The Republican journal., 1877-12-06
Cremation Of a Baby.

NEW YORK, Nov. 20 The S-dav- old son of
Julius Kircher died on the 10th kircheris The pro
pretor of an ultra marine manutactory where very
hot fires and good deal of sulphur are used and
it was decided to crcnate the child. On the ever
ing Of the 18th inst the remains were wrapped in
burial clothes and taken to the furnace and there
cremated, the ashes being gathered up and placed
in an urn and taken home. Mrs. krchcr said
last evening that the child was very dear to them
and they wished to have the ashes always with
them
New YORK, Nov. p. The cremation of the
corpse of his eight-day old baby by Mr.. Julius
kircher, proprietor of large factory in East 18th
street. the llth, still attracts attention Ii was
performed at the factory When the majority of
the workmen were leaving Mr.. kircher requested
two of his most trustworthy hands to remain and
to see that the fires i'll the driving room were kept
up AT their greatest heat. His instructions were
obeyed HI then went into his private office and
came out with small paper parcel which was
found to contain the body OF baby, eight DAYS old
and weighing seven pounds. The child was
wrapped up i'll linen chemise and had its little
hands crossed upon its breast. The bellows were
applied to the fire. which attained such heat
that the iron turned red and white by turns Mr.
krcher then lifted the body OF his dead baby into
al iron retort, which he put the fire, and stand
ing oft at distance to avoid being scorched.
watched the flames leaping into and all round it.
his eyes sufiused with tears. The two workmen
removed their hats and stood looking on mean
while. In fifteen minutes the fire had done its
work, and all that remained of the seven pound
baby two ounces and a half of clean white
ashes Mr. kircher then babe his men extinguish
the flames, which was done. and time being given
for the retort to cool it carefully removed and
the ashes were put into piece Of tissue paper
and weighed, after which they were enclosed in Il
small silver urn, which Mr.. kircher proposes to
stand on his mantel piece Mr.. kircher is an in
telllgcn man OF considerable culture and very ad-
vanced views. He is thoroughly German in APP
pearance, manner and thought, and does not
speak any English. He says:
There was no disagreeabe smell at all-no
smell of any kind, and as to the appearance it
was not half as shocking as the burving of body
in the ground. did this because it is principle
with me. ! am opposed to burias of any kind
they are bad and dangerous See, in this case an
ordinary funeral would have meant tedious cere-
MONIES, great expense, twenty or thirty carriages.
and adding to the grief of everybody instead Of
that we have simple and effective mode of dis
posing of the body, and with that urn we shall
have the remains of our little one always with us
| have left explicit orders in my will to have my
body burned at my factory by my men and dis
posed Of as the baby's has been ii my wife dies
first will do the same for her. We mourn our
body, but we mourn him less cremated and his re
mains with here than we weuld with his little
body Wondering in the ground and the food of
noxlons insects. Surely cremation is rational is
heatntul, is wise and is therefore good"