Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-10
IN A CREMATORY.
rhe Destruction Of the Human Body by
Incineratiou.


Incinerations
The following description OF the Gro
NATION of body at the Fresh Pond Gre
natory. Long Island. will be of interest TO
hose who are unacquainted with that
mode of disposing Of mortal remains, as
well as To the many who are becoming con-
verts to cremation ideas.
The crematory is "A brick building, one
story in height, and is divided into two
rooms The iron doors of the retort opens
into the reception-room, where seats are
arranged for the convenience of spectators.
In a niche in the wall Of this room stands
4 glass utn which contains the ashes of a
sheep incinerated as an experiment in the
retort The other room Is occupied
mainly by the great furnace, which glowed
with fervent heat on this occasion. A
glimpse could be had of the interior Of the
retort through glass bull's-eyes set in the
ron.door. The interior of the retort
glOwed with beautiful rose color. Be
side the furnace. suspended from the cell
ing. was shallow ribbed Norway iron
crib which resembled the lower portion
Of coffin cut in twos through its side
diameter Immediately beneath this crib,
rs il hung suspended in the air, was table
with casters under its four legs. Into the
top of this table were set rollers which re-
volved at touch.
The body was brought into the crema-
tory incosed in coffin case After the COM
pany had gazed upon the face of the dead
the attendant lowered the crib to the floor
beside the coffin. Two strips of muslin
sesembinga bed sheet cut in two length
wise were saturated in barrel containing
alum water and spread over the crib. Then
the body was lifted from the coffin and
placed in the crib and wrapped in its
winding sheet of muslin. The crib was
hoisted up and placed upon the movable
table 1t was then taken To the front of
the furnace, distance of . about twenty
feet Two stout attendants wheeled the
table into position before the door of the
rctort, which was opened by means of
two heavy weights arranged much in the
same way ms those by which man is
hanged. There was good deal of I'M
,crewing of iron nuts, and then the door
! opened glowing as if with Unsuitable de.
| sire.
There was nothing repulsive about the
exhibition, however In fact, the feeling
! produced on those present seemed one Of
awe at the transcendant beauty and awful
grandeur of the :, 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
! No billowy flames no cracking sound,
out the ardent heat of the fire itself, soft
and roseate TO the eye. yet terrible in its
| levouring earnestness. The door was left
open just long enough to permit two men
to seize long iron rods with wooden han
lies and to enable them to thrust the crib
with its sheeted burden into the seven
times heated chamber Then tie door was
lowered and closed with clang, and there
vas more screwing of nuts and tightening
of bolts.
The process of destruction was begun.
The two glass bulls-eycs, which had here
ofore glared with tigcrish terccneSs. now
began to grow dim and pale, clouded as
they were by the gasscs arising from the
lccomposing body, and these eyes would
remain clouded by the vapor of death until
The incarceration was complete, when they
would begin TO burn ardently again rs
though looking for another feast
The attendant said that about two hours
would be required TO reduce the body &c
,shcs. There remain only a few handfuls
# pure pearly ashes, equivalent in weight
10 about 4 per cent Of the original. These
ire dropped into the chamber below and
IRE drawn thence into an urn of terrs
Gotta, marble, alabaster, or other suitable
material.