Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02

Shortly after o'clock on the afternoon
April 13, 1889, Mr.. Lethbridge, graz
elderly gentleman, entered irst-elass ca
riage at Woking station on the London ar
Southwestern Railroad, carrying in b
hand beautifully polished brass-mounte
oaken casket, which he carefully placed o
the seat beside him. The casket bore brai
plate upon which was engraved the follow
ing inscription:
John Henry Wellington !:
Graham LOTUS,
4th Marquis of Ely,
Born 2Oth Nov. lS48,
| Died at Nice, Sd April,
Cremated at Woking;
| 18th April, 1889.
Within the casket was an urn 15 inche
| high BY six inches broad at the base. Th
urn contained about four pounds of sno,
white ashes, similar in appearance to
sample of the best brand of Minneapoli
-four, and two or three small pieces of beau
tiful, silver-like frosted bone.
The white ashes and the frosted bone
were the mortal remains of the Right Hon
orable and Most Noble John, fourth Mar
quis of Ely, the rich, handsome young 40bl,
who 15 years previously had been within al
ace of becoming the husband of princes
of the royal house of England.
The casket at the present moment occupies
q corner in Mr.. Lethbrldge's study, pend
ing decision as to which of the four castles
belonging to the house of Ely shall finally
receive ii.
The Marquis was staying at Nice for the
benefit Of his usually delicate health, when
he was prostrated by a terribly painful in
ternal complaint. He bore his sufferings
with fortitude, and when informed that he
r1ofl 1o IA L n1
directions for the cremation of his body,
ordering at the same time that there should
be no funeral procession or display,
London society was grieved in placid
way to hear of the sudden death of the
amiable nobleman, but that grief was soon
turned to indignation when his unorthodox
testamentary instructions became known.
But the Marquis relatives and personal
friends in London Loyalty resolved to carry
out his last wishes, and special agent was
sent to the continent to arrange for the ere
nation at Gotha, where the best crematory
in Europe is situated. It was found, how
ever, that the formalities of crossing the
French and German frontier with the
corpse and recrossing with the ashes
would be so numerous and vex-
atious that it was decided at
the last moment to bring the re-
mains to England. But before cremation
could be carried out many formalities had
to be observed. Two certificates had to be
obtained and sent in to the cremation soei-
ETY., the first signed by the physicians who
attended the Marquis in his last illness, and
the second of separate and independent
medical expert who examined the body
after death, inquired into the circumstances
connected with the demise and certified that
n fo ircy hot
humation of the body would be thereafter
necessary. This done, formal application
was made to the cremation society to under
take the cremation.
The body was brought by the agent to
England in an ordinary coffin and placed
in an ante-room at the Woking Crema-
torium, and on April 13 the final rites were
carried out in the presence of one or two
friends and the usual officials. 1t had been
arranged to hold funeral service in the
little chapel near the crematorium. The
chapel was unfinished, but it had been con-
secrated and no difficulty was anticipated.
The bishop of the diocese, however, per-
emptorily refused to allow the service of
the church to be read before cremation,
although for some reason equally inexplic-
able he did not object to according religious
rites to the ashes atterward. But the
majority of the mourners were in hurry
to get back to town, and finding the
doors of the chapel unlocked, they entered.
RELIGIOUS RITES.
Among the mourning relatives was a
and forthwith he produced a
prayer book and read the service for the
dead. Then all save two or three faithful
friends returned to London and the coffin
was removed in solemn silence to the crema-
torium. The body was placed upon an iron
plate, just within the open iron doors of the
the doors were closed and the
remains were slowly drawn within the heat
ed chamber. There was no perceptible heat
at first, but within a quarter of an hour the
furnace had attained heat of !, ,200o Fahr-
enheit, and it was impossible to stand with
in six feet of the doors, although the actual
furnace was as many feet within. There
was absolutely no odor, and no smoke could
be seen issuing from the crematorium.
Within an hour and a half the attendant
that the body had been COM
pletely consumed. An hour later the fur
mace had cooled down, the doors were opened
and the iron plate again brought into view.
The iron, it was afterward discovered. had
broken in several places with the intense |
heat to which it had been subjected. All |
that the fire had left of the fourth Marouis |,
of Ely were the few small pieces of bone and |
! rift of white ashes which covered the iron |
plate like snow. The attendant, with pair |
IF tongs, picked out the bones, which, with |
The ashes carefully swept from the plate,
we're placed in an urn.
The crematorium at Woking was at first |
,uilt upon strictly utilitarian lines. But in |
course of time it was found that people were
.epelled by the plain brick furnace block |
md factory-like chimney.
COMPLETE OUTFIT.
Not even hearse was provided for the
of the bodies from the railroad
iepot TO the crematorium, and down to with |
n few weeks ago the cofins were huddled |
1nceremoniouslysinto light spring van. It |
was resolved, in consequence of numerous
to introduce a little more senti- |
nent into the arrangements. Last Noyem- !
,er the erection OF hall, waiting rooms |
md chapel was commenced, and these |
lave now been completed, with the excep- |
ion of the chapel. The system in use at |
Toking is knownon the Continent as the |
,rematorio Lodigiano and was invented by |
'rof. Gorini.
The body is introduced into the crematory
L 4 Al = . .