Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-03
From the Baltimore American.

From the Baltimore American
LANCASTER, Pa, December 1-While the
| shadows were falling tonight. all that was NOR
tai OF Laura c. Clancy, the young actress who
died in Baltimore November TO- was committed
to the flames. an d in less than two hours there
remained in the whte-heated retert of the Lam
caster Crematorium only few pounds of white
ashes 1t was the young lady's dying request
that her remains should be thus treated. and. in
compliance with that WISH her friend. Mrs. Her.
man Leimbach brought her body to this CITY
to-day. Laura Clancy was but twenty-one years
Of age. She was pretty, with light. SYMMETRY
cal form, and during her short career on the
stage she proved she was an actress of no mean
merit She was warm friend of Mary Ander-
son. and before her death the leading lady for
Frank Mayo Her sister Venie. who also died
III Baltimore in 1882. was noted for her prettv
face and form. Laura aspired to higher roles
than Fenie, and had she lived would have made a
name for herself; but consumption Claimed
both sisters and they died within three wears of
each other. one in California and the other in
baltimore. Both were buried from Mrs. Leim-
bach's home, on South Broadway, Venie's body
being placed in tile Baltimore cemetery forever
and Lauras only temporarily until it was
cremated to-day. The sisters were spiritualists
although buried by the Episcopal church. Laura
who was firm believer in this faith had studied
the subject of cremation. and before her death
gave minute instructions as how her wish was
to be carried out. The dav she died she said:
Mother will be here tonight to escort nv
spirit to the spirit land. Take my ashes place
half In Fenies grave. and the other half with
mother in the graveyard at Burlington. YER
mont" Her wish would hove been COMPLIED
with sooner, but Mrs. Leimbach preferred to
consult with Miss Clancy's father, who is still
alive, and some of her relatives. and having
gained their consent, arrangements were made
for the cremation to-day
1t was a little party that left Baltimore early
this morning with Laura's body-only Mr. and
Mrs. Herman Leimhach, and j. n. Gardner, of
Baltimore Mr.. Gardner. who is well-known as
a merchant in Baltimore, is q convert to crema-
ton, and spiritualist. He is friend of MI
Leimbach, but never met Miss Clancy until
few days ago. While attending seance
THE SPIRIT OF MISS CLANCY
appeared. He saw her, but she did not speak.
He described her perfectly to Mr. Lelmbach,
and then decided to attend the cremation of her
body. The body and friends arrived in Lancas-
ter at one o'clock. Undertaken Heinitsh was
waiting with hearse. Having received the
casket. it was driven at once to the cremato-
rum, in the suburbs of the city, the friends fol-
lowing. 1t was intended to have the cremation
at 2:oO O'Clock, but owing to an accident the
retort was not heated to the 1900 degrees ne
cessary, and so the casket was placed in the re-
cept!on room to await time for preparation
Time crept On, and still the requisite
heat was not attained. The crema-
tiOn was to be strictly private. The
| friends. the members of the association
and the press were admitted, but during the
afternoon quite number Of persons visited the
| crematorium. among them number of clergy
men who were in Lancaster attending the fune-
raj OF Thomas E. Franklin which took place at
Two clock. Among them were Rev. NJ Powell,
OF York L. E. church; Rev. J. E. Pratt of the
Free Episcopal church. Lancaster; Rev. /. Fran
els Clay-Moran, of Columbia; Rev. DR.. CYRUS
w. knight, of st. James, Lancaster: also Prof
Schaefer. OF the Moravian Theological seminary
Bethlehem; DR.. Henry Carpenter and Others
Several ladies also attended. among them Mrs
a. L.. HeunerShountZ and daughter of Phila-
delphia, and several ladies of this place These
remained all the afternoon. aud attended the
cremation. The delay IN the afternoon was
caused by one or two gentlemen of the associa-
ton thinking they knew more about running
the fire in the retort than the fireman himself
but he remarked that unless he was let alone
THERE WOULD BE NO CREMATION.
He was then given full swing, and in a short
time the retort was ready. 1t was six o'clock
nearly four hours late--when the requisite heat
was attained. The retort was then at white
heat. and the friends took seats in circle OBJ
pos!te the door to the retort. Meanwhile Dr.
NJ. L. Davis prepared the body for cremation 1t
had been placed in the vault at the Baltimore
cemetery. November II, by Denny & Mitchell. of
Baltimore, who embalmed IT, 1t was fOund in
excellent condition The prettyform of the fair
actress was wasted by disease, but the face was
! quite natural. After lifting it from the rose
wood casket the attendants wrapped it in q
heavy white cloth. washed in alum water. Be-
| ginning with the head they wound the wet
cloth lightly around the fra body, and. sewing
it tight. then placed it in the cofhn-shaped iron
crib. the cage-llke receptacle in which the body
Is placed in the retort. This was placed on q
| table with six legs on castors, the table being
| One-quarter inch higher than the door of the re-
tort, and as the crib lays on rollers it is easily
| pushed into the whitehead retort. The four
lamps cast a faint light on the party in the aud
| fence room as the door of the reception opened,
and the table and crib were wheeled into the
! room with creaking sound. Resting in the
| CRIB was the slender form OF the once popular
actress. looking like the body of a person for
| burial at sea. Messrs. j. d. Pyott, H. CLAW Bru-
| baker and W. A, Heinitsh wheeled the table.
while DR.. Davis went to the door Of the retort.
| There was no service. the funeral having taken
| place In Baltimore All was still save the sound
| of iron beating against iron as the men tried to
undo the great door OF the retort. Between the
clink OF the iron the noise of falling drop of
| water on the cemented floor nom the
| Cloth around the body only was heard The In
| tense light from the whitehead chamber of the
retort almost blinded those sitting in front OF it.
and instinctiVely they turned away The gen.
| tlemen at the table, however. were quick In
| oil lHsidnt, Will IIielE lOnD-lanUIeu f0uS, tNey
rolled the crib and body of the table and into
| the oven.
| THE BODY LOOKED LIKE SNOW
against the white rose colored sides of the
| heated chamber. There was no change, save
the sides Of the chamber grew deeper red.
There was no flame, no disturbance of the body
by the heat. In second the door was closed,
and the faint light of the lamps in the room
| took the place of the glare Of the retOrt. The
| friends of the dead actress retired to private
| room, and the heat began its work. For about
| fifty minutes no change was noticed. The form
was still intact, and by looking into the cham
| Der by means of small holes in front and back,
| the outlines of the body could be seen, and then
it suddenly collapsed, and in less than two
| hours the body was reduced to ashes.
By tomorrow at nine o'clock the retort will
! be sufficiently cooled to take them out AS yet
| the association have been unable to secure urns
for the ashes of the bodies cremated here and so
Miss Clancys ashes will be placed in two neat
| tin receptacles, labelled:
'The ashes of Laura G. Clancy. Died No.
vemher 10. 1884. Aged twenty-one years."
| One will be placed In the grave of her sister
| at Baltimore. and the other with her mother in
| Vermont. When urns are made the ashes will
| be transferred to them. Mr. and Mrs Lembach
wait until tomorrow to take the ashes with
them. This is the second body cremated here.
s'Eilegal People.''
| Stepniak. in the Cornhill Magazine.
| When nihilist, after rather long absence,
| suddenly reaches some city without previously
| comforting with those who have been there re-
L. 81,