The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-17
THE SANITARY PROBLEM
SOLVED BY A CREMAToRY IN A
ROCKFORD, ILL, SCHOOL.
A System Absolutely odorless That
Leaves Nothing but Inocuous Ashes
"A Memphis Mans Suggestion Car
rled Out to the Letter.

A gentleman interested in the success
full experiment described in what follows,
sent TIIEAPrEALacopy ofthe Rockford, ILL.,,
;Sdr, from which tits copied, as proof that
'the ultimate of sanitation by fire." pro-
posed by Mr.. ]. NJ. Heating, OF THE AP-
ZEAL, in paper by him read before the
American Public Health association at In
dianapolis, and in n second and more elab-
crate paper subsequently read at the meet
ing OF that association held in st. Louis, is
10 be the saving Of tho nations. This
crematory Of Rockford solves the problem
OF sanitation so far as public and private
buildings are concerned, as the crematories
now being worked so successfully in Mon
treal, Toronto, Pittsburg and Wheeling,
are solving it for general public purposes.
II will be remembered by the readers OF
THE APPEAL that at the meeting of the
American Public Health association held
in this city in October last, the delegates
from those cities acknowledged their obi
cations TO Mr.. Heating as the pioneer in
this great work, and il is pleasant TO know
tiuN utcft ptTcDub III hbthtOTu WIN uit
as prompt TO acknowledge the obligation of
the peneral public TO that gentleman for a
paper so irresistably and pointedly strong
MS TO force in few years the ultimate OF
sanitation by fire. Tho Rockford Star
fays
. A Star reporter visited the now school
building in the Fourth ward yesterday af-
ternoon and was q witness OF the trial OF
cleaning out given the improved sanitary
closets which were put in that structure.
The operation proved perfectly satisfactory
and all who understand the working OF
this system are delighted with its effective
ness. The cleansing element is FIRE. Tho
cxcrcmont is literally burned TO dry, odor-
less, harmless ashes. II leaves the closets
abulkless powder.
Thus is solved q problem that has long
attracted the attention Of sanitarians in the
large cities, and, would in time. have
forced itself upon the attention OF our own
public cducators-the question Of dsposing
OF this gas generating decomposng mate.
rial. The old plan of sowcring public
school-houscs is attended with danger,
owing to the youth and indscrction OF
those who use tue closets.
Sewers are very apt TO become clogged
up and in that case in such buildings,
with hundreds OF children in attendance,
the danger from sewer gas rs very great
AS fire IL, per necessity, becomingthe pop
ular agent for the disposal OF the dead in
denscly populated sections, 80 has IL been
brought into use in reducing 10 a harmless
powder the vast amount OF garbage and
rubbish, the disposal OF which has bothered
the scavengers oil our great cities in the
past. Il is believed that this element will
be used more and more for this purpose ms
the possibilities OF the idea are developed.
sin lew years, / believe, fire will burn
the bulk OF the immense amount OF sewer
age which SNOW poured into ourrivcSand
lakes, pollutiDg their waters andspreading
discRsc from the large cities where il is
bred 10 the remotest sections along the
banks OF these unnatural cess-pools sec
tons which would otherwise be ms healthy
as Utopia. believe our higher civiliza-
ton demands this cremation OF the foul
things Of the earth rither than the turning
OF IL into pure rivers aud lakes 10 rot and
tester upon their beds and poison all water
flowing above them"
TIE reporter was listening 10 Mr. Charles
G.. Short ~ he delivered himself OF the
above observations. Mr.. Short Is the
representative Of the Fuller & Warren
company. and IL was under his instruc-
tons and superintendent that the Rock
ford closets were erected These closets
are mado under patents issued In 1852 TO
DIR. w. s. Ross, Of sIadisonyille, Ky. Al
though patented 80 long ago II was only
recently that they were placed upon the
market. The undouhted excellence OF
DR.. Ross scheme has brought Il to the
attention OF the Fuller 4 Warren company,
the big Chicago stove aud furnace manu-
facturcn., aud 10y them his plans were
perfected and the closets placed upon the
market. I,ockiord WAS the fst city in
the Union 10 adopt the plan OF burning
the Objectionable material. We Nere the
frst city 10 use the sanitary closets in a
public building
The contract price Of the closets re-
auircd in the new school building was
$3.50. "And every cent Of that sum was
put into those two closets" said Mr..
Short. 1--WE built them mainly In Rock
ford. The castings aud iron work was all
done here, and, OF the $3.50 expended, not
cent more than 800 was spent outside
OF Rockford"
The closet proper consists Of long brick
apartment, twenty feet in length and three
and a half feet high ON the inside by two
feet wide. There is an iron bottom 10
This pit which Is perforated with many lit
tie holes. Upon this CRATE the rubbish
falls. At the lar end of the pi. ia a small
sized iirebox Of furnace and the other
end communicates with the ventilation
chimney. Tho apparatus is 80 arranged
that n constant current Of air circulatss
through the excrcment from the top down
ward. Thus Il becomes ~ dry as powder.
The small furnace is designed for Use in
wet weather. when the ordinary conditions
Of The atmosphere would not do the work
required. Mr.. Short Is confident that Gre
will not he required once n month. Al
this time, mind YOU the closets, arc wholly
and completely odorlcss. II Is remark
able how perfectly the vcn,ilating system
works
When q troublesome quantity ol this
matter has collected the janitor throws n
Bhoveliul Of ordinary Pine, kerosene-soakcd
sawdusi into the pit, sets fire 10 Il and the
fame sweeps through the whole length OF
the closet and burns MP the entire contents,
leaving only few hands full Of light
ashes In their stead.
now THEY AnE MADE.
In order TO allow the use Of fire In this
pit. It's construction Is necessarily confined
10 thc usp OF non-combusiiblc materials.
Brick forms the fnimc work and the rest
81 Il Is made of light boiler iron. This Is
covered with mineral wool and on top ol
this q coating Of asbestos Is used. The
seats are lined with bright tin 10 that tho