Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-25
CRFMATING THE DEAD.
7,yoccss Of Burning Vividly
DE r;bed by am Eyewitness.

-.-occss OF Burning Vividl,
Th Described by an Eyewitness.
fo,Iowing graphic account of burn
inc iV' Head was written by an eve
b IN of the process, who had before
tlltSS9 sl # with repugnance, but who was
AIRED ufd bv Witnessing it into an earnest
y3ca s,,rnace fire is built and kept burn.
) - t+ t,rsnty or thirty hours before Gre
s. iol is to take place. immediately
suo1 The FIRE is placed in a horizontal
b2 .!,o cI y CYLINDER of clay, called the in
..vn three feet in diameter by seven
ps Ia"~ This fire clay incenerator, the
Il, W. u which are from one to two inches
= - r,sceiyes 10 itself the intense heat
} c si Are below, but does not admit the
W. The consequence is that the
\ 1 l rbon placed in the incinerator is
e5H;n = proper sense of the word.
4 ~. u # is reduced to ashes by the
l piaol application OF intense heat.
51 =, ora driven off or absorbed, and be-
'',,,,;od down into the fire from the in
.t., and led back and forth twenty
'i .,sr through its flames, are utterly
.nnaJ. Even the smoke Of the fire
.,n.1ned, and nothing can be seen
,;r , rom the chimney but the CULVER
S.s-ibpat. The process might be called.
y" have said, the capitalization of
gig. The Generalization or sublima-
4 n its material parts.
tT5rn the incinerator has been raised
4. rbite heat il is ready for the recep-
4 n the remains. As the cover is re-
4 n from Ifs mouth, the inrUshing air
4 N rom 4 white to a red heat, and
ErIo}e inner surface is filled with a
rinl rosy light which is facinating to
gay, Ii looks like the blush of dawn
the sky, or like the exquisite tints
h sometimes flicker along the aurora
E@r.. There is nothing repulsive
IND i. and nothing, as has been said, !
s,--est the idea OF fire except the in
Is heat.
ITbe body, being decently clad for |
and tenderly laid in the crib for |
purpose, is wholly covered with a |
s1whte sheet which has been dipped |
ISOLATION OF alum. The effect OF this
rdra.y 10 prevent smoke or fumes or
h. which would otherwise arise from
linz anything infammable into the
/. Of such a heat; but, under its pro-
lon. even the extraordinary heat of
nanerator does not produce upon the
the appearance of scorching or
/ lng or anything Of the sort. There
such impression as that OF burning /;
upon the eye. The sheet, saturated
alum, retains its original position
the crib, and conceals the entire
until nothing but the bones are left,
when the eye first rests upon the re-
b after they are left in the rosy light
b cylinder, it sees nothing but those
gently crumbling away into dust
It1e mystic touch of an invisible
t. whose only appearance to the eye
! a the ramor OF the northern lights
b sly; or, more exactly, the radia-
d heat rom the earth beneath the
! nzs sun. You have laid awhile
y ga within the rosy cylinder and
u ,l1-i away to think with gratitude
4AEgell. You have let your imag-
l iral lovingly upon the pleasing
lsl that whatever may be left +.
d Is tie calcined bones, most pure
has gone to mingle with the
4 and dwell with sunshine, birds
81 yrs. The darkness and the ]
4. The earth have been escaped,
BIZ the perils OF grave-snatching, I
ncics Of a possible dissecting {
b li the nameless horrors OF putre- 1
IA yor have pleasant memories to |
tza the last sad hour which, in s
u d 'jr-athless darkness and the t
T a9G5a' and the dreadful thud Of /
tgeT,h upon the coffin, presents to 1
saorely bed OF rosy light, and a |
I'D. .grm, clad in virgin purity, rest
1ll its soft embrace. If a lily had r
l.l upon q bed OF pinks Of roses in :,
fIlNer, and YOU had seen its frag- :
fnii,s beauty all exhale amid the :
tuaging beams OF radiated heat be- !
the touch OF some invisible and :
agency, You would have had a not .
En.ar experience. And this is neither =
I l TO the eve, nor distressing to the :
a-aes, Eor ungrateful to the mem :