The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-14
A Japanese Cremation.


he Home Secretary, opposing the bill
Introduced by DR.. Cameron, urged
against cremation that the elder ma
ions, more particularly the Greeks, had
never adopted the practice. There is
me nation, now the oldest empire in
he world, where cremation is an estab-
ished usage, and where the Govern
nent, with shrewd appreciation of the
advantages of sanitary laws, have OF
ate years carefully fostered it. This is
Japan, where cremation establishments,
lnder Government control, are to be
ound in all the chief cities. In Toxic,
he principal place of cremation is
situated at Shen-io, a suburb reached
through long lines of busy streets. 1t
was fete day in the neighborhood, and
vt the time of my visit we approached
through dense crowd of holiday
makers. The shops were brightly lit.
Jinrickshas abOunded, most of them
holding two, and one at least tour
persons, two being babies. On these
occasions the Japan infant obtains a
change of view and position. For the
most part it peers out upon the world
round the side of its mothers or sisters
head. But it being physically impos-
,ible for woman to sit in jinricksha
with the everlasting baby at her back
! it is, on this occasion, only Slowed
round to the front. Many of the tea
houses in this quarter were brilliantly
illuminated with scores of lanterns.
One, which our guide said was q
''goose-house, had over hundred, IS
tall pole running up from before it
hanging out score. 1t appears that
the Japanese is rapidly developing
carnivorous tastes. AS the home Gull
nary department is not yet equal to
cooking joints, the luxurious Japanese
Of the lower middle class goes out to a
beef-house or a goose and duck house,
and feeds on the unfamiliar Wand.
After an hours drive through q lane
Of busy life we came to the silent house,
where the dead awaited the last service
of the living. 1t stands little apart
from the main road, a building of a
single story, with an innocent-looking
tall chimney, and might be connected
with pottery or u small iron foundry.
The business is always conducted
privately, and there are few in Toxic,
except those who are professionally en-
gagged, who have witnessed the process.
But arrangements made by the omnipo-
tent foreign minister opened the doors
and secured respectful welcome for
us. We were first received in the house
of the manager, where tea was served
in priceless porcelain cups of Kutani
ware. The furnace, if so imposing a
name may be used for process so
simple, stood few PAGES from the
house. On entering it there was moth,
ing to be seen but what appeared to be
two butter-tubs resting upon a few
fagots of wood. There were several
cavities about two inches deep and a
foot long in the stone floor, and these
were filled with shavings. According
to municipal law, no burning is to be
done before 6:30 in the evening. Itstill
wanted ten minutes to that time, but in
the circumstances the manager thought
he would be safe in anticipating the
hour, and the shavings were fired.
One of the men, kneeling before the
growing flame, famed it with a piece
Of wood. 1t caught the dry fagots,
greedily licked the sides of the tub,
rose high in the air, and then, with a
horrible thud, the head of the hsrFel
burst outwards. Quick as thought the
man seized large piece of wood, lying
by in readiness, and hid from sight
whatever may have protruded. 1t is
the boast of the skillful cremator that
under his supervision the contents OF
the barrel are never exposed to view.
A heavy mating of wet straw is laid
over the length of the barrel before the
fire is ignited. AS the barrel is burned
away this falls in and covers the body.
In three hours the work is done. Every
particle of flesh is burned away, and
there remains only the skeleton. The
bones and the teeth the relatives collect
and give them sepulture.
There are three classes of cremation
at this establishment. In the first class
each body is burned separately, a
charge being made of yen, equal to
% shillings in our money. In the
second class the charge is only 10 shil-
lings, the difference being that two OF
more, according to the briskness OF
trade, are burned at the same time.
The third class pay 6 shillings pence,
the semblance of a coffin provided by
the tub being dispensed with. 1t will
be seen that, as compared with the most
moderate scale of ordinary burial
charges, cremation is cheap. AS far as
| could gather, it is this which recon.
mends itself to the class of Japanese
generally the least wealthy, who avail
themselves of the resources at the es.
tablishment of Shen-io and kindred in.
stitutions.-H. W. Lacey, in Pail Nal
Gazette.