Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-12-26
SANITARY BURIAL.
An Interesting Chat With Well-Posted
Gentleman.

An Interesting Chat With Well-Posted
Gentleman.
THE subject of the various means EN-
ployed in ancient and modern times to
dispose of the dead is very interesting
one,' said a well-known gentleman to
REGISTER reporter yesterday, as the two
sat smoking after the remains of an appe-
tizing Christmas dinner had been removed
from the table ''Of the eight principal
methods of burial, five are ancient and
four are modern. Illumination, embalming,
burning and storing, as in catacombs,
vaults, etc, are, of course, as old as the
world itself. Within a few years have
been added cremation, cementation, cleo
tro-plating, and what may be termed
'coking.' The four modern methods are
an outcome of the effort TO obtain the ad-
vantages of the ancient methods while
obviating their disadvantages. Thus ere
nation is, of course, the ancient funeral
pyre in modern guise, but without It's pub
licity, length of time and other unpleasant
concomitants. Cooking is similar, but
differs in this: the body is not burned,
but exposed to such an immense tiameless
heat rs to reduce it to hard brit
tie substance much resembling coke. This
is akin in its results to embalming but
without its great expense. Concentration
and electro-plating are modern improve
ments on the ancient catacombs, rock
tombs, etc. Such disposal OF the dea OF
course involved certain natural conditions
seldom found near great cities. These
substitutes reach better results, independ-
ent of locality and at an expense which
may be made merely nominal. Cementa-
tion is merely hermetical sealing of the
coffin all around by thick coat of the
finest cement. The coffin may be of any
material, the best, of course, being metal.
In this way the escape Of gases is reduced
to minimum and all the advantages Of
a sarcophagus are obtained without ex-
pense. Electro-plating is essentially the
application OF perfectly even
metallic coating to the entire body
by the same process which produces an
electrotype plate. The effect attained is
beautiful. The repulsive corpse is trans
formed into glistening statue OF bronze.
gold or other metal; form, features and
expression even, being perfectly preserved.
Theoretically sealed by this metallic shell,
putrefaction is impossible, and the body
mummties. The process in brief is this
The body is washed with alcohol and
sprinkled over with fine graphite powder
to insure the ready cOnduction of electric
ity. 1t is then placed in a bath of metal
lie solution containing piece of the metal
to be used. To this is attached the posi-
tive pole of strong battery, the negative
once fine film of metal begins to
cover the body perfectly and evenly.
This may he continued until
the coating attains any desired thickness.
This is not mere theory, but fact. More
than eleven hundred cOrpses have been
treated by this method, and samples of its
results were on exhibition ut the Paris Ex-
position of 1881 and 1886. Up to date,
electro-plating seems to be The method. 1t
is sanitary, cheap, highly aesthetic, and
avoids one great objection which can be
NdllulS ulSeu against CREMATION, tHdt IL
gives opportunity for the defeat of justice
by destroying the evidence Of crime. The
expense is slight, and in operations on a
large scale could be much further reduced
This would of course depend largely on
the metal used. A millionaire could al
ford to leave himself in golden Std'u qHO
for the admiration Of his quarreling
family: silver would doubtless come with
in the means of plumbers and real estate
men; brass would be quite the thing Tor
politicians, insurance men, and such,
while tin would be good enough for you
editors and other poor honest folk"