The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
THE BODY BURNERS
A Crematory to Be Built
After Many Days
IN CYPRESS LAWN CEMETERY.
Il Is to Cost SIS, 900, and Will Soon
Be Ready to Receive the
Subjects.

number of enthusiasts formed plan
for San Francisco crematOry twelve years
ago and their dream is now to be realized
The San Francisco Cremation Society has
given out the necessary contracts for
$4,000 crematory, TO be erected at once IN
the Cypress Lawn Cemetery, in San Mateo
County, and it will, when finished, be one
of the best equipped institutions OF It's kind
besides being Of exquisite artistic design IN
its exterior.
The long struggle Of the men who favor
cremation 10 preference to any other method
Of disposing of the clay Of the human body
after its soul has taken an upward fight
forms brief but interesting tale.
Z. A Denicke, the late f. Schuenemann-
Pott, NJ Greenbatt, L. Diamant and few
others conceived the idea of transplanting
the novel burial method to San Francisco
from other cities where they had witnessed
its successful operation.
They formed a society in 1881, but for
long time they could only recruit some
twenty members. who paid 81 a month as
dues, and it looked as if the building Of
even modest crematory would have TO be
left for a coming generation.
Seeing that in order to make the scheme
successful il had to adopt other measures
the society incorporated in 1886 and is
sued bonds to the extent Of 900 shares at $50
each.
Quite number OF people became inter-
ested in the cremation business at tnls lline
and soon the new company was enabled TO
purchase lot on Laurel avenue and Call
fornia street for the sum OF $1,000.
On this site il was intended to build the
crematory, but as soon as this became
known the citizens in that vicinity lnauglr-
ated violent opposition.
Richmond Park property-owners were up
in arms. and the members Of the Board OF
Supervisors were flooded with protests
against the new cTematoTy even before an
application for permission to build 1t was
filed.
The directors Of the company wisely con-
cluded TO abandon the Idea to erect their
crematory on the CalifoTnla-street lot, and
concluded TO bide their time until another
location could be found.
In the meantime the crematiOnists had
20 contend with the popular preJudlces their
ideas have met with everywhere from the
beginning.
They were called the ''bOdy-burners" from
the pulpit and by public lecturers, and much
was done TO discourage them from carrying
their project into effect.
However, two years ago they received an
offer from the Cypress Lawn Cemetery
an acre Of land within the cemetery in
closure provided they build a erematoTy
costing not less than $4,000.
In return the Cypress Lawn Company
agreed to add colum barium to the crema-
tory at a cost Of not less than $1,000.
A columbarlum is a niched vault where
the ashes Of The departed are securely stored
away.
Since this offer was made the movement
has received a new Impetus and lately the
company sold its CaliiOrnla-stTeet property
for $1,000, besides dispOsine OF its stock so
rapidly that only eighty-fve shares Of the
original 500 are left unsold.
Being financially in condition to accept
the offer Of the Cypress Lawn Company the
''body-burIers" lost no time in grasping the
opportunities it offered. and the bargain
was made few weeks ago.
Plans were secured from Richard Schnei-
der OF Dresden, Germany, VINO is the
builder of all the modern and improved
crematories, and when they arrived lew
DAYS ago the Fulton Iron Works were en-
trusted with the task of building the retort,
or furnace. and Architect Pissis was In