The Progress., 1892-09-10
CORRESPONDENCE.
CREMATION.
They Advocate Cremation, Doing Away
Entirely With Grave Yards.

oHRkvRPoRr. La, Sept. 9, 1892.
To the Editor of The Progress:
While our grave city fathers are stirred
from "center to circun ferance" over the
grave yard question. and are no nearer
the purchase of a suitable plat Of ground
for cemetery, and IN view vf the fact
that the old one Is about full up" It ,n-
deed becomes a 'grave" question rs TO
what shall we do with our dead, so-called.
These thoughts lead the writer to suggest
cremation as the only progressive. sensi-
Die and sanitary way OF disposing Of
these decomposing earthly bodies, which
are OF no further use to the spirit once
dwelling in them, but often the means Of
poisoning the atmosphere and impairing
the health Of the living. Having wit
messed cremation Of human bodies, I end
nothing in this process OF returning the
body to its primordial elements which il
IN the least disgusting; to the contrary it
Is hastenine, refiDing, cleanly process.
Says the Rev. DR.. II. Heber Newton. as
quoted in the Urn:
For many years have thoroughly be-
iieved In cremation-on a variety Of
grounds. Having tried to make my life
one OF usefulness to my fellows, object
to the possibility Of injuring anyone after
4 am dead. The thought that what
cannot take away with me to q higher
form OF life Is to be left as u means of
poisoning life, is adhorrent to me. pre-
fer that my body should be so disposed of
as to put this out of the question. The
religious objection has always been nom
s-Dsical to my mind. Believing thorough
~ IN life to come, have not the slight
est notion OF that higher life being coudi-
toned In any possible way Inv the wav
IN which We get into IL, Nothing but the
stupio prejudice Of blind orthodoxy
couio allow any notion of this kind 10
nave weight. In Sd fur AS it does have
weight, II ought o be exposed and ,idi-
culed. have also. for years, had the in
tensest horror of thinking anyoue dea, TO
me undergoing the noxious process of de-
com pusiliOn, as we have made sure that
u snail Oe made nOxious by our whole
MODE OF interment. want those l love
10 pas from this life to higher life with
out any such abhorrent decomposition of
.ne Lorm once dear TO me. Un every
my Judgment. and i am sure that it ia
destined to prevail in the future. I ex-
pect 20 be disposed of thus myself. aud
DO not know of any expression Of opinion
which l could offer that could have more
weight tnan this"
Now, Mr.. Editor, from this contemp pla-
tiou OF the horrors of the faithful tomb.r
turn " consider the really beautiful pro-
cess of iucineration OF dead body in tho
cremation furnace. Says one observer.
after for the first time witnessing nm in
cineratSon:
Il stood before the threshold of the
creInatory with faltering heart. 1
treID bied at the thou 2ht of using fire bt,-
slde the form of Que whom loved. But
when IN obeyance TO his dying request. I
saw the door of the furnace taksu down.
it's rosy light shine forth, aud his pear+-
fuj form iaid there to rest amid lowell
ness that was SIMPLY fascinating TO the
eye, aud without glimpse Of fiaues or
fre, or Goals or sInpke, said, aud say 40
still, TINS method, beyond ali methods /
nave seen, Is the most pleasing 10 the
SENSES, the most charming 10 tlie imayi-
nation, aud the most grateful To the merp-
ory.' During the entire procers there Ia
no nre or smoke, or odor or noise to priey.,
III uuy iuauner the Dtreaved. The Con-
sumnig chamber IN which the body Ia
placed Is built of fire clay. anu Is cap .bl.
Of resisting the highest temperaturr
Under IL and around 1t the fire ,.irculaIe..
but ~ cannot euter ia. The interior pre-
sents an aspect OF absolute, uazzIing
purity. When all Is over, nothing re-
mains but u few pounds Of delicate white
ashes. lu nll candor, Is not this a more
fitting destiny for the cast-off body than
that 1t should remain for years a N, ass of
loathsome aud deatn-dealing putrefac-
tiouy"
Thus the sentimental objection to cre-
nation is seen to be eroundless. I would
like TO hear from some OF your readers on
this subject with view to agitating the
question as TO whether or NO q society
could he formed here similar 70 the one
In Philadelphia. They have issued GER
tifcatos at s35 each, on monthly pay-
Meuts. entiiling the holder to cremation.
and receptacle. and space for the
burial Of the ashes. For the money thus
paid in. the society also pays an interest
Df 8 per cent. per anuum until cremation
d performed. w.C.P.