Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-08
MARBLE BURIAL CAsKRTs.
New York Sun. !

An enterprising Chicago man has in
vented marble burial casket," which
has had considerable sale in the West
and in New York.
ut is made" said the agent to a So,
reporter, "of Portland and Keene CO.
IDent and is imperishable and indie
structible. Surviving friends of the
dead have a natural aad cOmmendable
desire TO preserve the bodies of their
loved ones from decay as long az pos
sible. Wooden collins decay very speed
lily and those made of iron rust and
crumbls away in very short time
when subjected to the chemicals Of the
earth. ln the earlier ages stone graves,
hewn out of the solid rock, we're the re-
oeptacles for the dead, not only because
they resisted the agencies mentioned
dead from the hands of resurrection
iste. Such thing as solid marble OF
stone grave is ont of the question now,
however. except among millionaires,
but the new burial cssket meets all OF
the ends served by the old stone grave.
1t is in striking contrast with tho dilapi-
dated cloth. wooden and iron casksts,
and will superssde the necessity OF
vaults. EAoh one of our baskets ia a
hermetioslly sealed cataoomb in itself.
They are lighter thau iron and the
strongest oasket ever made. The inte-
riOr Is of perforated zinc, set on a
wrought iron skeleton frame. Both the
frame and the zinc are embedded in the
walls Of the basket. The cement bar
dens with age"
"One point, and very strong one, in
faver of this casket is that when it ia
closed it becomes p rfect whole. The
cover ia joined to the casket with the
same cement With which the casket ia
made, and hence it is Theoretically
sealed without joint or crack. 1t ia a
complete solid marble case. Another
great advantage of our Baskets over
burial ceremonies can he held with Der.
feet safety over the bodies of persons
who have died Of contagious diseases.
There - not the slightest danger of con-
taRion."
Have you sold many in New York;
80 far there has been an encourag-
ing sale. and they have given unvaryina
satisfaction"
"Hov do the prices ranger"
"A first-class marble caskst. does not
Ouoe 0uy mOIt tuau tu0 OoBb IUHQ6 OF
iron or wood. The uphOlstering and
the outside trimmings are all of the best
quality. and, in fact, precisely the same
rs those used IN ordinary collins"
The agent exhibited some Of the cas-
kets. Many Of them are very hand
some. One. which he said was for
young ladies'" was pure white, with a
rough, unpublished surface. having a
frosted appearance, which glistsned in
the light as though covered with dia-
mond dust. The inside Was p;eated
satin OF a pale blue shade, and there
were two blue satin panels on the Gov
ers, on which lilies, surrounded BY
sprays Of forget -isots we're painted.
The handles we're also Get in blue satin
Of the same shade. aud decorated with
immOrteiies. Another one. called the
Egyptian STYLE" resembles Egyptian
marble. although there IL a tYifls ton
much gold and orange in it. The jet black
background. however. /, very brilliant.
The handles and plates are like those
OF ordinary baskets. There Is another
oasket which il q combination OF Egypt
ian and onyx. made in small sizes for
children. There was one that re-
senbled Italian marble. Il was mare
expensive than the others, as the vsin-
ing and rose tint arc difh,uit Ia repre-
sent on the cement.