Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-27
SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW.


Inc many Dtdutilul HOhitD 0'"'
tered over our country are evidences
of a very high order of refinement,
and no peol le have made more gen
erous provisions for the comfort and
happiness of the living than the
American. While in advance of the
rest of the world in scientific re-
search aud everything pertaining 10
the interest Of the living, yet we are
very far behind other nations, and
especially the ancients, III our meth
DDS or manner Of dlsposing Of the
human body after death.
These facts have awakened much
interest Of late. Scientific societies,
"the plcss," as well as the public,
are al present actively considering
the means best adapted for the dis
posa of our mortal remains. We
insuuctively shrink with horror from
the thought Of having those sacred
remains placed III the grave IN com
mon wood or iron receptacles, which
so soon decay, there to be preyed
upon by loathsome objects which
infest il. Some advocate return
TO the ancient; practice OF cremation,
but lnis to the Christian world
seems revolving.
Many eminent prelatet, scientists
and others, at meeting lately held
ia the city of Buffalo, advocated the
entombing Of our dead in imperish-
able cement. The plan proposed by
these gentlemen has already been
adopted, and casket embodying
these principles is now being manu-
featured in this city.
The preserved bodies of the an.
clients, taken from the catacombs of
the buried cities, are now exhibited,
and are evidences of the care, skill
and reverence felt for their dead.
Money is freely lavished on costly
funerals, and profusely decorated
but flimsy wood or iron burial cases,
which ala covered with costly satlns,
velvets or plush, ornamented with
silver and gold trimmings. These
are borne by loving friends to the
cemetery. where they are placed II
marble vaults or lowered in the
ground beneath costly monuments
All. in fact, is done which love and
sohcitude could suggest. These
things, when regarded from a Chris
tian or sanitary standpoint, have ere
oted n demand for the substitution
of something better than the com
mon wood or iron burial cases, some
thing which is not susceptible to de
cav from either the acids of decom
position or the alkali of the earth
something, in fact, which will pre-
serve the remains of our loved ones
from those influences, and admit o.
their disinterment without shocking
the sensibiities of the living.
These thouget have awakened thu
inventive genius of our people, anC
prompted the production of buria
caskets made of metal and othe
substances; but they are found Il
be very defective, in that they Sc
soon corrode and decay, and retaiI
the fluids which constitute 60 to Y
per cent. of the human body per
hitting their escape to pollute tn
atmosphere, or to hold them unit
they eat their way through the ma
terial, leaving holes for the admis
sion 20 those loathsome object
which infest the grave.
A material known as indestruct
bic artificial marble, made from IN
ported cement, which is but the dus
of stone or clay, from which al
vegetable or mineral matter ha
been eliminated, embodying princ
pies advocated 10y the society for tn
advancement Of science, is now be
inc manufactured into baskets.
The mode of manufacture is q
follows: 4 galvanized woycn,wir
frame is formed over a core, and TIA
composition cement is then run int
the mold, leaving the wire in tn
center of the walls, which gives tn
strength and symmetry, without tn
uuwieldiness of the ancient Egyp
ian receptacle.
A groove is cast in the upper edg
or body of the casket, for the sea
inc of the top 10 it with cement, o
ne introduction Of a rubber tube
making it absolutely joiutess, all
tight and iudestrucuble, ana arres
ing the decomposition of the bod
and the escape Of noNious gase'
making possible their storage, disir
torment or transhipmeut to any pan
OF the world.
material being porous, absorb
re fluids Of the body leaving 1t Or
and intact, while the exterior can b
made impervious to moisture fror
the ground by the application of
Waterproof wash They are strong
light, beautiful iu design, and COZ
satute. within themselves, miuiatur
vaults, and are finished in broaC