Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-09-12
prnUCED TO WHITE DUST.
:. Graphic Description of the Process OF
Cremation.
r...,nnsti Commercial Gazette.

Hncinnati COmmerclu OdLeIUo'
The body of Orson ). Murray
vas taken from this city to the ere
notorium at Lancaster, Pa, by the
son and immediate friends OF the de-
ceased. A gentleman who was OF the
Marty 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 its arrival. 1t
wa, Immediately conveyed to the Gre !
matorium, where a large number OF
people of all ages and sexes had con-
cregated to witness the operation.
After a short pause and conversation
IN the reception room, the gentlemen
,.are led into the auditorium, which
vas filed with visitors from the town.
The officers Of both societies formed a
semi-circle in front OF the furnace, with
the son of the deceased III the center.
The view presented was novel and
striking. The small building, resent
bling in many respects a country meet
inc house, built OF pressed brick, was
too little for the purpose, and the
heat from the furnace was intense. In
front of thespectators werefo four doors,
opening into the reception, the prepar-
inc 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 preparingroom door
was the signal to begin. The prepar-
inc table moved noiselessly into the
auditorium bearing it's sacred burden,
covered with heavy dark cloth, and
was wheeled into position In front OF
the retort. The cloth was removed
and the. corpse, enveloped in large
white muslin sheet, soaked in alum wa
Ter. Law there but for a moment. The
door ofthe retort swung open and the
ROSY light of 2,200 degrees ofheat filled
the auditorium. No fire or flame was
visible. Simply the incandescent light
thrown by the heat from the brick tll-
ING composing the retort was to be
seen, and it like unto the picture OF
the setting sun on a summer evening.
The iron cradle upon which lay the
body was rolled from the top OF the
tablenoiselessly through the mouth OF
the retort and it disappeared in the
light within. The door swung to and
ali was over. No noise, no fire, no
color, nothing of an unpleasant nature
marred the operation. No dull sound
of the clod upon the cotfin-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.
Adelay of half an hour was necessary
before the gases being consumed with
in the retort had sufficiently dispelled
themselves to admit of it. Then a
small opening, two inches in diameter
was made by pressing a 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 its white sheet, to
anappearances unscathed. One might
have supposed it was the habitation
ofahuman 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 its natural elements so
quickly and easily seemed strange when
one thought of the horrible processes
goingon daily in the burying grounds.
Death had lost most OF its terror. 1t
seemed beautiful thus to pass away
from materiality into vapor.
The process was nearly ended, but
not entirely. The openingwas closed,
and the little party returned to town,
to return after dark. Leaving, view
OF the building was again had, and one
could hardly suppose that so impor'
tant an act had takenplacein so mod
est structure. No smoke stack oI
anything indicating it's use was visible
The simple word crematorium, hewr
in marble slab and placed above the
iron door, told the story.
At o'clock that night the party re
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 all wa:
passive light. No gaseous flames wer'
visible. The light of the full moor
could not have been milder or mor'
beautiful. The cradle with its appar
ent burden was completely visible
and the body seemed to res
there unharmed by the heat o.
the fire that had ragged beneath
the retort nearly "a hours. Asligh
breeze would have destroyed this film.
!. shell Of alum and muslin tissue. Blu
none could reach it until the large irol
door could be opened, which could no
be done until morning. At Ia. m. thi
was done, and a small heap of whit
ashes was visible. These were care
fully removed by means of a wire erus
from the bottom of the retort an
placed in a small 6x6-inch metal case
They were found to weigh four pound
and one ounce. Small fragments wer
tound among the ashes, which wereth
remnants of the larger bones OF tn
body, but no organic matter was there
The work was complete. By exposin
the ashes to the-e for few hour
the whole assumed the appearance {
white dust.
There caapoo e. ha a rxraat riya "