The Osceola times., 1886-01-02
A NEW CREMATORY TEMPLE.
The Corner-ssone Laid and the Build.
ing 20 be Ready I'm February.


Thirty men and two women climbed
the muddy slopes of Mount O.ivet, l.. / !,
The other day, to lay the corner stone OF
the new crematory temple. The struct-
ure was already finished to the ground
level. On the occasion Professor Felix
Adler, one Of the directors in the new
company spoke of the sanitary benefits Of
'ncineralion. Every time he went TO
the cemetery, he SAID, lie was more and
more impressed with the loathsome
unhealthiness and decay consequent
upon earth burial 1t was productive Of
disease and pestileuce. Professor Alder
thought that poetic imagery had much
to do with the tenaciiy with which men
clung to the custom of putting their dead
int the ground Poets and singers re-
ferred 20 the grave as an abode oi rest, a
bed OF final repose, a place of nhelter,
thus throwing false glainor err The
hideous reality. Nowadays, he SAID, an
aesthetic sense revolt q against earth
burial. Oar bodies are the garments of
intelligence, the hcmes OF tie spirit, and
should not lie permitted TO gradually
putrefy.
Speaking Of tie expressed fear that
people might be cremalcd VIII n life was
in the body he advised that an aut, rsy
be held before cinera,on to satisfy
doubling lawyers and physicians. For
his part he had rather die under the
knife than IA aakon under ground. TAX
ing moral view ofcremation. he thought
it would be vel TO have the ashes of
departed ones before us in churches.
either in inches along the walls. or in
receptacle behind the altar, TO remind
us OF the t,usts we have inherited from
past gencr .tions." Cremation would do
away with all the gloomy blackness OF
the pail which now surrounds death.
With good luck the comnanv ex pects
to cremate its first body next February
in the largest retort in America. 1. is
improved in many respects over the lie
Moyne furnace in Pennsylvania. Twenty
dead bodies are now awaiting its com
pletion to be reduced to ashes. The
cost of cremation in each case will be
from $40 to S25. The est of the build
ing will be about 81 900. The land cost
$500.
The edifice is de,igned as a mo lifted
Grecian temple of brick and marble,
forty 10y seventy two feet. The base
ment will contain. in the n, ar, the fur
mace, which will be constructed chiefly
of fir brick. and will Ice adapted to coke
with q regenorator. The incincratiny
chamber will consist of retorts, whfcl
will exc ude all fuel and fame from cun-
tact with the body and from which, the
volatile products OF the incineration will
lie carried into the furnace for rccombus.
lion. incIneIaiion viii taae place at a
temperature of about $500 depiees
Fahrenheii. IL will require about fuitv
minutes per 10 pounds OF the subject,
and VII leave about per cent. IN
weight of Il pure pearly ash. No smoke
will be visible and no odor percept BILE
during ;pcineTation. The basement will
also c)Diain refrigidafium, where
bodies may he tcpl when desired await
ing the arrival OF friends from distance
aso calldarium for cases of possibly
sus, ended animation. the high tempera-
ture of which will induce speedy cvi-
dcnccn of bic or death, as the case may
be. There will be. also, in the bas scment
an elicularluui, or urn room, and an
ae!ier. This last viii be used also for
making auioples, which will be requir
ed in all c;lses wherein il is not clear
that death is not tine result of natural
cause.
The body ofthe building, OF the ground
floor, will be fitte up as chapel, where
any service desired may be held. In
tie central aisle of this chapel, directly
in front of the lectern, will bo per
manent cataialque. within which the
body will be placed, and hidden from
view by apall falling from fra above
Thence the body will Gescend by an
elevator 10 the Incineraling room aud
the service and i.creration viii proceed
simultaneously. The office and RECEIPT
ion rooms will be on the main floor, in
front of The auditorulA anu on either
side OF the veSlibule.