Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-17
CREMATION Is BECOMING POPULAR.
With Reduction in Cost, Patronage
of Crematorics Is Increasing.

of CrematOrics Is Increasing.
From the New York Tribune
Cremation as n measure of disposing of
the bodies of the dead, when first tried in
New York state. on December 4, 1885, at
tracted 4 great deal OF attention. and there
WAS also considerable discussion rs TO the
relative merits of the new method as COM
pared to the usual custom of underground
burial. Many people were superstitious re-
g;rding incincration. People were at first
lcath TO give consent to this disposition of
the bodies of their friends and relatives
Those who favored the new method urged
its adoption, giving as their reason for the
change that IL was cleaner, cheaper and did
away with the necessity for elaborate
funerals. 1t was also urged that the in
Cineration of bodies of persons who had
died from contagious 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 ad-
Vocate incineratfon.
As an aid TO the adoption of the new
method Endorsements Were secured from
ministers and from others in which they
SAID there was nothing unscriptural in dis
posing of the dead by means of fire. and
advocating the method as more cleanly
than burial
The first incineratIon in the state was =,
the New York Fresh Pond Crematory
on Long Island, facing the Lutheran cem
elcIy 1ust north of Fresh Pond station
o. the Long Island railroad. This was on
december :. 1885. Since that time despite
assertions by some to the contrary, ircIn-
erauon mas grown in popularity and il
Is salu that there is an increase of fifty
incincrations year The number of Gro
nations at Fresh Pond up to the begin
nlng OF the present year is given as SSl
ot this number. l.2l3 were those of men
- OF DoEs. 49b OF women and 73 were the
bodies OF girls. Thrty-fve dollars is
charged for the incineration of a body
rms charge is only for the mere consuming
OF the BODY by means of the heat the
body being placed in an air-tight com
paifment of an immense furnace Enough
ashes are left to fill n Small-SiZed urn II
takes several hours TO dispose of a body
after which the ashes are collected and
placed in an urn. which has previously
en- 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
enGeaNorlng 10 carry out the peculiar
wishes of the departed, the ashes nre
often taken and thrown 10 the four winds.
There is charge for the door which is
placed in front of the niche. The urns NAV
be bought for from $3.50 up to SI5 while
the niche in the wall costs from SIS to 81
according to It's location in the wall The
cost of the incarceration. which is S25 rnust
b. added TO the cost of the urn for the
ashes and the niche for the recention of
the urn. When the body is borne 10 the
columbarium in carriages there is extra
charge, according to the number of car
rilEes brought into service. With this
method there is no necessity for the pur-
chase OF a burial lot, although many poo
PIE bury the ashes. The maximum cost
for incineration, including the purchase of
an urn. the leasing OF a niche to receive
the urn. the door of the niche and all ex-
pCnses, not including the hire of carriages
need not exceed Sl25, or $50 at most.