Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-11-01

NVNi AeoiN' VI NhN NuthVliniiucll, uc
site upon which tho building iserected
Sssi.u.a,sisssas;ul ~ s.C,.is:s9sss !. Of
its bloody history. IL is called GalloWs
Hill, and was formerly used as place
of public execution. II is about a mile
outside Of the town, and il is hemmed
in on all sides by small forest. Since
the beginning Of the construction of
the Doctors dwelling the drive lead
ing to the hill has been much frequent.
ed. Every stranger who has an hour
TO spare in the town takes a look at
the furnace. Ons of the distinguished
visitors was General Grant, who, while
sojourning here, visited the bill and
examined the preparations for carrying
the theory Of cremation into prectice
with great interest.
The furnace IS enclosed in building
which is at once the grave and ceme-
terry. Economy is one Of the Doctors
pet hobbies, and the building has been
constructed upon economic principles.
1t is of brick, but one story in height,
with a roofof corrugated iron. 1t has
three chimneys Of ordinary size, one
leading from the furnace room, one
from the reception room, and a third
from one Of the corners of the build
ing. The use OF the third is simply
to preserve the architectural symmetry
Of the structure. The house is divided
into two rooms, the reception and the
furnace room. The reception room is
about twenty feet square. Its furni-
ture is of the simplest kind, consisting
Of only cataialque for the bodies to
rest upon, q shelved case, with trans
parent doors, in which the cremated
remains will be deposited, few chairs
tor the accommodation OF the friends
Of the departed, and small stove to
make things comfortable in cold
weather. A door leads from this room
INTO the cremation department proper,
which is room Of about l0x2o feet.
In the cremation room there is
nothing but the furnace. The retort
has been made especially for the ac-
commodation of cofiins. 1t is seven
and half feet in length, twenty inches
in height, and twenty-eight inches in
width. All these are inside measure
ments. The retort somewhat resem.
bles q gas retort, the difference being
that its sides are perpendicular instead
OF being arched. Above tho perpen.
dicular line along which the coffin will
rest, the retort is arched. ltis built
arched with brickwork, in the same
style that gas retorts are. In the work
of cremation coke will be used, and it
is calculated that the retort eau be
brought TO a white heat in twenty-four
hours. When this degree OF heat is
obtained, tue body tc be cremated--in-
closed in the plainest sort Of pine
coiiin-will be put into the furnace,
and in few hours, the work will be
complete. The present calculations of
DR.. LeMoyne do not provide for the
elimination of the wood ashes of the
coffin from the human ashes OF the
person cremated This, however, the
Doctor does not consider to be very
great object, as the proportion of wood
ashes will be only one pound to five,
and, after the furnace is in practical
operation, II this objection be found to
seriously initiate against lts success,
method which the Doctor has in con-
temptation will be put in operation. A
number of boxes large enough to hold
four or five pounds will be provided by
the Doctor, These will be made Of
metal, or OF elastic glass, the material
not yet having been decided upon.
Upon one end of the boxes there will
be ,'hGe for the photograph of the
person whose ashes are in the inside,
and below the photograph will be
a record of the death and of the date
of the cremation of the powdered in.
dividual. The boxes will be stored in
the cases in the reception room already
described, and will there be preserved
subject to the demands Of the relatives
of the deceased. In this same case
there will be kept the records of all
cremations, and these win always be
accessible to persons having the right
to inspect An index of the boxes will
be kept, and the ashes of any man or
his mother.in-law can be gotten at
with the greatest facility. There will
be no danger of the escape Of any part
of the remains after they have been
reduced to powder The boxes will be
hcrmetically sealed, and in packing
them the greatest care will be taken
to get possession of every atom Of the
cremated.
The height of the chimneys from
the top OF the building is disappointing.
Visitors confidently expect to see great
piles OF brick rising scores OF feet
above the roof, and the majority of
them believe that the failure to have
such chimneys will result in the pois-
oning the atmosphere by the gases
which will escape through the low
ventiators. This would probably be
the result but for thearrangement that
has been made to effectually dispose of
these gases. Al the back of the re-
tort there is venthole four inches in
diameter opening into the furnace.
Through this vent the gases generat-
cd in the retort during the combus.
tion of n body will be forced
TO escape into the furnace, there
being no other outlet from the retort.
In the furnace they will be consumed,
Littlcsmoke escapes through the chin.
ney, aud that which does will be harm
less, as will the hot air which will ac.
company it. Francis Julius lie Moyne,
who will soon, no doubt, come to be
known as the great American crema-
tor is remarkable man in many
ways. He is over seventy-ninc years
of age, and for years he has been Grip
Piled by the rheumatism, but when
seated he looks at least twenty years
younger than he is. His face is thick.
ly covered with a growth of beard of
a color between iron-gray and white.
His countenanoe is not speaking one.
1t is full of energy and determination.
He is a very blunt talkcr, and upon
cremation he never tires. After in
specting his building, your correspon-
dent enjoyed lengthy conversation
with him, and tho information elected
was Of a very entertaining character
The doctor met with good deal Of op.
position Of the moral suason sort from
old neiphbors whom he broacbed tho