Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-03-01
.A NEW BURIAL SCHEME.
Our Bodies to ne Dried and Put Awsy
In Vaults With Glass r ronts.

Our Bodies to Te Dried and Put Away
In Vaults With Glnss ronts.
"a new disposition of the dead as
proposed may be called the --latest
thingin life." Ground for a "ncw
malisolcun" is to be broken, it is said,
in. the spring. Tic idea underlying
the ncw mauso!cum l., based on the
fact that y current of dry air will pre-
serve body from, decomposition and
changc ii into a condition resembling
life. III which it will remain for IN in
definite time. This process is applied
bynaLurc To the unfortunate Traveller
and his lc;lst WHO succGllb upon the
great deserts. In the Smithsonian III
:stitutiom are many bodies thus desic-
Gated ,bv nature which have been
brought from tic battlciiclds of Mcxi-
CO and Peru. from southern plains and
Indian districlsof the far west. Tic
ancient Cochials and Tart;lrs sus.
'pcndc, their dead from branches of
trees To be dried By armand sun. Tic
I'cruvians first tlricl their deceased
friends ana t;icil buried them IN u sit
ting posture SoIvagcs of South AUS
tralia place tic dead body on top of
the hut I'LL perfectly dried, when it is
bandagcd and hidden among the
branches Of the trees. Tile body re-
tains lis form in the process, and the
skin. though it becomes hard and dry
like leather, remains white, wlilc the
face, though moro or less cnlaciatcd,.
remains litcllke and recognizable.
Modern science and skill are To be
applied to the original preservalive
power of tie atmosphere. Expert,
merits lave recently bcen made by
specialists, IilSt on animals and later
on human bodies In the course of
one recent experiment conducted b.
sanitary engineer i'll Washington, III
nine weeks pig WIS reduced i'll
weight FROM % to Il pounds. and re-
maincd just as plump and round rs i'll
lie. la u laboratory i'll this city the
ooil IS oi Il ni;!n Weighing ~ pounds
WIS subjected t. l.ic process III loss,
and the effect WIS marvellous
Tie arrangement for the intcrmcnt
OF desiccaLcd bottles il tao new mau-
solcunl will be similar to that Of
drawers III safety deposit vaults while
Tie interior plan of the building will
resemble that c' Il well appointed pub
lie library, with nrin corridor and di
ycrging Tails Leading to different sec
lions. These drawers or scpultherS
will DC Of svliJ concrete four Inches
thic.,, without joint or ss;lni, Of certain
sizes and arranged III tiers Of SIX on
either side Of Lac hallway. The open.
ing into each scpulclier will be pro
;'ided with Two doors. The inner one OF
glass i.cllneiic.lll, ! sealed us soot Us oc-
cipic,. llrUu9:! which the body may
nc viewed Is those holding tic keys:
tic outside ul iron, wrought gold, sill
yer or bronze, decorated and adorned
according 10 llc ability and taste OF
relatives.
For family use there will be scpar;
a;otnd distinct compartments OF varl-
GUS sizes, with AcLS or sUllcs Of scpul-
rlicl.s adorned US desired and having
olst u single entrance.
The space that hcIds the casllet will
lie IL cell Of concrete, permitting lci-
lhcr the escape nor admission OF niois-
turc. In the erection of walls hollow
pipes or cun,luits vi bc formed over
nloIds, 50 liatno dcstructiblc material,
is iron or lnclal, will be needed.
Through these conduils will bcmade
10 pour into the Theoretically :;eaI.ai
scpu!chels currents of dry air. which
passing -apidly ali;ilcpcalcdly ar5und
the body vii extract tlcreironl every
- lpiH
and convey it to a huge furnace.
;vhcrc, without possibility Of escape,
all noXious matter will be destroyed.
Gradually the body becomes hard,
s;no.,ii and dry. With little or no
chi..igc III appearance, and once done
preservation i, secured forever.
Provision is L. he made against pre-
mature intclment by the adjustment;
Of electrical appliances To the body 50
Lhut the l;.,nlesL motion will be inslan
tancousiy conveyed 10 the guard by
means u alarm signals.
i'll. nl.lusle;tin will occupy COM
lairllivuly little space. y building
covering loJ feet squ;lre could lnciost
IL, 0UU scpulcilcr;. and one THAT occu
pied an acre would provide u, many
resting places Us cemetery oi thirty
live acres.
1t Is intended that ample and suit
able. grounds shall surround tac buiIG
ing. and that adjournment inside aud
out shall be as perfect as taste and
wealth Gu. dictate.
Tie scpuicLers will he numbered
and registered as lots in IL cemetery,
and fund will be provided for the
perpetual care OF all treasures of art or
nature lIlat may be provided. All rec.
ords of interment will be kept i'll the
mausolcunl. A chapel will be pro
vi,cd FOR tile discharge Of the last rites.
Tie cost of single sepulchers will
probably range from $40 ~ $2u0, while
family compartments will vary from
S6O0 to $4O, UOU. Burial lots i'll cities
range from S4U0 10 So. UO0 for space 10
allow six graves, to which must be
added the cost of lle;,dstone, monu-
lnelt statuary Enclosure and care.
Concrete is the material of-whicl it
is proposed to build the nlausolcuni.
Research, ancient and modern, estab-
Iish the quality of this material for i'm
penetlability,- insolubility and con-
scqucnt permanence, even all eartli-
Quake being powcrless to destroy
buildings made OF it. This substance
villa doubt be faced by. ornamental
materials. New York Sun.
A messenger OF the Infinite.
There is one thought which I place