Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-11-19
CREMATION.
LAsUAsrKRs UnnMArURY risisaEp

the su,ldins Oompistso sod Its work Soon
To sssin--sss'.,sotory Experiments
with Organic Asi,oai matter.
Tho Lancaster crematory, built by an
association Of gentlemen In this city who
believe that cremation Ia tho best mode Of
disposing Of the bodies of tho doad, Ii
finished.
Tho building, q substantial brink struc-
ture Of Gothic architecture, is situated on
q two acre lot OF ground just south Of
Woodward Hill cemetery on bluff
overlooking the ConestogA. II In al oh.
long square. 30 feet in width and about 80
In length. 1t Is only ono story in bcght, but
the story Ia lofty ono, being 10 feet to
the square, and the steep roof makes II
about twice that high in the centre. The
building is divided into an audience room
which occupies the northern half of 1t;
ladies dressing room about by ~ feet, on
the west side q room Of the same size for
the reception of dead bodies on the east
side of the building, and q fireman's room
on the south. Tho furnaces and the re-.
torts in which bodies are to be oromated,
occupy space In the centre Of the build
ing, between the reception and the dressing
rooms and the audience and Hremen's
rooms. The audience room In entered by
double door ON the north. 1t Is lighted
by six windows, two on tho north, two on
the east and two on the west side. The
roof Of he building Is Of galvanized oorru.
gated iron. The floor Of the audience
room is of cement; the floors Of the other
rooms are Of brick.
Only ono of the two furnaces aud one
Of the two retorts which the building Is to
contain, has yet been flushed. The fur.
mace is of the ordinary construction with
| iron CRATE on which the fire ia to be made,
u. l.
brick chimney above.
The retort, which Is built directly over
| the furnace, is not unlike common old
! fashioned oven, nine feet In length
| and three feet In width. To those who
don't know what an old fashioned
| oven looks like, it may be stated tho
l retort is not unlike those used in gas
l works. Tho retort Is built of tire-briok,
has heavy iron door at each end, lined
with fire-briok and IL thus made as nearly
as possible air tight la the fire brick
| walls enclosing 1t, arc series Of ingen-
iously constructed hot air fines, which
| afford heat sufficient to raise the tempera.
| ture of the rotort to white heat, or about
ZOO degrees above zero, that bsiug the
temperature at which the most perfect
cremation takes place. The bnilding is
far more conveniently arranged, and the
| furnace and retorts are believed to be
/ more scientifically constructed than those
Of the lie Moyne orematory NJ Washing
ton. Pa.
The leading spirits in the construction
| of the crematory, and the building com.
| mittse, to whom WAS entrusted ts erection
are DR.. Miles L. Davis and Messrs. Geo.
X. Reed and w. B. Middleton. Philip
| Dinkleberg, carpenter and builder, had
the contract toI build it, and furnished all
the carpenter work. Dessley b Price did
the bricklaying, Kieffsr s. Humphreville
/ put on the roof and Adam Starck built
i the furnace and retort.
NODE OF CREMATION.
The appliances necessary for the erema.
ton of body are few and simple. Ia tho
l room, In which tho corpse Is received is a
strong, plain table, with heavy legs, on
, which are casters. On the top of the
| table is longitudinal frame on which is
set half dozen or more iron rollers.
On these rollers Is placed a coffin-shaped
/ crib made of boilor iron. The CRIB is only
few inches in height, but of sufficient
, length aud width to contain full size
, coffin. The sides and bottom open like q
CRATE. When the retOrt has attained the
, proper heat the body TO be cremated is
, / wrapped in a winding sheet, soaked
lin saturated solution OF alum.
Ito prevent flame. 1t is then
l placed upon the iron crib. The able ID
, run out of the reception room into the
2 / audience room and placed directly in front
/ | Of the retort. When all is ready the heavy
! iron door of the retort is thrown open,
! / and the attendants who stand at the head
| | Of the corpse with long poles, with hooks
' | on the ends OF them, push the crib con
/ tanning the corpse into the retort, the door
| / of which is instantly closed, aud the work
b | is done. There is small wicket in the
q door Of the retort through which the at
, teudants can watch the progress of the
/ cremation, il deemed necessary. The fire
q / is drawn from the furnace, but the doors
| Of the retort are kept closed for severa
\ hours. SO that 1t may cool off slowly.
4 / THB APPARATUS WORKS SATISFACTORILY.
II For several days and nights recently tho
3 management has been engaged in making
q tests of the efficiency of the furnace, rotor
4 l and other apparatus. That they have been
d satisfactory and the completeness of tn,
a | work Of decomposition are demonstrated
n by a specimen Of the remains of auima
|, / organic matter, left at this Office by DIR
4 Davis. 1t is of pure white, ohalky appear
a ance and presents most pleasing contrast
# with the results Of the slow and mOulder.
| ing processes Of the earthly grave.
ev There are Q large number of applica-
tions on nle for cremating corpses at an
early day the inoineration Of human
body will take place. to DO followed will
/ early dntos for other applicants.