The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-21
INTO THE FURNACE.

1t was about twenty-five minutes after
8 o'clock when the door of the furnace
was closed upon the remains of the Baron,
and, for probably ten seconds after, an
unpleasant smell tainted the room. The
odor was faint, but quite pronounced
enough to be noted by the spectators. A
constant current of air was forced into
the furnace by q blower. ...,:;ae
For the first half hour observations
were made every few minutes, and no
change could be observed in the appear
ance of the body in the. crib. The ever
greens had curled up on each side of the
crib, forming an arch over the remains.
The crib was red hot in moment after
it was was put into the furnace, and by
following the line Of its upper rail the
body could be plainly seen through the
small hole in the furnace door. .c. t.>...
At ten minutes past 9 o'clock the form
of the body was unchanged. The wind.
ing sheets had not crupbled away, and
the corpse looked like 4 black line in
sea of rosy fire. Col. Olcott made an
observation at this time, and expressed
the opinion that aH8.
THE BODY WAS DESTROYED,
but the ashes still retained the natural
form. Five minutes after this another
observation disclosed the bones Of the
left knee, incandescent and protruding
from the winding sheets. At the same
moment the bare and illumined skull
was also visible, and above it the ever
greens we're curled into wreath. 1t had
been suggested that there was no dratt1n
the furnace, but test was made by DR..
Ottarson, and it vas found that current
of air constantly passed into it. This
did not circulate in the furnace, however,
as the oxygen was combusted the mo-
ment it entered, and the hydrogen was
diffused in vapor, and therefore there was
no current of air passing through the
furnace.
At twenty minutes after o'clock the
ribs on the left side showed through the
linen wrappers, and few moments after
the larger bones of the thigh and leg on
the same side of the body was apparent
The wreath and arch of evergreens were
still intact. At 9:43, another observation
was made. Then it was impossible to
distinguish the outline of the body. The
furnace was in rosy glow, and q slight
mist rose from the body, and filled the
space below the arch. From the midst
of what appeared to be a molten mass in
the crib the evergreens rose in faint black
lines, but in perfect form.
At ten minutes to II o'clock, Col. o.
cott. DIR. LIE Moyne and DR.. Asdale, and
three health officers, made extended OBJ
servations. The crib was pushed forward,
and the moment it was moved there was
a great crumbling of the body. DR.. Ot-
larson announced that the incineration
was almost complete. So great portion
of the body had been reduced to ashes,
and had fallen to the bottom of the re-.
tort, that the lower rails of the crib upon
which the body had rested were exposed
to view. The pelvis had not then been
incinerated, and the sprigs of spruce were
still in perfect form.
INCINERATIoN COMPLETE.
At IL o'clock the incineration was
complete, nothing being left of the Baron
but three pints Of ashes, quite enough to
fill the small urn which rested the top
of the furnace during the cremation.
The heat was kept up in the furnace un-
til IL o'clock, to make the assurance of
the completion of the work doubly sure.
During the process of the cremation,
men were sent into the surrounding coun-
try to make observations of the effect of
the smoke upon the atmosphere. There
was no perceptible taint of the pure, crisp
air. The smoke assembled in steady
volume during the whole time, and was
diffused about the neighborhood by the
sharp mountain winds. 1t was as pleas
antsto the nostrils as any smoke could be.
There was no odor about it at all, and it
was much to be preferred to the black
clouds that rise from our manufactures.
At 12 o'clock, Col. Olcott and DR.. LIE
Moyne made last inspection of the re-
mains, and the cremation was declared to
be complete. What was left in the fur
mace still retained the outlines of human
being, but it required but the coyest
touch Of the gentlest summer zephyr to
crumble it into an indistinguishable pile
of ashes. The gentlemen upon becoming
satisfied of this ordered the fire to be
drawn and the crematory bricked up.
To-day, at IL o'clock, the ashes will be
carefully collected and deposited in an
antique vase, procured by Col. Olcott for
the purpose, from the region of the Upper
Nile. The vase or urn is of red clay, and
in shape is very like those found in exca-
vations in eastern ruins. Brass handles
are on both sides. A brass plate, with
the following inscription, will be put
upon one side of the vase: Joseph
Henry Louis Charles, Baron De Palm,
Grand Commander of the Sovereign
Order of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusa-
lem, Prince of the Roman Empire and
Knight of St. John of Malta" The
ashes will be sprinkled with perfume be-
fore being enclosed in this receptacle,
after the old custom of the ancient Ro-
mans, and especially the Greeks. The
urn will be taken back with the party of
the Theosophical Society and kept by
them in their temple in New York.
DIR. LIE MoYNE
DR.. F. Julius LIE Moyne is a gray
haired man, now very nearly eighty years
of age, of French parentage, and was born
and reared at the place he resides. His
life as medical man has been success
full one, and he has had, and has yet, a
large practice. His wife, Miss Bureau,
died some years since, leaving, besides
the Doctor, the following family: John
LIE Moyne, present Democratic member
of Congress from Chicago, Third District
of Illinois; Frank LIE 'Moyne, M. D.,
partner of DR.. James King, Of this city,
and Julius LIE Moyne, who prefers an ag-
ricultural life in Washington. His
daughters are Mrs. J. A. Wills, of Wash
ington, D. c.; Mrs. Harding, Of Wash
ington, Pa. Mrs. Nicholas Wade, form
erly Of Pittsburg, now of Columbus, Ohio,
and lively young lady who stays at
home, who vowed last evening that her
life of late had been made hideous by the
unceasing calls Of the newspaper men, or
words to that effect. Mrs. Wills keeps
house for the old Doctor in the substantial
family homestead, on Maiden street. In