The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-12

HahA" - NHN |
ere Fear . Monopoly aud Oppose the scheme.
Tho Sanitary Committee OF the Health Board
yesterday approved the plans Of the New Maui
soleum Company for tho establishment of Il
sanitary mausoleum near High Bridge. The
Is to have q capacity Of from ten to
twelve thousand bodies, and is to be erected
within the territory bounded by l55th street on
the south, the Hudson River on tho west. the
Harlem River on tho east, and Spuyten Duyvil
Creek on the north.
1t is proposed to entomb the dead in cement
receptaelos. The bodies are to DO exposed for
several months to a current OF air made chelni-
cally dry by passing It over sulphuric acid. the
air to DO purified afterward by fire. When the
body 10 thoroughly dcsiccated tho receptacle is
to be made air tight. Tho company submitted q
dozen plans to the Health Board, all of which
were approved by the Sanitary Committee, and
on next Tuesday tho whole Board will pass
upon the scheme.
DR.. George b. Fowler. Chairman Of the SAM
tary Committee, is enthusiastic over the new
method OF burial, and he believes that 1t is emf
nently sanitary. DR.. Charles Roberts. the SAM
tary Superintendent OF the Health Board. is Of
tho same opinion. Tho new mausoleum Is to DO
go feet long, rs feet deep. and three stories
high. The interior will resemble that of q we'll
appointed library, with u main corridor and d.
verging halls leading to the different sections.
The sepulchrcs will DO OF solid concrete. four
inches thick, without seam or joint, and little
larger than an ordinary coffin. They will be ar
ranged in tiers Of six on either side OF the hall
ways. The opening into each sepulchre will DO
provided with two doors. The inner door. of
plate glass, is to BIO Theoretically scaled after the
suace is occupied. Tho outer door will DO of
bronze or ornate stone, decorated with inscrip-
tions, or In any other way that the friends OF the
dead may dosire.
A portion OF the proposed mausoleum will be
arranged for families, with separate compart-
ments and sets OF sepulchres. The mausoloum
will also have a chapel. where funeral ceremo-
MES may be held, as is now done at the crema-
tory at Fresh Pond. L. l. Each scpulchre will be
numbered and registered, and there will be n
bureau where records will be kept Of those
whose remains are ~entombcd. including the
birth, parentage, marriage, time of death. and
other data
One OF the advantages claimed for the new
sytem is that of security against grave robbers.
A novel feature is that for protection against
premature entombment. An electrical appa-
ratus is to be provided and SO adjusted to each
body that the slightest movement will sound an
alarm that cannot fail to be heard by the watch
man. There will also be an indicator connected
with the electrical apparatus which will show
oAhCIy NhlCh btpulCuTo thc hltl III Olut lTulIl.
According to the plans flied by the Health De.
partment. the body will remain in the sepulchre
for three months before IL Is Theoretically scaled.
Each sepulchre will be constructed with a con-
duit that will admit fresh air, and with another
that vii permit the . egre en;S o. the q a., ar ate after 1t f has
egress conduit will terminate in a separate
building. where the vitiated air will be purified
pany claims, tho escape into the atmosphere OF
any noxiogs matter WIN be prevented: -o,..
mausoleum win be the furnace and appliances
for heating and lighting the mausoleami itself.
porary resting place for the dead whose per.
manent resting place 10 not ready. or who have
died unknown and are awaiting identitieation:
vault.
There is no doubt that when the undertakers
OF by the Health Boards, Sanitary Committee,
there will be the biggest kind Of q protest, for, IN.
funerals Of those whose relatives decide to en-.
tomb them in the mausoleum will be compelled
to purchase cofins from The burial company o.
under its direction. go that the ooffins will per.
nit a free ejaculation Of air. In fact, the probs.
comesup before the Health Board for final action,
the Undertakers' Association Of this city will
of the plans. The various coffin companies will
also oppose the new plan, on the ground that II
i Hne 81 t others % %iii sSitsly Is f one51 w and ar rive G ihs
comm men out OF business, for it is understood
that the casket or coffin to be used in the new
ouhi ,hoS peeShtSN " "a,i
named Mayer, who would thus have a monopoly
of the casket manufacturing business.
One coffin manufacturer. who was seen yester'
day by a SCS reporter. said that for live yeari
this burial company. had been trying, to in
Health Board had always refrained from givine
the necessary permission. Just why they Should
do so at this time, he said. was a matter fol
We have never had any objection to crema
ton, said the coffin man. because the crema
Tory people have not tried to interfere with oui
business, but this new concern has a scheme
which, II carried into effect, would drive us Out
get the Health Board to further approve OF 4
and advertise II as a good thing. In that cast
s ness IN nG thia e eaye c %oaSRSis 81 ia DO n not't be! ReS,
that the casket manufacturers will permit then
TO go ahead with the scheme. but will fight then
established in New York, people would DO com
PEELED to pay for caskets whatever prices wer'
TT undertakers would also be driven out o
business. for this funeral trust would not stol
the city. Our association works hand and glove
with the Undertakers' Association. Under al
agreement which we have with the undertaken
we do not sell caBkets to non-union undertakers
or BARRIERS or biacksmiths who pose as under
takers, GO the probabilities are that our Execu
Committee OF the Undortakers' Association, 70
the purpose OF taking some action toward pre-
venting the establishment OF a funeral trust II
AS our association will not hold a regula
m nSsi ! ,sr S SnSi sc ,h5s IN Su ihs H sshsR 6e soTas n
NIAAtN VI tAtAbA >hAe SIS hN~ 81
II may DO necessary for us to call n special meet
ing on Monday night. However. am not In
position TO say at present exactly what will b
done, as the UndertAkers' Association will hav
to be consulted before we take any action
The representative OF the mausoleum compan
said that he did not desire 10 discuss its plans Il
detail until after the Health Board had take
final action. He said that when the Create
New York charter goes into effect there will b
moro than sixty cemeteries In this city. and !
one alone more than J 500. 600 bodies are buried
The available territory for burial purposes, h
said. was nearly all taken up. and the time hu
come when something must be done towar
solving the problem OF what disposition shall b
made OF the dead.
DIR. James M. Keller made a report 70 a soctio
OF the American Medical Association, whic
was in session in st. Louis. In that report Dl
Keller said that the horrid practice OF cart
burial did more to propagate the germs OF di!
ease and to spread pestilence than did Al man
ingenuity or Ignorance In every other direction
He said that the proof OF the fact that the Weir
ity OF graveyards 10 unhe hthy was supersbur
dant; that the dead do kill the living, and tina
cholera, yellow fever. and the who!olis Of xym'
die and infectious diseases arc propagate
BY Communicating the earth. air and water SUI
plies. He said that the graveyard must BIO abai