Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-20
lkCINE RATION,


This Process Of Cremation A. Observed in
the Lancaster CrvmaturN.
The body wa> conveyed ro the retort
bN meaIrS Of 4 Cayt-iron cradle like
coffin in shape Perhaps better idea
Of it MAY BE- obtained 10y calling 1t a
cage @GaS-irpp Rarr. which are about
~ inches apart Wruu@ht-iron was
the material first used. but rhr intensity
at The heat So warped The frame. or
cagr. that il was fouaI lmuu>-abt, to
preserve IT. form Before placing the
body in thi> cradle. a sheet. saturated
with solution Of alum. l. placed on
the bottom of the receptacle. and the
ends Of the shdci extending oecr the
sdr> ht AS a. be folded over and i.ronna
the body. In an atjolujnG room,
known aS the undcr-akrT'- room. the
coffin in which the body is brought TO
the "crematorium" Ca the house j.
led in LanCa>ter.) Is opened, and all
euDrrtlUous clothing l. removed from
the corpse. II j. particularly necessary
t. remove buttons aud other metallic
substances from the clothing. to avoid
the assimilation If foreign substances
W th The ashes II The .-odT- iE1ng
been properly prepared for delivery to
thn rctort, the body was ilan conducted
t. and placed ia the care. whlcn rested
uuon wheeled truck tn. loose ends
oi th.- sium->pakaG sheet were then
folded over the body. and tie truck was
pushed - tn. -jEcu. ~ .Iv H'tHr.. ~ Az
urnOrhiniit was offered for whatever
funeral service might have bcrn de-
>.rrd. bJHuOuG had U,eH resaes .ed-sT
desired. N i none wcrc held. ..are
The rstorf had been heated 70 "a teia-
pcraturs q tinatsd to he about 2,5f
degrees - {it is not clear what the
former experiments were on which
th- cSti1fate is baSei.D One man
opened he large iron door of the retort
and twot,otbers pushed the iron cage.
coutain NJ de bedy into ierce white
heat Of tue retort This transfer If the
cage and. Body from the truck TO the
Hat iire-caay sarfsce of the retort ecen-
pied only thirty seconds. The body
was IN the retort-an arched receptacle
that was nine feet long, three feet wide
and thirty inches high. Against the
outepspnsrce of this tire-hrick StrGtuIps
knowni - dc reioTt. lieree lutle jets 81
flame were pressing. unseen. forced by
means of blower. which also applied
it, blast to the furnace. and distributed
the heat as equally as possible to all
parts of the rctort, and maintained the
intensity Of the tempcsature a. long as
was desired. TDe sctiSn of the heat
upon the bsiy. Is seen thasugh a little
slide in tn door, was, fifst, toforce
out all the moisture in h-fse<y-Sils or
aqueous pay4icles-and to ocanvertthese.
~ well 4 t&e moisture Of the alum
water into dense cloud o.
vapor, wkt6h filed the reinrt and fof
awhile hid.rfhc body from view The
alum->oakeSfbee; saved the body. .ftom
instant inilH by the hes g. in he art OF
dccompo>lDE it in the.Tei ort, -ni lsft it
to the regulated actiun9 nf-tfe intrn>e
hest after II had b.rlfr property placed.
A. the yapor-rloud d.,~jpat,d- the out
lines Z The bptt sr.iId b. >aen. imper-
frctlv defined under the glowing sheet
which. IN the absence ot outside air,
and in the a.br,r,~-l,a. rllrct Of the
alum. >til preserved IL neral form.
even while it aui the hoty which
it 49, .cCvsrrj !Elh -rawI ALI
into -tts incanfrsccnt mas m
t.u~cly brilliant. like the Interior
Of 4 biz m'.rng-not in L glass
maker factory. The tim. which had
elapsed IN eItJcting hi brilliant trans
formal on. and duTiIE whlch the body
had rgmanned hidden in the cloud. was
perhaps twenty. on thirty minutes.
What was revealed. wn~n the yapor
cleared. wa scene If inrand. .-r~nur.
an iutrnsek lsilliant Ii-ht that could
onjy be- compared - the are Of an
electric light Once or twice there wa
a quick iash Of Uvcr an in'GnSrr iigit
in thsmid-t Of that ~aa zach iaer-.
the got ia ae E~t> : Ut a a>romd, Of
some last escaping "aS.
And there the body lay. l""prr
hear: Of ire. ia thr N list of al thar
tlamrlr-> bui dazzling neat. than any
that onr ever secs in the red central
core Of heat in the ..art Of a nearly.
consigned oak log IN -TraI h,3rth-iiryE
It. yaEud; 7tingi ou,.n roud be-
seen. but what was TIE ha.IN and what
WAS The sheet cDu,i l.~A.l be- told.
where all was on. integral body Of
tlamclr~> fire.
One Dgur sulHr-L..u AL nIu3ay..ltv,
tp reduce the b06r tr a~nn, II Is al
error = sQDpo-e. that thee .aerar. :,ii
litr~sNy line a-nr~. ~om~ Of remains.
a. hir hone. .trCoAuWlc. rrmam, in
a>h-Ir<6 c6nGiJ on. but not djSinta-
grated. in -izr> unrlHn~ t.an three t.
four i,frhl,s and 70 othurou-hiy iUNeriz.
tine whole Il lorynl continuance "a the
rrt"rr at -Rs h-cnc-: heat would bs