The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-30
ASHES TO ASHES.
The Cren1atory in Cypress
Lawn Cemetery.
Many Bodies are Now in Waiting
for the Furnace to Be
Completed.

The date for the opening of the new
crematory, which is being erected in Cy-
press Lawn Cemetery. has again been
postponed, and instead of being ready for
use by the middle Of August the officers of
the company say that the date must be ad-
vanced to the LIST of September.
The trouble has been caused by the nom
arrival Of some part. of the furnace. which
had to be imported, and without which the
work could not be com pleted. The terri
BILE heat to which the furnace will be ex-
posed requires the very highest test ma
terials obtainable, and these pieces are now
daily expected to arrive.
The crematory Is practically completed,
aud the beauty Of its exterior is more than
equaled by the completeness Of lis interior
arrangements.
Two rooms are provided for the recep-
ton of bodies which are to be reduced to
ashes, and in each of these various tests
are supplied by means OF which the oper-
ators will be able to detect any signs of
life, and it will hardly be possible for any
cases Of Suspended animation to pass all
these tests without some of them giving
the warning.
The bodies will first be placed in a cool
room. not ariificially cooled but with
merely the temperature of the atmosphere,
and will be surrounded by delicate e!ectri-
cal apparatus which will be connected
with gong in the Office of the attendants.
So accurately is this bit of mechanism ad-
justed that it will register the slightest
movement. or even the twitchng of a
muscle. and the message will at once be
transmitted to the people in charge.
For two days thi. test will be applied,
and # at the end of that time no signs of
life Nave developed, the subject will be re-
moved to the next apartment. known as
the warm room, where artificial heat will
he applied. and il death has actually
taken place, decomposition will readily set
in, establishing beyond any doubt the
absence OF life. and the body will then be
ready for incarceration.
The furnace Is SO constructed that no
flame Genes l.: contact with the bodies.
but they are placed in the firebox. which
has been heated to temperature Of from
1000 to 1000 deg. and in an incredibly
short space OF Iime few pounds of white
ashes are all that ave left. and so perfect
Is the construction of the furnace that lot
particle Of smoke or even a suggestion
of odor will ever reach the outside air.
1t is probable that $50 will be decided
upon as the price for cremating a body,
but this will include the total expense If
the funeral, as the company will furnish
the cemetery. and there need be no
further cost unless an immediate crema-
ton is desired.
The cost of heating tho furnace will be
considerable. and it Is the intention to
place bodies In vault until there are sew
eral of them ready, and then heat the
furnace for all at once. The time required
Tor the cremation of one will be SO short
that the ashes can be removed Immediately
and the other bodies be placed In the fire.
box, Que after the uther. and at the same
time there will be no mixing of the ashes.
as these will be- carefully removed after
each cremation.
Much impatience has been expressed at
there being so mnch delay in the buiiding
o. the furnace. and there are now no less
than thirty-eieht babies awaiting its com-
pletiOn. Among these is That OF the late
John r. Jarboe. the weIl-known attorney
and there are q number OF others In the
various vaults about the city, and a num-
Der from other points about the bay.