Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-30
CREMATION.
The Beautiful 100000 Crematory al
Troy, N. Y, Pronounced Failure.
1t Does Not Eject Complete Ineineration-Th'
Flesh Co.'s to Ashes, But the Bones are
left a Complete skeleton.
erecia1 to the Gazette.

Troy. N Y. March 29-The reason why the
beautiful Earl crematory, erected here at cost
Of S1OO. 900, has not been used since the dedics-
tory attempt to incinerate two bodies on Janu-
ary 6, is to-day ascertainable. The cause will
be shock to everybody interested in the burn
ing OF the dead as substitute for burial, and
advocates of the new method fear that the effect
on the movement may be adverse. The first
crematory erected in the United States was at
Washington, Va, and there, in 1876, the incin-
Grafton of Baron PALMS body took place. Since
then several others have been built, notably
one at Fresh Point, Long Island, IN which
the remains of the celebrated agnostlc.
CORTLAND Palmer, were reduced 10
ashes But it was reserved for this city of
TROY to erect chapel and crematory in maRni-
tude, architectural beauty and appropriateness
of surroundings Ear superior to to anything OF its
which stands on the edge of cliff 300 feet above
the Hudson, is the gift OF William 3. Earl, a
rich manufacturer, to the OakWooo cemetery;
The structure is dedicated to the general use OF
the cemetery, all lot owners to have the right OF
funeral services therein free of charge. The
only reservation made by the Earl family IS
in the building which bears the name OF the
Earl memorial, being erected to the memory OF
the late Gardner Earl, an only SON OF the
fonnder Gardner Earl, while travelling in Eu-
rome few years before his death, witnessed the
cremation Of several bodies and made ns
Venini. an italian inventor 1t is this mode
which was introduced into the Earl crematory,
the reuorts having been imported from Milan. is
was the intent of the philanthropic founder to
make the crematory as perfect as possible.
There was to be no throwing of Goals or pillng
of wood on the body, and nothing to crate on or
Jar the nerves of the Borrowing SURVIVORS. The
flames were not even to touch the corpse, but II
was to be incinerated by means OF the burning
gases in the flues and retorts. Inc oooy is SIM
1Iv wrapped in a sheet saturated with alum
water to hide the effects OF the heat on the
corpse, placed upon a cradle OF lron or foinng
IL. ,inI, in E1Irn +.
brought on level with the door OF the retort. A
suspicion of iron wheels on the surface OF the
car enab es the assistant to roll the cradle easily
into the fiery chamber. The actual flames of the
wood are not visible, as tire furnace IS situated
in the basement. Large sticks OF hard wood are
used, and the fire is lighted at the bottom. The
wood gases which are generated are, at the
point of entering the incinerat1ng chamber, met
nv a current of heated air, and the two are kept
;gnite3 nv a smaller FIRE Thus map of flame
is thrown through the incinerating chamber
In theory the system was so scientific and such
care had been tale IN building the furnace and
retort that not the slightest doubt of ehecting
complete incarceration within two hours time
was expressed by even an opponent OF crema-
ton Hence it was that Frank s. Black,
LAWYER of this city, and an advoca OF the new
method of disposing of the dead, felt sad salts
faction in believing that the remaies OF four
vear-old boy whom he had Just lost, could be
quickly, thoroughly and decently 1nc1nerated at
the Earl cremetory What really happened is
here written for the first time. At $3.50 on the
morning of January the fires were lighted, I'M
der the direction of George V. Doersam OF Buff
falo. who had brought the incinerator
from Milan, and who superintendent its
erection in the Earl memorial. Mr.. Black had
made application to have the body OF his son
reduced 10 ashes two days earlier, but IL was not
found practicable to get the apparatus ready.
At 10 O'Clock private funeral services were held
at the residence of the boys parents, and the
body was taken to lakewood, accompanied only
bv the mother and father. The remains were
subjected to the heat of the incinerating cham
her for two hours, and the reduction OF the body
to ashes was then supposed to be complete.
Mrs, Black did not remain at the crematoFy, but
the ashes of their child. At that point ali the
published accounts closed.
II must be borne in mind that at the age OF
four the bones contain very little lime, and.
that not one half as much heat would be re-
quired to destroy the frail, tender little body as
fifty. Yet when the cradle and the bed beneath
il for holding the ashes, were withdrawn,
there lay the little skeleton OF Ham am
vithstood the hercest heat which science had
been able to generate in the incinerating cham
Der Of this magnificent modern su1ssitutssIor the
ton must be assigned the task or app1eciating
the depth of Mr.. Black horror, and the fervor
upon to witness the pulveEizing of the little
skeleton by means of S mallet. This was done IN
his presence. This crushing process vas centin-
ned until the bones were reduced 10 line enough
condition to mingle with the ashes belonging 70
them Mr.. Black denounced the operation as
brutality 1t had been represented to him, so
he declares, that so intense would be the heat of
tn 2 incinerating chamber that the remains of
his son would, with wonderful quiekness and
completeness, be reduced TO small quantity of
white ashes He is vehement IN his protest
that had he known that he was about TO be
called upon TO witness such repuisivs exhibit
ton, he would never have consented to the in
cineration.
Later on the same day of this failure, the
body of Jonas 8. Heart was placed in the re-
tort. Mr.. Hearth was Troy man who had
anassed crest fortune IN the manufacture Of