The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-05

CREMATToE.-Erpsriment in de Improved
Furnace Of The Hospard Bros. Last Night
All conversation now smacks OF crema.
tion, and speculations are rife as 10 the
probable result OF the De Palm incinera-
ton at Washington the little tomorrow.
The subject OF cremation is thus made in
tcresting to the general public, who will
no doubt read with interest an account
Of an experiment with the improved
cremation furnace invented by the
Howard Bros., which took place
last night. The subject, il you please,
was an ordinary fowl, weighing three
pounds, eight ounces and half. It
must DO remembered, however, that a
fowl has more bones, in proportion to its
size, than any other animal. The ere.
nation OF this fowl consumed thirty min.
utes in all. AT the emil Of fifteen minutes
everything was consumed but the heart,
and II required fifteen minutes to burn
that organ. The ashes Of the fowl
weighed exactly two ounces. The flesh
was reduced to black cinders, while the
bones we're almost entirely consumed,
what remained being white; the cinders
crumbled readily in the fingers. This is
the third experiment, n dog and a cat hav.
Ing been previously cremated.
These experiments have resulted in
demonstrating beyond all doubt that a
human body weighing $50 pounds can
readily be reduced TO 4 pounds in two
hours from the time it is placed in the
furnace, all the fuel required being from
eight to ten gallons Of what is known as
"fnel OIL" a distillation OF petroleum
similar 10 benzole, costing ~ cents per
gallon. What degree Of heat Is obtained
has not yet been accurately aScertained,
but this much ia known, that a bar OF
wrought iron three.quarters Of an inch
in diameter melts in two minutes, thus
preventing the use Of iron in the con-
struction Of the furnace, which q built
entirely with Gre clay tile. The retort
in which the body is placed is made Of
plumblgo or black lead two inches
thick, It being found to be the
best material to stand the intense
heat and not crack In cooling. It Is
seven feet long and % inches wide at tho
widest point on the eross section, which
Is an ellipsc or oval In form. The upper
side Of the retort is perforated with nu.
merous small holes Tor the expulsion OF
the gases arising from tho subject. The
oil is introduced in the furnace at the
bottom Of the retort chamber by placing
the conducting pipe from the tanks into
metal receiver, where the oil burns, the
flame rising and completely surrounding
the retort. Registers are placed in the
sides OF the furnace for the admission Of
air, which combines with the hydrogen OF
the oil, making heat SO intense as to
nearly consume all the carbon, and con-
sequently it gives forth but little smoke.
II Is the intention to place the body in
the retort without the coffin, which can
readily be done by plan devised for
this purpose, and thereby preventing the
wood ashes from mingling with those Of
the body. Every problem SO far ad-
vanced has been solved. No odor what
ever arises from the furnace. Itissimple
in its construction, and very economical
10 its operation, costing about so cents to
heat the furnaee-Which can be done in
one hour-and completely reduce the
corpse. The door Of the retort 10 90 con-
structed that the body can be seen during
tho process OF incineration. The Howard
Bros. have made a drawing Of the fur
mace, and also design Of crematory 10
contain the furnace, which is very novel
In its character, and intend placing It on
exhibition for the benefit Of those inter-
ested.