The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-12-21

! IfonG OF the rotOrt. The heat wa
so intense that even before tho heat
was inside Of the oven tho smok
began to rise, and the bearers at th,
foot quickly showed tho cradle ant
body into the retort. A thick
light colored, almost odorless smok,
poured out through the door. Still
not q word WIS said. Instantly tht
fresh door WAS raised and adjusted
the cremation was begun. Tht
open door had somewhat cooled the
retort, and when the fire in tho
furnace was not as hot as it might
have been, somebody suggested thai
the retort was not hot enough
'Hot enough ?" replied the firomai1
"why, it's second edition o1
hell.
THE cREMATIoN BEGUN.
1T was just half past eight o'clock,
pitasburg time, when the body went
into the retort. For five minutes
o: more nobody ventured to open
the peep hole and look in. Then
tho Times man pushed it opon and
looked in. All Was dark as the
grave. rot 9 ray of light any
where. Two minutes lptcr thick,
whitish smoke cuuld be seen break
ing cut here and there into little
blazc CT fire. Then tho white smoke
came aod circlcd about the opening,
shutting off the vieH again. At u
quarter before nine the winding
sheet was still unburnea, though
the iron cradle was red-hot. Tho
retort was & tting to bright heat
again, and it's interior could be seen
plainly, though the solcs of tho
Barons feet were so aear the loop
hole that only a little of his body
could be seen. At this time tho
e1ergleens and palm leaves were
still intact and in shape, though
completely turned to ashes, or
there was no mir inside 10 disturb
them. While tho Earcn wa baking
away the spectators went into the
reception room and the newspaper
men sat down and wrote thcir notes
on the catafalque; then the doors OF
the building were opened, and the
crowd outside were allowed to con @
in two at y time, take look into
the retort, and then go out again.
At a quarter before 10 o'clock the
tite had fairly begun lis work; the
feet had fallen apart, leaving Il cle,r
view of the body, and the ribs were
side lay the mead daPA's Il 5'' mad IL purned ned
completely loose from the body and
had roamed out of pluce, but it was
nothing but skull There was not
Il particle Of flesh left on any part of
the body, and every bone except
the skull was as red hot and trans
parent as the furnace itself
A nEADLESs SKEI EroN OF FIRE
A skeleton of fire lay in the iron
cradle-a skeleton without q head,
for the skull was not heated so
thoroughly aud did not look as if it
could eyer have belonged to the
same body. Even the iron cradle
WIS beginning to feel the effects Of
tho climate. 1t was warped and
bent and n;.ttened beyond I'll
recognition. From this time the
cremation of the Bysron's body Was
rapid. At eleven o'clock the s,iele-
ton was still almost intact, but it
WAS evident that the larger bones
wore ready to crurnble the moment
the air touched them. All through
the morning d line Of people from
the neighboring towns climbed the
snow clad summit of Gallows Hill to
look at the rapidly disappearing
body. At half-past IL O'clock the
cremation was considered complete.
The inside Of the retor55 was Mt
white heat, and the iron cradle
looked like tho ribs of some huge
animal. Some of the larger bones
we've still to be seen. Tho skull re-
tuned something of it's normal
shape, and Little mounds on tie
bottom of the aetort marked the
spot where handfulls of hot ashes
had fallen through between tho ribs
of the cradle. The cremation was
over. The fire was drawn out oj
the furnace and the furnace door
was sealed up with mortar. Before
l o'clock the littlo cremation house
was empty and the door was locked
Baron do Palm last wish had been
complied with, and his body lay in
Il little heap of red hot ashes, alone
unguarded, on the summit ol
Gnllows Hill. y .n w &a..
A QUART OF ASHES, NOTHING MORE.
The Hindoo cremation vase, III
which the Baron's ashes are to be
put was standing on the top of tn,
furnace early in the morning fol
public inspection. It is very small
and cnnnot possibly hold more thar
o quart. Col Olcott says. however
that the vase has been Msed for che
same purpose before, and is without
doubt large enough to hold all tl,a,
will be left. Memorable iyaset whoft
calcined bones will next tickle you,
smooth wrought sidesa But it viii
be "a some % hours y before tht
ushaa cnn ha taken ont n