Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-09-19
VOL. ii. NO. 32.
pEDUCED TO WHITE DUST.
A Graphic Description OF the Process Of
Cremation.

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The body OF Orson ;. Murray
was taken from this city to the Gre
matorium at Lancaster, Pa, by the |
son and immediate friends OF the de-
ceased. 4 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 its arrival. IL
was Immediately conveyed to the Gre
matorium, where large number OF
people of all ages and sexes had con-
prepated to witness the operation.
After a 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 a
semi-circle in front OF the furnace, with
the son OF the deceased in the center.
The view presented was novel ana
striking. The small building, resem-
bling in many respects 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 thespectatorsw were four 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 heavy dark cloth, and
was wheeled into position in front OF
the retort. The cloth was removed
and the corpse, enveloped in a large
white muslin sheet, soaked in alum wa
ter, lay there but for moment. The
door ofthe retort swung open and the
rosy light OF 200 degrees OF heat filled
the auditorium. No fire or flame was
visible. Simply the incandescept light
thrown by the heat from the brick til
inp 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
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 coffin-lid sent a
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 hall 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 small knob
in the wall, and the incineration was
to be seen. The cradle was plainly
visible, and there lay the body cnvel-
oped as before, in its white sheet, to
allappearances unscathed. One might
have supposed it was the habitatiOn
of ahuman soul, so pure and heavenly
was the appearance. The ghost OF the
gases seemed to have been dispellcd,
asno odor OF any kind could be detect
ed. That 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
l. 4, L.. of ~ tar
seemed beautiful thus to pass away
from materiality into vapor.
The process was nearly ended, but
not entirely. The opening was closed
and the little party returned to town
to return after dark. Leaving, Il view
Of the building was again had, and on
could hardly suppose that so impor
tant an act had taken place in so mod
est n structure. No smoke stack ol
anything indicating its use was visible
The simple word crematorium, hewi
in a marble slab and placed above th'
iron door, told the story.
At 8 o'clock that night the party re
turned to the crematorium, and a com
plete inspection of the building wa
made. Another view was had OF tn
interior of the retort, and now all wa
passive light. No gaseous flames wer
visible. The light of the full mool
could not have been milder or NOR
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 beneat
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 largeiro
door could be opened, which could nc
be done until morning. At Ia. m. TIL
was done, and small heap of whit
ashes was visible. These were car
fully removed by means of wire brus
rom the bottom OF the retort an
placed in a small 6x6-inch metal cas-
They were found to weigh four pound
and one ounce. Small fragments we
found among the ashes, which weret
remnants of the larger bones of ii
body, but no organic matter was ther
The work was complete. BY exposil
the ashes to the air for q few hou
the whole assumed the appearance
white dust.