The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-18
REDUCED TO WHITE DUST.

REDUCED TO WHITE DUST.
Graphic Description of the Process OIL
| Cremation.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The body of Orson S. Murray,
was taken from this city to the Gre
matorium at Lancaster, Pa, by the
son and immediate friends of the de-
ceased. A gentleman who was of the
party furnishes the following graphic
account of the process of cremation:
| Mr.. Platt, one of the officers of the
Lancaster Cremation society took
charge of the body on it's arrival. It
was Immediately conveyed to the Gre
matorium, where a large number of
people of all ages and sexes had con-
gregated to witness the operation.
After short pause and conversation
in the reception room, the gentlemen
were led into the auditorium, which
was filled with visitors from the town.
The officers of both societies formed
semi-circle in front of thefurnace, with
| the son of the deceased in the center
| The view presented was novel and
| striking. The small building, resem-
bling in many respects a country meet
| ing house, built of pressed brick, was
| too little for the purpose, and the
heat from the furnace was intense In
front of thespecta werefour doors,
opening into the reception, the prepar-
| ing and the two retort rooms. Only
one retort was in position, however,
and the heavy iron door protecting
the opening to it was about to be re-
moved. A deathly silence prevailed.
A knock at the preparing room door
was the signal to begin. The prepar-
ing table moved noiselessly into the
auditorium bearing its sacred burden,
covered with a heavy dark cloth, and
was wheeled into position m front of
the retort. The cloth was removed
and the corpse, enveloped In q large
white muslin sheet, soaked in alum wa
ter, lay there but for a moment. The.
door ofthe retort swung open and the
rosy light of 2 200 degrees of heat filed
the auditorium. No fire or flame was
visible. Simply the incandescent light
thrown by the heat from the brick TIL
ing composing the retort was to be
seen, and it like unto the picture of
the setting sun on q summer evening.
The iron cradle upon which lay the
body was rolled from the top OF the
table hoiselessly through the mouth of
the retort and it disappeared in the
light within. The door swung to and
all was over. No noise, no fire, no
color, nothing of an unpleasant nature
marred the operation. No dull sound
of the clod upon the cofin-lid sent
shudder through the nerves of the be-
holder.
The auditorium was gradually va
Gated, and no one remained but the
son of the deceased and the officers of
the two societies before mentioned. A
view of the process going ON behind
that large iron door was to be taken.
delay of half an hour was necessary
before the gases being consumed with
in the retort had sufficiently dispelled
themselves to admit of it. Then
small opening, two inches in diameter
was made by pressing small knob
in the wall, and the incineration was,
to be seen. The cradle was plainly
visible, and there lay the body envel-
oped as before, in it's white sheet, to,
all appearances unscathed. Onemight
have supposed it was the habitation
of a human soul, so pure and heavenly
was the appearance. The ghost OF the
gases seemed to have been dispelled,
asno odor of any kind could be detect
ed. That a dead body could be re-
solved into it's natural elements So
quickly and easily seemed strangewhen
one thought of the horrible processes
going on daily in the burying grounds.
Death had lost most of it's terror. 1t
seemed beautiful thus to pass away
from materiality into vapor- LIS. 3.
The process was nearly ended, but
not entirely. The opening was closed,
and the little party returned to town,
to return after dark. Leaving,a a view
of the building was again had, and one
could hardly suppose that so impor-,
tant an act had taken place inso mod
est structure No smoke stack or
anything indicating It's use was visible.
The simple word crematorium, hewn
in a marble slab and placed above the
iron door, told the story.
At 9 o'clock that night the partyre-
turned to the ecrematorium, and COM
plete inspection of the building was
made. Another view was had of the
interior of the retort, and now allw
passive light No gaseous flames were
visible. The light of the full moon
could not have been milder or more
beautiful. The cradle with its appar-
ent burden was completely visible,
and the body seemed to rest
there unharmed by the heat Or
the fire that had ragged beneath
the retort nearly "a hours. Aslight
breeze would have destroyed this filmy
shell of alum and muslin tissue. But
none could reach it until the large iron
door could be opened, which could not
be done until morning. At z a. m. this
was done, and small heap of white
ashes was visible. These were care
fully removed by means of a wire brush
from the bottom of the retort and
placed in small 6x6-fnch metal case.
They were found to weigh four pounds
and one ounce. Small fragments were
found among the ashes, whichwerethe
remnants of the larger bones of the