The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-07
The American Crematory.
A Singular Institution Amid
the Mountains of Penn
.aH~r. sylvania.
A Description Of the Cere-
monies and Incidents At
tending the Same.
WAsHINGToN, Pa. Dec. 6.

ACCORDING 10 the arrangements o
those who have the matter IN charge, tn,
second funeral services OF distinguished
foreigner was celebrated in rather {
novel style at this place to-day. If q
disembodied spirit can receive any con
ISOLATION from the fact that the morts
remains do not occupy space enough ir
this world to be in snybody's way, then
the spirit of the late Baron can be
supremely happy, for all that is earthly
of the distinguished parsonage is small
heap OF ashes. But before entering into
description of the ceremonies it may
be we'll enough to give short sketch Of
THE SUBJECT OF CREMATION.
The individual whose body was ere.
mated to-day was JOSEPH HENRY LOUIS
CHARLES, Baron Won Palm, Grand Com
msnder of the Sovereign Order of the
Holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem. Prince Of
the Roman Empire, Knight of st. John
of MslLa-whether he had other titles /
do not know, but if he had lived q few
years longer in Chicago he would Ger.
tsinly have. had Colonel or esquire
added to the long list.
The family of the late BARON Won
PALM was originated in Susbis in South.
ern Germany, but the Baron himself was
born at the baronisl residence of his
father at Ausbcrg, Bavaria, He waa
educated at Heidelberg University, and
had seen some diplomatic service in bis
own country. Abeut fifteen years
ago he came TO America and located al
Chicago, where he invested largely in
land and mining interests, but was no,
successful. Later, be removed to New
York, and forming the acquaintance Of
Col. Ii. S. OLcoTT, became much inter.
ested in the Theosophical Society, o.
which Col. OLCoTT is President, anc
afterwards became member Of the
Society. He was always fond of philoso
phical and scientific research. He wa'
suddenly taken sick and died OF disease
of the kidneys on the 10th Of last May
in the 10Th y ear of his age. He executed
will leaving his property to, Col
OLcoTT ain gratitude for kindness" anc
with directions to cremate his body. Hs
was embslmed at the time, and the
Masons of the city honored him with
funeral ceremony, which took place a
Masonic Temple on the 2Sth of last May
THE ONLY OTHER CREMATION
that has taken place in this country, vas
that of the body of Mr., HENRY LAUREN;
on his plantation in South Carolina
about fifty years ago. His Will contain
ed a provision that his heirs should not
inherit unless his body was burned. This
was accordingly done, after the ahcien'
method, in the open air, upon Pile oi
wood. So that to-day was the first time
that the crematory was ever used IN
America.
ARRIVAL OF THE BODY.
AsIhave already stated after the death
of the Baron, his body was emoalmed
and assigned TO temporary resting
nlsce in the receiving vault OF the Lu'
tberan cemetery, in Williamsburg, n. \ E,
On Monday the remains were taken out
and shipped by rail to this place, where
thew arrived yesterday At noon, in charge
~ Col OICorT. The casket containing
the body WAS at once taken "
the crsmatory and placed on a csts-
fsloue in the reception room, ana
the casket open ed in the presence OF DR.
LrMoYSr and few other specially uni
tad ouests. The face was discolored, not
blsck. but rather dark purple, the body
had not decomposed, but wlthered and
very much in the condition ots mummy
A sheet was wrapped around the BODY
and remained over ght in the reception
room of the crematory occupying posi-
.ion in the centre of the room little 70
the right Of the entrance
THE CREMAToRI.
;s a building resembling in size and ex-
terror, an ordinary country school house
situated little over mile south from
the town. on "Gsllows Hilr-an aPpro-
pirate place for the celebration OF re-
cu.citsted Pagan rite. The house is built
Of brick. one story high with roof oil
corrugated iron, and is provided with
three chimneys. The building ID
d;v;dsd into two apsrtments--the re-
cention room and the furnace room. Inc
reception room is about twenty iee'
.ors,s and furnished in the simplest
manner, there being nothing IN 1t ou'
the cstafalque and few chairs for the
accommodation of the friends OF the
departed. A door opens from the re-
canton room which in size Is aoou'
twenty feet. In this room there Is moth
ING but the furnace The retort in which
the remains to be lnoindelsted replaced
was made especially for this purpose
Its seven and 3 half feet in length
twsn,y inches in hsighth hnd twenty
siybt inches wide, somewhat rsssmsliss