cremation was over The fire was
drawn from the furnace and the fur
mace door was sealed shut with mortar.
Before O'Clock the little cremation
house was empty and the door was
locked. Baron De Palms last wish
bad been complied With, and his body
lay in little heap Of red bot ashes.
alone, ungarded on the summit Of Gal.
lows Hill.
The Hindoo cremation vase, in which
the Baron's ashes arc TO be put, was
standing on the top Of the furnace
early in the morning forpublic inspec-
ton. II is very small, and cannot pos
sibly bold more than quart. Colonel
Olcott says, however, that the vase
has been used for the same purpose
before. and Is without doubt large
enough TO hold all that will be len
Memorable vase, whose calcined bones
will next tickle your smooth-yrought
sidcsl Bat II win be some hour be-
fore the ashes can be taken out Of the
retort, for should the door be opened
now the oonirivaBcc would be likely
to crack +; 30 the big hot door will not
be taken down til tomorrow evening.
and then the ashes and the vase will
be taken by Col. Olcott 10 New York
and put at the disposal Of the Theo-
sophical Society.
So the cremation Is over, and sue
ccssfully over. DE Palm, oh. where.
where il beY lfbc could have fore
Swallowed the startling scenes bis
poor bones would have 10 60 through
be would have thought twice before
be jumped into the FIRE.
This afternoon the iown ball was
crowded with persons from Washing
ton, Pittsburgh, and surrounding places
TO hear the speeches on cremation. {
Col. Olcott was the first speaker. He !
said that Baron DE Palm bad appoint
ed him and Mr.. Newton to have hi.
body burned, and that their duty was
now done. lie gave an exhaustive |
history ofcremation, speaking for near ,
ly an bour, and WAS loudly appIauded ,
when be concluded. Col. Olco,t was ,
followed BY President Hayes, Of Wash I,
Ington and Jefferson College, who said
that be would do everything be could ,
TO prevent the spread Of sickness and /.
disease By The drinking Of impure wa
ter, and be believed cremation to be
inc Of the frt things necessary for
Lhe purifcation Of the water we drink.
DR.. James King, Of Pittsburgh, next
took the platform and read pointed !
.peech that would reach from wash Q
hgton 10 somewhere down about the
western end Of Kentscky. lie also
1dvocated cremation. Several other =
addresses we're delivered, but none OF !
he speakers expressed their wiling.
hes 10 take the long journey through 2
Dr. LeNoyne's eremstion furnace.
Suppose. Belle, sAidA poor bu, hon
ut Chicago youth 10 Prairie avenue 1
u n one IA = dxur,r.ozr ths. . von,,, 49,, .