The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-13
.ASRES TO ISL ES.
Public Meeting of the New England Crema-
tion Society in Boston.


Inc new england cremation society
held a Well attended public meeting on
May 81 in Wesleyan hall, President John
Storer Cobb in the chair. With him on
the platform were Rev. George Hodges,
d. D., dean Of the Episcopal Theological
school, Cambridge; Dr. David w. Chez
yer of Boston, Rev. Charles II. Dole,
pastor of the First Congregational so
ciety Jamaica Plain, and William H.
SaSwtard, secretary of the Boston Asso-
ciated Board of Trade.
The president, giving in his address
ample figures indicative of the progress,
and outlines of the history of cremation
in the United States, paid high tribute
to one of it's earliest advocates.
DIR. +. Julius LIE Moyne of Washing
ton, Pa" he said, must be regarded as
the pioneer cremationist of the United
States. In the year 1876 he built a fur
mace for the purpose of ensuring the in
cineration of his own body and with the
design of familiarizing, to some extent,
the American public with the practice
of cremation. 1t Is true that, a short
time previously, an attempt had been
made in New York city to form a Gre
nation society Owing to the financial
stringency of the times and opposition
of public opinion, this attempt, how
ever, was not successful. Whether DR..
LIE Moyne was or was not influenced by
the public agitation of the question at
this time, know not; nor is it essential
that it should be known. The question
had certainly been considered by him.
But even if he had not given mo-
ment's thought to the subject before
this; even if the matter had, been
brought to his notice for the first time
by means of the press reports of the
meetings which were held in connection
with the movement, he would still be
entitled to all the honors of pioneer.
He built at his home, the first crema-
tory in the land and for a period Of
more than eight years this little country
town of Pennsylvania was the only
place within the borders of our great
republic where a human body could be
disposed of in rapid combustion"
In concluding the statistical part Of
his address Mr.. Cobb said: "I may mem
ton here that the published figures for
1894 include eleven months only of that
year, and are given as S08. This Is
equivalent to an average of seventy
three per month, which will yield about
876 for the entire year. The lesson to be
learned from these figures was very
clearly stated by my friend and CO.
worker, Dr. John Romans, Cd, in the
address which he gave at our last an
nual meeting. He there says that while
these figures comprise, of course, a very
small percentage of the number Of
deaths, yet if the proportionate increase
in the same number of years to come
is as great as in these years, we may
expect that in 1910 cremation will be the
rule, burial the exception"
At the Forest Hills crematory. in a
little more than a year, 100 bodies had
been cremated, and great impulse, he
believed, would be given to the move
ment when the chapel, already design
ed, Is erected
In the substitution Of cremation for
burial the welfare Of mankind would be
subserved, and he urged all friendly to
! the movement to help in completing the
building. In the crematory chapel no
| Limitations would be placed upon any
religious belief, and every one would be
able to witness "a reverent and beauti-
| full way of caring for the dead"
Dean Hodges, as the Boston Globe
states, said: 1--WE are most interested
in cremation, not because of the dead,
but because of the living. It makes no
| difference to the dead. 1t was an old
| idea that burial had some connection
with the preservation and the resurrec-
| ton of the body. There is nothing in
scripture, philosophy, science or common
sense to prove it,"
| The speaker referred to the pagan
| Pharaoh, whose mummy was preserved
| In the British Museum, and the Chris
| tan martyr Wycliffe, whose body was
/ burned and the ashes scattered on the
| sea.
I ''In the day Of judgment" asked the
dean, Twill it be better for Pharaoh or
tWycliffe, for the pagan or the saint?"
| He said that 1t was am absurd idea
of God to suppose that He cared for the
triyialities and materalities of life. No
| body believed it. He then argued that
cremation assisted faith and morals
Cremation would not prevent the cree
ton of marble pyramids, but it would
| discourage them.
IT object to marble pyramids in our
cemeteries, not only because they are
ugly, but because they are pagan and
immoral. 1t is immoral to spend money
which might buy bread for the people
1t is immoral to take this money and
turn it into stone, to carry it away to
a graveyard and leave it there.
Cremation will tend to do away with
cemeteries, and bring in two new places
for the disposal of the dead. The house
of the departed may be set in the midst
of the city, and proper respect be paid
to the dead without regard to persons
to heroes, saints and citizens. Such a
building would offer large opportunities
| to art and artists. 1t would be a build.
| ing that would uplift the thoughts of
all who enter, made splendid perhap s
| with paintings, teaching the great
! truths OF the present and the future
| and taking life away from debasing
| things and influences. There would be
! no pagan shapes in stone, but memorial
| windows, through whose pictured panes
the sun would tell the story of the cross
| as the symbol of redemption, and of the
| altar as the symbol of the life to come.
| 'Cremation was in the direction of
Christian faith. Nothing in cremation
| contradicted the religion. Cremation
emphasized the spirit realm, not the
| graveyard. Cremation was the most
Christian plan, of disposing of the dead