The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-23
Cremation of the Remains Of
Rev. Ephraim Mute.
Undertaken Crane Was Present
and Talks On the Subject.


| Ephraim Mute OF Lanesville were taken to
the crematory at Forest Hills yesterday
morning by Undertaken Thomas f. Crane,
and his description of the manner of con-
Quoting the cremation and the process
through which the body goes Is very in
teresting. The idea of cremating bodies,
as q rule, is repugnant to ones sensibili-
| ties, but the time is coming, In the opinion
OF the leading physicians of the country
when 1t will be adopted all over the coun-
try. Mr.. Crane, accompanied by A. w.
Davis, son-in-law of the deceased, and j.
Sandford Davis of Pawtucket left with the
remains on the 9:11 train, and an hour
later arrived at their destination.
The society is incorporated as the Massa-
chusetts Cremation Society, and Is located
on Walk Hill street, Forest Hills, West
Roxbury, Mass. The body was met at the
depot and Immediately taken to the crema-
tory. The building consists of a crematory
proper and chapel, in the walls Of which
are inches for the permanent reception of
urns containing the ashes Of those who
have been cremated. Both buildings are
constructed of felsite and covered with
roof of red slate. The walls of the chapel
have been carried up to the first band OF
limestone. The structure containing the
retorts has been in use about two years.
| The retorts are heated and bodies incin-
Grated by sprays Of atomized petroleum.
| BY this means is obtained temperature
of from $500 to 5000 degrees Fahrenheit,
only half of which, however, is needed for
the purpose.
The two retorts are built Of red brick,
| lined with fire brick. They are strongly
bound with iron, to resist both end and
| side thrust. The retorts are provided with
| underhues to prevent soakage. Each re-
| tort has its own chimney, united In one
| stack. and also has three No. Ames oil
burners to furnish its heat, and one such
| burner in the stack to give draft and
| secondary combustion.
| The oil burners are operated by an eight
! horse boiler, six-horse power engine, a
fan blower, an oil blower and column.
The processes of incineration begins by
heating the stack for fifteen minutes, then
| the retort-is heated for fifty minutes with
| all the burners lighted. The inner surface
| of the retort Is then cooled by shutting of
the retort burners for ten minutes. After
the body has been placed in the retort, and
| the doors closed, the three burners are
lighted and supplied with minimum of
| oil, and about half gate of air for a quarter
| of an hour. The OIL and air are gradually
increased. AS soon as the process shows
that it is safe to do 30, the stack burner
| may be taken of. AS soon as the process
is completed, the retort burners are shut
of, and the retort given until the next day
| to cool, when the ashes are withdrawn and
delivered to the family. In case of need,
the ashes may be removed at once, and an
other incineratlon take place. The body
| was placed in the vat at IL 80 o'clock and
| an hour and fifteen minutes later the re-
mains were incinerated.
A memorial service will be held next
Sunday at the First Unitarian Church,
Roxbury, Mass, and the services will be
conducted by Rev. James De Normandie,
| o friend of the deceased Monday or Tues
day the urn containing the ashes will be
taken by Mr.. Davis to Dover, N. H., where
they will be inferred in the family lot
! which contains the remains of three gen.
| erations.
Rev. Ephriam Mute, the subject of the
| above sketch was a remarkable man, and
has been identified with some stirring
events during the major part of his life.
] He was born in Boston in the year 1918,
and graduated from the Harvard Divinity
School in 1889, having for a classmate no
| less q celebrated parsonage than Edward
Everett Hale. His first charge was at
Scituate, r. l., and later was pastor Of one
of the leading churches in Chicopee,
Mass. In 1S4O he emigrated TO the West
and located at Lawrence, Kansas, and
pursued his sacred calling. While there
| he became identified with the Free Soilers,
| and was the means of collecting large
amount of money for that party. At the
breaking out of the war, his patriotism
| and love for the old flag, prompted him to
| break asunder from the home ties which
| he loved so well, and place his life and
talents at the disposal OF his country.
| During the war, or atlleast part OF the
! time, he was attached to the First Regi-
ment, Kansas Volunteers, and in 1853 his
splendid services were rewarded by his
being appointed superintendent OF hos
pitals of the South by Gen. Grant. At the
close of the war he went to Lawrence,
Kansas, and assumed the editorship OF the
then leading paper in that town, and con-
| tinued in that occupation till 1875. Since
that time he has been writing history OF
the border ruffian war in Kansas and a
history of his favorite regiment, the First
Kansas Volunteers. Both works were nm
ished some little time before his death,
and are now almost ready to be placed be-
fore the public.
At one time for period Of five years ne
was Chaplain Of Post SO, q. A. X, oil
Brighton, Mass. Deceased was In his 18th
year, and for a man of his age was remark
ably active, and until the day OF his death
was in full possession OF those faculties
which made his life so eventfui. His
friends were confined in no one particular
place, his active life and ripe scholarship
having made his name known In all parts
Of the country.