Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-19
Cremation Receives Sudden I'M
petus in Pittsburg as Result
of Emma Abbott'S Will.
ANEW SOCIETY TO BE ORGANIZED.
Suggestion Made for a Municipal Nau-
soleum for the Reception Of
Human Ashes.
FINANCIAL FEATURES OF THE SCHEME.
Fcv The Dead Can Be Made TO Add to the city's
Prosperity.

gheny county, urging upon them the pro-
prie;y of organizing a society for the educa-
tion of the people in the theory and practice
of cremation.
The desire of Emma Abbott, as expressed
in her will, that her remains should be ere
mated. has excited much comment, and has
brought TO the front number of persons
who declare that ou: OF respect both for the
living and the dead cremation is the proper
method of disposing of bodies. 1t is argued
that body placed in the earth is finally re-
solved into its original elements, leaving be-
hind but handful of dust, while the inter-
mediate stages are loathsome in the extreme,
and often, especially in periods of epidemic,
fraught with danger to the living. Crema-
tiou only hastens the final result, divests
death from the horror of corruption and the
grave is cleaniy, and recommends itself as
4 sanitary measure.
Among the prominent persons who recog-
nize from sanitary point of view the good
features of cremation. if generally adopted,
are Mayor Gourley, Chief Brown, Warden
Berlin and Inspector McAleese. All these
gentlemen, however, are not prepared to
cousign their own bodies to the flames, and
therefore do not insist that cremation be
adopted universally and Immediately.
Plan for the City's Consideration.
One of those people who always know how
10 make millions for corporations and NUM-
cipaites, but are a little slow in accumu-
lating dollars on their own account, is pre-
pairing plan which he proposes to present
to the city officials, and which he expects
will be promptly Endorsed. He thinks it
will particularly appeal to City Controller,
Morrow, as it will result in wiping out the
city's debt, and in time will leave nothing of
taxation but a dim memory.
The plau first promises that cremation
shall be generally adopted in Pittsburg, and
then follows the financial scheme which,
like all others, necessitates some expendi-
ture of money at the outset. 1t is suggested
that the city erect handsome building with
substantial foundations in order that addi-
tioual stories may be constructed to meet
the demand for space. In this structure are
to be stored the ashes OF the dead, each body
in its own urn. 1t is not necessary, saws
the protector that the building be located
on expensive downtown property. A suit
able site NAV be found in the suburbs where
the spirits of the deceased, if they have no
better taste than to loaf around their own
ashes, may have the benefit of clear sky
and plenty of ozone.
A Remarkably Profitable Project.
The financial feature is as follows: Each
urn is expected to requir. two cubic feet OF
space. This includes the necessary aisles
between the stands of pigeon-holes contain
ing the receptacies. On this basis room
12x12 feet would contain S64 urns
When the urn is placed in this mausoleum
a lee o. S. is paid TO the city. At4 per cent
this amou Mt would earn 20 cents a year, and
the city would -thereiOre derive an annual
rental from one small room of S172 80.
About :. 600 persons die annually in this
city, and allowing that the ashes of so per
cent were placed in the mausoleum, the city
would receive $40 900 a year. As this
amount would be dropping In year after
wear, in half century, presuming that the
population of the city did not increase in
the mean time, the mausoleum would have
cash capital of 81, ,000. 600, producing an in
come of S40,O0 a year.
The expenses attached to this Institution
would be very light One clerk to attend to
the reception of urns in the daytime, and a
watchman at night 70 prevent an invasion
OF vaudals or the remote possibility of fire,
is all that would be necessary. No matter
how great the number of inmates no more
help would be required. Light and heat
would be necessary only in the office.
Blown in the Bottle.
Another idea suggested is that when an
urn is ordered the name, age, birthplace,
cause of death, and any other pertinent facts
relating to the deceased, might be burned
into the urn when it is being made-"blowu
IL -
vent the ashes getting mixed, and would be
verv handy ;or reference. For instance, in
legal dispute over all inheritance, all order
could be obtained from the judge and the
urn produced in court, thus satisfactorily
and conciusively proving the death of the
devisor.
Ii the pian is adopted all over the couu-
try another benefit is shown. The ashes of
one family need not be scattered over the
greater part of the Union, as is often the
case at preseut. When a family desires to
remove to another citv, if they have any
dead in the mausoleum the legal head of the
family can secure the return OF such urns
as belong TO hun and carry them TO the new
home where they are again placed in
municipal mausoleum. OF course, the So
paid for each urn caunot be recovered, and
the same ice would have to be paid to secure
another resting place for the ashes.
The thought of an unkempt grave in some
fsr-distant land would not then cast gloom
ever the group around a cheerful fire, as
they listen to the wailing of the wind.
A Suggestion to Congregations.
The point is made that ii this plan is
adopted it will result in abolishing church
graveyards in the heart of great cities and
will also prevent the recurrence of such
scenes as occurred a few weeks since when
the bodies were being removed from 4 ceme-
tery on Center avenue. 1t is suggested that
churches could adopt the urn aud mausoleum
plan, il it met with the appreciation of the
congregation. The management of these
minor mausoleums would be governed BY
laws somewhat similar to those now regula-
ting their graveyards, and when congrega-
tiou desired to move their church they would
not be deferred by the difficulty of removing
their dead.
The the bodyo baby in soap box
found on top of coffin Jisinterred in the
West Liberty Cemetery has been mentioned
as one good argument for cremation. The
burial in such manner WAS evidently
made because the interested parties either
bad no money to buy lot or took that
means Of saving expense.
As climax to the mystery, it is under
stood that the graveyard authorities have
brought suit against tine grave-digger, Frank
Pierott, and William Slater, the driver OF
the conveyance that brought the box to the
cemetery. The action is said to be forced
bv the aggrieved woman, Mrs. Adam Will
bert, threatening to sue the graveyard au-
thorities.