The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-06
To-Day's Burning.

To-day Hierophant OLCoTr will take the
very dead BODY of the late Baron Won PALM
to Washington. Pennsylvania, and there
solemuly put IL in the oven prepared for
its reception, apply the torch to the funeral
pyre, aud gather up the remaining ashes
In n genuine Hindoo cremation urn spe-
cially presented for the purpose. II Will
be the second cremation on this continent
that is, since il came under the dominion
OF our race. Fifty years ago the body OF
Mr.. HENRY LAURrSs, South Carolina
gentleman, was reduced to ashes, but the
pracii @ failed To become fashionable, and
we have kept on burying as Of old.
The Baron died last May, aud his initial
funeral took place in this city with q
jumbo Of Egyptian ceremonies conducted
by IA little set OF people calling themselves
Theosophists, TO whom in his eccentricity
he had attached himself during life.
Herophant OLcoTr presided on the occa-
sion in true Egyptian style. and after the
funeral the body was embalmed not ac-
COZ ding to the Egyptian method, in pitch
aud cloths but In carbolic powder. That
substance has kept II all this time in good
preservation, so that the body TO he burned
to- day Is recognizable in all its features as
that of the dead Baron. This Bavarian
nobleman was the fortunate possessor OF a
little property, and SO the provision Of his
will directing the burning of his corpse
can be carried out, spite OF the expense,
which Is considerable. We believe the ere
nation would have taken place soon utter
his death II the furnace had been ready
Inn 4 nj h.. ~.
gone through with, and that far away in
Pennsylvania. However. the delay has
enured to the notoriety OF the Theo-
sophists, Of the Baron, OF Hierophant Oh
ooTT, and cremation.
This is free country, ana peoples dead
bodies may here be burned, buried, en-
tombed, embalmed, preserved in spirits,
or dssected and set upas skeletons in med
ical colleges, according as they or their
friends may desire. A mans body is one
OF the things lie leaves behind HIM. and #
he chooses 10 provide in his Will, "a the
Baron did, that ii shall be burned. nobody
has tight TO say aught against his So
doing. However, the trouble and expense
OF cremating are NJ present so great that
we advise aSs,irst the lcavi"Sof such dlrec-
tons. Ii lsn long dlstauc6 to that part 81!
Pennsylvania, and the cost of conveying "a
funeral party thither, TO say nothing OF the
cost OF fuel, II great. Besides, cremation IL
not our customary way Of dealing with
corpses, and the present method is not
likely 10 be changed by man here aud
there ordering the bun ning Of his remains.
| There Is something, too, very disagrceable
| about making a great and peculiar public
fuss over Il dead body, representing Us it
| does to the friends of the deceased an iudl-
| vidual held IN affection. After many cen
| turtles of practice we have grown to attach
a sacreduess IL interments, and the bury
ing of the dead is a universal custom. Gre
nation can never become the custom here
unless II ls forced upon us by hygienic ne
cessities and perhaps by law. But If that
| day ever comes AT all il Is yet far of. Asa
measure Of economy in funerals, cremation
is urged; but until It becomes TX enslvcly
prac sed the process must continue to b,
| even more costly than the present method
winch indeed Is only made burdeusome to
the poor by reason of merely conventional
ideas rs 10 the manner OF dong honor &c
the dead.
Therefore, we cannot attach so much
importance to the burning OF Baron vo>
PALMS scientifically preserved body ~
HIerophant OLcorr does. 1t is simply IA,
satisfaction Of the whIm of n man VINO
thought that method OF dIsposing of III,
| dead better than the one We now practise
| II IL nifty years since we had our II ST ere
nation, aud the Washington furnace vii
not be likely to DO called into frequent
requisilion after this burning Is over