The Washington times., 1895-05-26
MU5f Follow fh6 Fashion
Ku8n 10 fhe Grave
Something About the Style and the Cost of Wash
ington Funerals. with Mention of
Some of the Most Famous.

When Dickens spoke OF the "old, old
fashion, death, the fashion that came in
with our foIefathers, he beautifully ex-
pressed fact that has never been put in
such language before. but which was
self-evident truth. Yet though death is
lever ancient and ever new" it has FASH
ions in its somber way, and the gown of
the bride is no more made by tie dictates
of custom than is the shroud in which her
lifeless limbs are encased.
The ways of this world change, and the
manner in which this body, the shell of
the spirit which has flown to tie next, is
laid away keep apace wtth the needs OF the
new generation; and an undertaken of
this day would sneer at the crude attempts
years ago. Then the coffin in use was
one of the shape so familiar to our child
hood, but which las changed III the last
ten years. 1t was broad at the shoulders
and narrow at the head and feet.
But the "casket'' of to-day is different
1t is the same shape throughout and is
covered entirely with black cloth. The
cheap coffins in the old style, made of
plain wood, are worth about $35, while
those in the casket shape are about $I75.
Then, the trimmings are worth q great
deal, and the grade runs from the small
plated handles worth few dollars to
the loud solid silver bars that come to
many hundred.
The wooden coffin will last about fifty
years, but the new metallic casket, which is
simply small Coffin OF copper which fits
inside OF the wooden one, is practically in
destructible. In tine last six months one OF
aluminium has appeared, yet its pop
ularity is far iTCm assured OF course his
metal is very light aud perfectly air-tight
but il has ''tinny" look that few would
like. The oaskets OF light, quartered oak
similar TO the new light twood chamber sets
now sopopulaF, are also coming into fashion,
but as yet are very expensive, for the work
is hand-earv6d ard the whole appearance
one of exceeding richness.
QUEER COLORS.
AS rule, black is preferred as the Gov
ering of the casket, but the undertaken has
card on which are velvets OF all shades
For babies the white is chosen and black
is the most popular for the average person
A dressmaker recently had her coffin
covered with purple velvet aud her dress
i'll which she was Tobed was OF silk OF the
same tint. Al few TerSons lave chosen q
pearly-gIay tnt-and ere child had its tiny
coffin covCroa with a delicate shade OF
lavender. TheJe are Iale blues and bright
pinks in the sample card, but il is rot likely
that they Willis oon he chosen In fact, the
plain dark Caf kdts are The most liked by
people of any taste, and il is only among
the Colored population that ore finds the
cheap affair covered with gaudy- tin
ornaments that seem so beautiful TO the un
cultivated eye
Just about UIirty-five years ago the use
of the embahninS fluid became common
Prior to that timesit was the custom to take
an ice box, on which the body was placed
to preserve il, but this was a means OF
| spreading disease tpm ore home 10 an
other. II a oorPsefwhich had died OF a con-
tagious disease Was placed i'll tox, il
was impossible tol eradicate the dangerous
! germs before it was used again, and the
| deadly poison wonld be carried about in this
| dcath-boX. The present system, which Is
| now universal in all towns, or embalming
| the body, does away with this unhealthy
| custom, and now every corpse is enbalmed
The method is to inject into the veins a
! fluid which preserves the body from decay
| and eradicates all germs of disease. There
! is nothing about itthat resembles the method
| in use among the ancient Egyptians, who
| removed the entrails and placed spices and
| charcoal in the bowels. To-day u fluid is
used, and a syringe, and the work takes
! from half an hour TO an hour and a half
| When this work is finished, the tody is
natural in appearance and VIII he free from
| modification for days without the use
! of ice.
CREMATION NOT POPULAR.
Cremation has not been very popular, 70
only n few bodies have been burned in tel
| years. One undertaken says that Invent.
bodies in ten years is as much as lie has at.
tended to, so intement is hardly likely TO g
! out of fashion. On ncrenating body the ashe
! are collected and generally put IN an urn