Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-18
CREMATING MRS. PITTMAN.

L ftOn1P.
CREMATING MRS. PITTMAN
additional Particulars of the Roasting
Process.
A correspondent writing from Washing
ton Pa. on the 18th, gives the following
additional particulars of the burning of
Mrs. Pittman's remains, some details of
which were given by telegraph:
DR.. LeMoyne, the cremationist who is the
pride of the town of Washington, has been
happy man to-day, for he has cremated
the body of Mrs. Jane Pittman, wife of Ben
Pittman of Cincinnati, the noted pho
| nographic author. Mrs. Pittmans body
| reached Washington this morning, accompa-
MED only by Mr.. Pittman and one of his
| newspaper friends from Cincinnati It
was enclosed in an oiled chestnut casket,
| shaped somewhat lile dry goods case:
the same width all the way from head
| to foot. When it arrived in
| Washington the casket was covered with
| piece of black oilcloth, on the centre of
which was tackled permit from the health
officer of Cincinnati for the removal of the
body from that city, and stating the cause of
death to be cancer of the stomach. A very
shabby and very muddy hearse, relic of the
war of 1872, was in waiting at the Washing
ton depot to receive the body. The oilcloth
was pulled off, and the casket was showed
| into the hearse. 1t was noticed that the
undertaken took particular pains to fasten
the back doors of the hearse. and the cause
of this was apparent when the hearse began
to roll up the long inclined plane that leads
to the house of burnt bones. If the coffin
had not been securely fastened in it would
have slid down the hill.
The corpse of the woman went up the
steep hill unaccompanied, save by the driver
of the hearse, and when it reached the little
brick house several of the curiosity hunters
who were sitting on the fence, helped carry
it in, and lay it on the table. Mr.. Pittman,
meanwhile was seated in DR.. LeMoyne's
parlor, talking with the old gentleman about
the beauties of cremation.
At about l o'clock Mr.. Pittman's and Le-
Moyne's two sons and daughters started for
the top of the hill. They and the newspaper
friends of Mr.. Pittman from Cincinnati
were the only mourners. The furnace
was then at white heat, the De Palm fire.
missed and fireman from
stead. There were no religious ceremonies
of any kind. Several of Mrs. Pittman's
lady friends in Cincinnati had read poems
and delivered addresses over her, while her
body lay in that city, and Mr.. Pittman him
self had delivered short addres, but neither
time was there prayer, or tear. or even
sigh.
"Are you ready?" said the fireman at two
or three minutes before 2 o'clock. s:All
ready" replied young LeMoyne. The big
iron door of the retort was taken off, filling
both rooms with an almost unbearable glare
and heat. The young LeMoynes picked up
the body, which had been laid in the same
> iron cradle in which De Palm was cremated.
f and, resting the head on the edge
of the furnace, showed the body
in like an oyster-knife going
into clam. The body was encased in a
/ white sheet soaked in alum water, but this
did not entirely cover the head, and, as soon
i, as the head of the corpse was within foot
: or two of the furnace door. the dry cloths in
). which the head was encased caught fire, and
4 in an instant the entire building was filled
s with dense black smoke, with sickenine
n smell. The door was quickly closed, but the
o overpowering odor of burning hair and flesh
lasted for fifteen minutes or more, although
!, the windows were opened to get rid of it
d Dense clouds of this black smoke also poured
S from the chimney of the retort, filling
the air about the building with the disa
greeable smell. After the body had beer
> roasting for about fifteen minutes, sligh
s blush fame came from it, and this continued
p throughout the cremation. After three
IS quarters of an hour, q skeleton of fire coul6
4 be seen through the peep-holes, the head
burned off and rolled to one side, and in {
= few minutes more the bones had all sep
T arated and lay loose upon the floor of thu
e retort. The hip bones were last to give way
and, when they fell in, an hour and fifty-ons
!, minutes after the body was put in
. the cremation was pronounced complete
e and the building was cleared and locked up
:. Mr.. Pittnam took frequent looks through tn,
peep holes to see how his wife was cooking
At the end he expressed much admiration o
what he termed '.the beautiful sight"
was decided that the ashes must remain i,
/ the retort till next Monday, so that it ma,
J, cool beyond any possibility of cracking
n when the air is admitted, as it is badI,
= cracked already. Mr.. Pittman is to retur1,
to Cincinnati tomorrow morning, and hi
4 wife's ashes are to be sent on to him by ex
y press. Experts say that Mrs. Pittma1
) burned 80 much quicker than De Palm be
s, cause she was fresh corpse and he wa
stale and dry.