Daily camera., 1897-02-10
CREMATION. POPULAR.
Incineration Is Being Looked Upon
with More Favor.
The New Method of Disposing of the
Dead Is Commonly Employed
in New York-Cost of
the Process.

Cremation, as a means of disposiDg CT
the bodies of the dead, when first trieu
IN New York state, on December I, 1885,
attracted great deal of attention, and
there was also considerable discussion
as to the relative merits of the new
method as compared to the usual Gus
tom of undeIsrou q burial. Many peo-
pie were superstil Gus regarding incin-
Grafton. People were at first loath to
give consent to this disposition Of the
bodies OF their friends and relatives.
Those who favored the new method
urged its adoption, G.viL - as their rea-
son for the change that j. was cleaner,
cheaper, and did away with the necessi-
ty for elaborate funerals. 1t was also
urged that the incineration of bodies
of persons who had died from conta-
gious diseases would lessen the dangers
of contagion and would be the safest
way in which to dispose of such bodies.
On the other hand, the fear of burial
alive caused some strongly to advocate
incineration.
AS an aid to the adoption of the new
method, indorsementswere secured from
ministers and from others, in which
they said there wa nothing uuscrip-
tural in disposirg of he dead by means
of fire, and. advocating the method as
more cleanIy than burial.
The first incineration in this state
was at the New York Fresh Pond crema-
tory, on Long Island, facing the Luther
an cemetery, just north of Fresh Pond
station and the Long Island railroad.
This was on December +, 1885. Since
that time, despite assertions by some to
the contrary, incineration has grown in
popularity, and it is said that there is
an increase of so incinerations year.
The number of crematiOns at Fresh
Pond up 10 the beginning Of the present
year is giveni as 1.SS1. Of this number
1,213 bodies were those ofmen, 9S of boys,
496 of women, and IS were the bodies of
girls. Thirty-five dollars is charged for
the incineration of a body. This charge
is only for the mere consuming Of the
BODY by means of heat, the body being
placed in an alright compartment OF
an immense furnace. Enough ashes
are left to fill a small-sized urn. 1t
takes several hours to dispose of body,
after which the ashes are collected and
placed in an urn which has previously
been purchased. Often the ashes are
taken away by friends, and at other
times they are deposited in alcoves in
the walls of the columbarium where
the body has been incinerated. by the
request of friends endeavoring to carry
out the peculiar wishes Of the departed,
the ashes are often taken and thrown
D.: TO the four winds.
There is cnargu Tor the door which
is placed in front of the niche. The urns
may be bought for from $3.50 up to $45,
while the niche in the wall costs from
$!5 to $25, according to its location III
the wall To the cost of the incinera-
lion, which is $35, must be added the
cost of the urn for the ashes and the
niche for the reception Of the urn. When
the body is borne to the columbarium
in carriages there is extra charge, ae-
corG NO to the number of carriages
brought into service. With this method
there is no necessity for. the purchase
of urial lot, although many people
bun The ashes. The maN; mum cost for
incineration, including the purchase Of
an urn, the leasing of niche receive
the urn, the door of the niche, and all
expenses, not including the hire OF car
riages, need not exceed $125, or $3.50
at most.-N. Y. Tribune.