New-York tribune., 1886-01-31
TEE FIRST CREMATORIJM
AN INSTITUTION OF WHICH WASHINGTON
Is PROUD.

AN INSTITUTION OF WHICH WASHINGTON
Is PROUD.
rFIow An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TEinCNEl
WASHINGTON, Penn, Jan. 30.-Whlle crema-
ton rs OF disposng OF the bodies o! the dead
vet a novelty to most communities. and Is IN many
places looked upon whthe utmost dsavor 1t is hers an
established approved Institution. No one here iooA'
npon with more OF curiosity and few with more OF dis
favor than upon church burying-ground The 10
moyue cremaorum here was the pioneer establishment
Of kind IN this country and its carly success Is taY
continued up to the present date Washington. Penn,
or Little Washington" as tia called In PtttsOurg ani
thercabouts to distinguish from Washington. d. C'
borough OF some six thousand Inhabitants situated
thirty miles south OF Pttsburg Its college was IN Tor
ner years It. chief glory. ami James G Blaine Bchf
min H. Bristow aud other men Of note are alumni oin
But of late the crematorium has risen up as HFaL
This lies little to the southeast OF the town. about one
mile from the Court In external appearance tie
building resembles a small brick country school hoie'
and unacquainted with its real purpose ght ea'@
mistake Il for such an ednce. Within two rooms
one containing the furnace and the reor for the BODY
the other fitted up with chairs ald tables ~ rece
room for the friends OF the deceased.
The act OF crematng isyery simple. fire Is kind.e'
in the furnace about fortyeght hours before the body
to be subjected to the heat In the time the tepesae
of the reiort raised to very high degree ana is no
clay walls become white hot The corpse Is then % ns.
duCed and In twelve hours nothing j. le Oh va. ~.
The ues the retort constructed AZ 10 carry ns
fumes from the body down Into the furnace NO
where they are consumed. Outside AM slrrOunals5
the building unpleasant odors can De ueVe'e1' "N
the same is truein the rocepton'room &. ,.-s On
The crematOry built and completed II L. -
December Of that year tho remains OF Baron Ie v,s
tho first TO undergo cremation IN IL Inc u1J
a stormy aud Geld one, but nOtwlthstaudng gu 80
crowd OF reporters and citizens waited hOlEs lo' 60.
turn TO take a look at the disutegratng boiy o
that time many crematons have taken place nn,,
In number from year to year. Among the O90'o, o,icr
disposed OF Was that OF DR.. L. j. Lsm0yne Tue s,
OF the crematOry whe had II erected al Ms Own 0NE
and 70 whose heirs the property now belongs o,,eA
Dr. LemOync enthusiast ia Al Ae ,...,ton.
He figured prominently In the ant-slaNer! ushn.,t.
before the war; and he seemed TO believe lust as NV
ly In cremation Being In easy circumstances Az" ,v,,
Ing dropped his medical practice In later years oonI
his delgh b. get some attentive ear INTO Wuh one,
pour his arguments In favor OF burning thc de1 an.
or twice ough fecbls with age and disease NC nps
| sent his views cremation ana "hish
| debate. The two considerations on mnan.
he laid much stress were its healthruness anu o"Sh
ness The cemetery OF the borough is situated on On
hill lust without its limits to the southwest ho.o,S
tended that the water used by the people IL ,,h s
cretions gases from the deosyns bodies. Deyer
must be said that tho vital statistics or tho p"0o NV"
| indicated any such thing. ..,,lsiys 20
The idea OF burning the dead was al nIst n IA
the people here when 1T became known th1l ~ una
moYne wa. going to build crematory there wa wsy
| vigorous opposition. This, however. soon deu Fcr
and gave place largely 10 feeling OF udlleIen most
some years the crematOas that took place We,b ths
altogether OF bodies from other places bu. rrrne
general interest IN the subject that mas at
the past two three years there Is oP.'t,on
yanee I'm public sentiment here In favor OF cIein Iii
and IL is deemed unlikely that tho cremstOr t"ai
eventually supsrsede the borough ctmelety ~ .isad
favor a place for dispOsng or the ooAcs VI Wv