Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-02-02

slabs, we'll cemenied together, aud the
largest cost 100000, if il may be
assumed that the four other towers cost
ou an average 10000 each, we should
have a tenth Of million invested in
these buildings alone Add that Sir
Jsmshidje gave 100000 square yards Of
land and betrayed the expenses Of
road, and some idea may be formed of
the cost OF the whole cemetery In'lbe
circular external wall there is but one
aperture, about Eve aud half feet
square and thirteen feet from the ground,
aud TO this the carriers OF the dead
ascend by a fight Of steps, and there
take in the corpse The outside wall is
from twenty five TO forty feet high, ac-
cordiug 10 municipalities Of the ground
on which the tower Is built, Inside is a
circular platform, depressed gradually
toward the center, where ia a wall OF
about ten feet in diameter The surface
of the platform consists OF duted grooves
laid out in three series, with circular
path surrounding each series. to which
communication is obtained by straight
path leading from the aperture iu the
outer wall to the we'll 10 the center OF
the tower. This straight path intersects
1.-The cicular paths, aud is ABOUT two and
half feet broad and then three feet
The corpses are deposited IN the
grooves, those Of men occupying the frat
series. those Of women the second series
and those OF children the third. All the
bodies are absolutely nude, to fulfil the
saying, Naked came | into the world,
and naked shall 20 forth" and in halt
an hour from the time they are put in
the grooves every particle Of flesh is
stripped from the bones by the numerous
vutures that inhabit the spot The skel-
eton is left to bleach in sun and wind till
it becomes quite dry. Two carriers Of
the dead then enter with gloves on their
hands and provided with. bags, with which
they carry the bones to the central we'll
where they are cast and crumble into
dust There are perforations in the wall
Of the well, through which any moisture
caused by rain or otherwise passes and
descends into two drains at the bottom
Of the building where it passes through
charcoal, and 80 becomes disiniected and
inodorous before it reaches the sea.
There is ladder in the well by which
the carriers of the dead descend when il
is necessary to clear the perforations
from distractions. The dust in the we'll
accumulates so slowly that in the forty
years during which the largest tower has
been used it has risen only FIVE feet,
The origin of the whole practice is nc
doubt the generation with which the Par
ses regard the elements. Fire is too pure
TO be polluted BY committing corpses tC
the flames. Water is almost equally ven
Grated, and so, too, is mother earth
Hence this strange system has been in
vented, by which il is supposed none o
the impurities Of the corpse can infec
the element, at all events directly. AnC
Feverything that eau be thought OF il
done to dispel the gloomy thought
which some psrtso the process natural,
q 7gender The chspels are situated in
Soar, iful garden, where those who attent
| ths f"rera Cmay sit and enjoy the beaut,
oi flowsrs ana covering shrubs. Thos
who deposit the corpSe' in the tower g
through publication, an" tne garment
they wear when in the Tower = Silenc'
hare put away in another tower ere9'er
Z for the sole purpose Of receiving them
and there they shoulder away