The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-06-09
IIIII00 CREMATION.
T-EY su7s TIE CODES or Their
GEE II. T-E OPEN tt7..

4 s.r-a-e AID sanitary gose vhisn E-s
Ben rrac::exi by Thcn For Thousands
OF iaar-Tae blessed state Iron" the
HIn.i..o >taneI?~iz:-
Although " arc beginning otei1ve
more al.d mo-c eyerF -e4- IL cremation
and think ourselves accordingly 81
vanc-d. TIE HinG13s h4ve pracflceI 1t
for thousands q years the funeral pile
ofarajah somstinles costs laos Of rupe@-
when 3 rupes cover the entire expenses
The rich Hindoo nay b somewhat ex-
elusive. tn Hirdoo naaa@ do every
thing simply and openly. They battle
out o. doors. they pray cut Of doJrs, they
cook out Of do9r-- they die oar # doors
and their bl1lies are burned out u doors
There are three burning CHATS in Cal
cutta.
Awriter 10 the Pal Mall Budget tells
very entertaininglF IF a visit she made
TO one Of the cheapest and most prini-
tive Of these three.
Just as she entered into the incloSure
where a burning ghat was IN full ops
ration taeEe was Z cTacE-a sharp retOrr
like a pistol. The heat had just broken
through a dead mans skull Ii was tine
last human part 10 protest against the
extinguishment Of death
The funeral pile Of a poor Eindoo
looks like an ordinary kitchen yard
wood pile. But if you 20 up close 70 il
you discover something very like a hu-
man form, a glowing. charred mas. dis
tinguished from every other shape, AM
mate or inanir1ate. for the Hindcos lii
orally purify their dead BY fire The
body is burned until absolutely nothing
remains but q handful Of ashes, ashes
wholly free from any unclean Or POISON
Gus matter. As the writer was closely
observing the glowing pile new body
was brought in and the rite begun-
Two coolies carried the body up2n ii
rude litter, woven from coarse grass
and held together By outlines Of bamboo.
Two OF the dead mans brothers follow
ed, chatting pleasantly. -Four stout
sticks Of wood were driven upright into
the ground. at the corners Of an i--agi-
nary p-ar2liclooran about six fe1t by
two. Between these four posts Were
loosely laid sticks OF dry, cheap wood
When the pile Has a little more thar
three feat high, the body was laid upon
it. A dirty piece Of crash. Gf the quality
the coolies wear about their loins, partly
wrapped the dead One Of the brothers
stepped upa2d poured about four ounce
Of oil over the body. This insured z
quicker cremation. but w,.s something
Of a luxury ard not Universal practice.
The oil must have cost about three pice.
The other brother paid the coolies, whG
should.red the light. empty litter and
marched sayly out.
More wood was piled upon the dead.
A thin stick was lighted at the othcl
funeral pile, which was Eow fanine
finely, the second pile was lighted, ang
the cremation Of the newcomer was be
gun The two brothers appeared vcr.
interested IL the i5rliting and decided.
pleased when it was accomplished. The
squattcd down upon the ground, just =
far from the pile that they might fee
that their scant, filthy garments wsr'
fairly safe from the sparks, hut nca
enough to watch al the changing phase
~ t1S NlS44IAk-DAA sA--AA ~ ~ RN@A1S 4L+
it was contaminated
They united a dry rag from abort
small bundle one Of them had brougL
with them. They took cut a small eartli
en- bowl. 1t was clean and shining, an
so was the brass chattee each lifted from
his filthy turbaned head. The chattee
held water. The bowl held curry an
rice. They fell to eating with Gnsto
And, pray, why not: They were catin
to live. Their brother was burning t
ive-to live in Hindoo paradise. Fror
the Hindoo point Ct view this state wa
far more blessed.
The cremation which was in full bias
when the writer arrived was finall
completed. Two distinct kinds Of ashe
were left. The human ashes were care
fully gathered into an old chattee. Tn
authorities do not allow those ashes I
be thrown into the river. and they al