The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-31
CREMATION AND BURIAL .
Turning n Religious Rite in Early
AGes-Wben Earth Burial began.

From the Ne7s York Press.
Several correspondents ask for a few
words on the subject of cremation, tho
disposition of Col Ingersolrs body no
doubt prompting the inquiry. 1t Is
strange that modern sanitation should now
revive a custom that was religious rite
before the Christian era, for we know
that in the early ages cremation was prac-
ticed by the civilized world, except among
the Egyptians, Jews and Chinese. After
the stories of Christ rising from the dead
were published abroad, earth burial was
resorted to, and from that time down TO
1872 cremation had but few advocates
Baron de Palm was the first person to be
eremated in this country. his body being
incinerated in a private furnace In Wash
ngton, the only one In the United States
until 1884 The first incarceration in Eng
land occurred In 1885.
There are no less than forty-eight
cemeteries in New York and It's vicinity,
where lie buried the bones of over 40 900
men, women and children over 1900
are buried annually in Calvary, about 5000
In Potter's Field, 4,5O0 In Greenwood 5000
in Holy Cross. $500 in the Lutheran,
about 1000 in Mount Olivet about l. 500 In
Most Holy Trinity, over 1850 In Wood
lawn. about 1900 in Cypress Hills and
nearly 1000 In the EVergreens. The com
The total acreage of our parks Is only $500.
BY adopting the practice of cremation we
might Increase the park area, as we'll as
improve the water supply.
Cities pride themselves nightly on their
cemeteries Every stranger that comes to
look at New York Is driven to Greenwood.
Philadelphia long has Boosted that her
Laurel Hin is the finest graveyard in the
word, SURPRISING even the famed Pere la
Chaise. Boston carries a chip on each
shoulder In Mount Auburn and Forest
HIS splendid cities Of the dead. Balt-
more brags of Green Mount Park, and
Washington never tires of pointing out the
cenotaphs in her Congressional cemetery
and the costly mausoleums in romantic
Oak Hin, where rest the Van Nesses, w.
w. Corcoran, Chief Justice Chase, Secre-
tary Stanton. Gems. Towson, Plummer and
Reno, Commodore Morris and Lorenzo
Dow.
Chicago IS cock-sure the rest of the world
never had such metropolis as Rose Hill.
and Cincinnati IS ready TO stake her last
dollar on Spring Grove Belle Fontaine is
the most beautiful spot In st. Louis. IN
New Orleans the only objects worth see
ing are the levees, the custom house and
Metairie Ridge cemetery. Cleveland has her
Lake View. Detroit her Woodmere, Hart
ford her Cedar HIS. Indianapolis her
Crown Hill, Louisville her Cave Hin.
Memphis her Elmwood, Milwaukee her
Forest Home, Newark her Fairmount,
Pttsburg her Allegheny, Providence her
Swan Point, Richmond her Hollywood.
Rochester her Lone Mountain, Buffalo her
Forest Lawn and Savannah her deep
shaded Bonayenture.
People are dying so fast that We soon
shall be short of room for decent burial
That Is one argument In favor of crema-
ton. In the city cemetery IL already is a
common practice to bury one body on Top
g fg a In IA
and will soon have to be done in Cypress
HIS. which is nearly full. Greenwood
and Woodlawn will last longer as the ex-
orbtant price of lots in those fashionable
grounds keeps out the rabble. In Pot
ter's Field one may sleep quietly at the
expense OF the city; in Greenwood bed
costs 81, 900. ! think Il is cheating the
dead to put one body on top of another.
A man should have at least six feet by
three as far down as China and as high
up as heaven. II not-let his ashes be
placed in a 10-cent urn and set on the
What-not
Some of our cemeteries are private prop
erty until sold to lot holders. Men have
grown rich selling land to the dead, or TO
his heirs and assigns Calvary, the Roman
Catholic cemetery where sleep over 650.000
followers of the Pope, is owned by the
trustees Of ST. Patricks Cathedral. Green
wood is a trust Incorporated under the
laws Of this state, managed by a board or
trustees chosen by the lot owners from
among their number. All money received
goes into the Fund for the Improvement
and Care of the Cemetery" This amounts
to nearly 100000. WoOdlawn is the pop
ular metropolis emong the mlllionaires Just
now. It's 1856 acres filling rapidly with maus-
oleums costing from $4,000 to 5000 IL
surpasses al other places in the world In
the number, beauty and value OF these
imposing sepulchres and tombs