The New York herald., 1876-12-07
Flowers, Odors, Herbs. Incense
and LeVity.
A TEN DOLLAR FUNERAL.
What Colonel Olcott Knows About
Burning.
THE HEAD AND HEEL CONTROVERSY
[BY TELEGRAPH 10 THE HERALD

The day broke beautifully clear and bright The
drive from the Valentine House to the Cemetery, at
seven O'Clock this morning. showed the neghborns
hills wrapped IN shroud OF white hard snow. The
sharp wind Witch came whstling through the leafcss
branches ol the bare gaunl trees seemed to urge
the which dashed up Gallows Hill their fast.
pace. Already there Colonel olcoit preparing
for the great event Of the day; rankncense myrrh,
acacia cinnamon ard othor fragrant spices put
into the breast Of tho late Baron and scattered pro-
fusey over the body.
There had been a great shrinkage OF the body. The
weight OF which, estimated by several o, tho physi-
clans, nearly 100 pounds, whe the Baron in his
lifetime weighed about 100 pounds. The corpse which
slid into the retort only weighed little
ninety pounds. The jaw had not dropped, as IN the
OF skeleton, and the cavities OF the cheeks
still lllcd in by dark flesh, but there was skeleton
look abou. tho eyes the globes having collapsed and
the fluids transuded, only two horrid blank cavities
left, with tho exception OF the membranes,
which upon close inspection were found to havo
been preserved IN ary state The head was
Ecantly covered with dry, dusty gray hair which
surrounded tho lower jaw and neck The fatty matter
OF the nose, which very large, having disappeared,
lett only the bones and cartilage covered by dried
tcgument; the shrunken and blackcned lips were
parted the limbs shriyelcd TO clearly show
tho articulation OF the JOINTS and tendons. All
CHASTITY outlines Of tho skeleton covered by cnging
surface of muscular and nervous tissue When the
spices and perfumes had boen scattered tho siroud
again wrapped round the body and over it Colonel
Olco strewed primroses begoEia roses. evcrgrcens.
abut,lon, geranium and smlax
SMALL ATTENDANCE or PHYSICIANS.
BY this time DR.. Lemoync and his friends and fell
low cremaiionists had arrived. There
preston OF great disappointment their faces
count of the meagre attendance OF physicians,
She most conspicuous among whom were DR.. Asdalc,
member OF the Pttsburg Board of Health; DR.. Glenn
mer OF Brownsville, Pa Dr. Hun, Of Wheeling; DR..
Folsom, OF Boston; and Dr. Otterson, Of the Brooklyn
Eoard OF Health. There not the slightest nes
tatlon OF reverence socmny, or decent respect
for the memory of tho departed among the crowd III
the reception ruom, who loaGng about with their
hats their heads, smoking, others talking
and laughing Tho only serious men seemed TO
be Colonel ocott ana the Baron, ths latter however
by far the nest serious of the two. At last the cr
cal moment when the body was to be consigned
10 the flames, and word given that everybody
should stand back TO let the crib pass This crib
IN which the corpse rested has fiat bottom and far
ing Sides aud is made OF bars of IRON, with top rail
running along the Sides with the ends open, and
ners OF strap iron underneath upon which to slide 1t
INTO the rctort. Everybody wanted TO see the CRIB
slde hence there dead rush 10 the furnace from
the dirty boys aud rough country folks outside, who
fat,ened their against the window panes
to be auie ENJOY TINS deecable spectacle.
They made jocosc grlinaccs those iusidc the fire.
tried keep the crowd out OF the furnace room
was only SUN eien, space the between
the lid Of the and the door. and alter tough
struggle they succeeded and pushed them back INTO
the reception there they nearly swept away the
four bearers who bad taken their stations al the
head and loot OF the CRIB.
INVALID
Lcmoyne. colossus who must weigh nearly 600
ppuna- III Invalid, and walks with great difficulty
q sien;orlsn voicc which he uses with great lung
iewsr s.e ,ooSed a grim master Of the
grey beard gives him severely patriarchial
lcet. The most prominent feature OF his dress
hs shirt which, though oil linen, was not the color OF
CIV SNOW. anu open III 'front.' 'hus u'spiaying u
brwny chest OF formidable PROPORTIONS. Old Vol,
thc nscan who IS 10 creinatc also the Doctor
ss tue aiier slips THIS mortal coil Kept looking NJ
LIN, wi,h SORT o; afcciionatc regard Il expect 10
sielnate TIE Old feiler soon" said Wolf before the
q nation 10 your correspondent, and sicam or
pleasure flashed ifom his sioiid cyc tho pleasant
anticipation Aud now they were ready Or.
I.ciaoync placed himscl. at tho loot OF The
crib, with Mr. Newton assistant. and Colonel oicoti
whose bright iittio eyes cleaned nom behind his
glasses, and whose perfectly solcnn, with
nr Asdale, OF the Pat burg Board OF Health, at The
head.
HRAD on rEEr
There short colioquy between Dr. Lcmoyno
aud Couucl olcott ~hotGor head the feet
should be pat in nrs,. coloLcl ocot was in favor Of
the feet. DR.. lcinosne, however carried the day
the head; hut 10. There were three New York cor
respondents budding tcscihcr siealthiy away
III coricr ci the furnace room. weere they
could The rctott, when Tho crD
showed in. pr. Lcnioync'a lynx eye discovered
last The bearers OF the CRIB raised it the
falauc ana bore II through the pushing crowd with
SLOW step Everybody kept his bead covered as tDe
body passed ny, uniii respondent who lad t.o
moro decent gars! Tor the dead ,baa these men OF
roee .'Ict us bc d h,,le Gccorousu HIS .xam,le Was
followed by ew. Everybody looked curiousy Ut tho
body in tho shroad, and there scarcely face
among the spectators whose Impression not that
OF dlc curiosity ana shocking ieviiy
A
The cast iron lid Of the reort swung heavily open,
the crib was quickly pushed IN, and old Vol shut II
ms quickly with loud bang. aud then, know
ing that the difficult work now nearly
completed he ehucSlcd heartily and performed
the hrst steps OF JiS with great gec. but before
smoky vsror enrs. from the re,orr. The evergrecns
over the head OF the body bad taken fire THIS at
twenty-five minutes after eight Looking IN through
the peep hole, the sheet and the head which had been
rased aoove H. could bc paniv soen IN lurid glare
OF red heat Tho cyesgrccns the head having taken
Colonel Uicott saii. looked Ike plume OF The
old Baron, like ms knishiy crest, The sheet.
bv means cl the alum solution, did not
take fire. Tho binding glow Tho vapor ono
time hid the cntrc sight from view but at
S:i5 the .spors cleared and the corpse
plany visible against tbc brilliant back ground
oil the rcturt. be hue month Rl0wcd in a white heat
which seemed almost transparent IN Us delicacy, and
looked 10 the poe,c eye OF Colonel ocott like radiant
silver crown foailng oser the dssovins larons head
The form OF every sprg OF evergreen was 10 be secn
the pointed arcncs pointing inward TO tho centre
The sheet still cniOi:cd tue corpse Al 1918
tbe sheet appeared charred a, the head ana ITS end
stood up black and ragged, and here came remark.
abc effect.
4 nosgArs nrE
The left hand which became visible through the
charrcd sheet slightly raised and pointed upward,
ough the SOU OF the dead was yearnng .or above
By this ie tn. ncrcc glare heat had melowed inio
softer glow aud the whole body seemed bathed IN u
beautiful rosy h2ht; meanwhile Dr. Lcnoyne was
sryiup every trough who came along, ''Walx In
take peep" although at nrst be pretended TO DO
most Iarticular about admitting but scientists
All sorts OF disgusting Jokes were also cracked. one
nquiring II the old Baron perspIrins, &C
.rt.v -. .t,nV