The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-04
A Japanese Cremation.

H. w. Lucey, in the Pail Mall Gaz-
cite says: There is IL nation, now
the oldest empire in the world, where
cremation is an established usage, and
where the government, with a shrewd
appreciation of the advantages of SAM
tary laws, have of late years carefully
fostereG it. This is Japan, where Gre
nation establishments, under Govern
ment% control, are to be found in all the
chief cities. In Toxic, the principal
place of cremation is situated at Shen-
10, u suburb. After an hours drive
through a lane Of busy life we came to the
silent house where the dead awaited the
last service of the living. 1t stands a
little apart from the main road, a
building of a single story, with an in
nocent-looking tall chimney, and might
be connected with a pottery or small
iron foundry. The business is always
conducted privately, and there are few
IN Toxic, except those who are pro-
REASONABLY engaged, who have wit
messed the process. But az
rangements made by the omnipotent
foreign minister opened the doors, and
secured a respectful welcome for us.
We first received in the house Of the
manager, where tea was served in price
less porcelain cups of kutania ware.
The furnace, if so imposing aname may
be used for a process so simple, stood q
few PAGES from the house. On entering
it there was nothing to be seen but what
appeared to be two butter tubs resting
upon a few fagots Of wood. There were
several ~cavaties about two inches deep
and a foot long in the stone floor, and
these We're filled with shavings. Ac-
cording to municipal law, no burning is
to be done before half-past six in the
evening. 1t still wanted ten minutes to
that time, but in the circumstances the
manager thought he would be safe ii,
anticipating the hour, and the shavings
were fired. One Of the men, kneelinp
before the growing flame, famed it with
q piece of wood. 1t caught the dry fag.
gots, greedily licked the sides Of til.
tub, rose high in the air, and then, with
n horrible thud, the head of the barre.
burst outwards. Quick as thought, the
man seized q large piece of wood, lying
by in readiness, and hid from sight
whatever may have protruded. Tits the
boast of the skillful cremator that unde,
his supervision the contents Of the
barrel are never exposed to
view. A heavy mating of wet straw i,
laid over the length of the barrel be-
fore 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 supulture. There
are three classes of cremation at this es-
Enlistment. In the first class each
body is burned separately, a charge be-
ing made of yen, equal to 28s, in our
money. In the second class the charge
is only los, the difference being that
two or more, according to the briskness
of trade, are burned at the same time.
The third class pay IS. 3D., the SEM
blance Of q coffin provided by the tub
being dispensed with. 1t will be seen
that, as compared with the most moder-
ate scale of ordinary burial charges,
cremation is cheap. AS far as I could
gather, it is this which recommends it
self to the class of Japanese, generally
the least wealthy, who avail themselves
of the at the establishment at
Shen-jo and kindred institutions.