The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-18


The objections to cremation do not APP
ply to deaths upon the field of battle.
Here sentiment, sanitation and common
decency all cry out to have the poor de-
faced bodies of the dead disposed of as
rapidly and thoroughly as possible.
After a battle the dead are left upon
the field, while the remnant of the army
marches or retreats. or there is a hasty
stop for the dead. Pits are dug and the
comrades shovelled in, often without bur-
ial ceremonies of any kind and without
recognition. slight covering of earth
is all that can be done.
A German inventor, Gustave Schliff,
has made this travelling creamatory for
use in battle. 1t can also be put into SER
vices at other times and places. There
are towns without creamat tories; health
resorts that need them for their patients
who come in what is known as the last
stages; and there are cemeteries tina t
would be glad to have such contrivance
when cremation is desired. But it is upon
the battlefield that the travelling crema-
tory would come in best use.
The model of this crematory has been
submitted to the Emperor William, who
is much interested in all things of war,
and drawings of it have been laid before
the French and English heads of war de-
partments.
The design of this crematory is for
disposing of the bodies of the dead sani-
tarily and quickly by moderation. From
the outside 1t looks like a great iron oven
upon wheels, with a smoke stack at the
back. There are four wheels and a double
sheet-iron door. Within are three
sliding shelves, and below is a fire.
The ancient method of cremation was
literal burning of the body by contact
with fire. This is awful, because the ac-
ton of the flames upon the body in the
/ a iG nd N mi tn 10
on, no matter what is done to make it less
awful. But with the recent method of
cremation all the realistic horrors of act
ual burning are done away with. 1t is
/ really an incineration, reduction TO
/ ashes by the action of heat. The flames
! do not touch the body.
The travelingcrematory is to be includ-
| ed in the impedimenta of war 1t can be
/ hitched to the rear of the baggage wagons
/ or drawn by horses. Its weight is less
! than that of an ordinary truck and its
/ projecting parts, cranks, chimney and ex-
terror fixtures can be taken off and laid
1 inside while travelling.
/ There is another provision for transport
ing the crematory. 1t can be taken en-
tirely apart and its twelve pieces. sides.
I back, top, shelves and oven slides piled
in a baggage car for transportation. The
crematory is intended, however, TO be left
intact and carried around, for one Of its
/ principal features is tnat IL Is READY Tor
| use Immediately.
The heating of a crematory takes ordi-
narily two hours. A great fire is made
in the furnace or a petroleum burner light
ed and the oven heated to a white heat.
About 1900 degrees is thetemperature best
liked. Higher than that the ashes are
darkened.
The oven of the travelling crematory
! can be heated to 200 degrees in an
hour; and when the dead are gathered
from the field the machine is ready for
| the incineratlon process.
In the crematores as they are in
daily use in different parts of the world
the utmost care is preserved as to the
| heat the conveyance Of the body and
the disposition Of the ashes afterwards
The body is slid in its coffin from a
shelf into the retort and the great door
lined with fire clay Is closed. The sides
are of glass, and through them the
relatives can watch the reduction OF
the body to ashes, The coffin crumbes
first and becomes charcoal. Then the
body succumbs to the heat and takes
the form Of pearl white ashes. If the
oven is accidentally heated too hot the
body turns to charcoal like the coffin
and a charred heap of dirty ruins are
all that is left OF II.
With the travelling crematory many