The times., 1899-06-18

down the giggles against them. There
were extenuating circumstances in some
of the inches.
There was little of almost everything,
in fact in the inches. The mortuary dis
plays were of a most comprehensive floral
nature. One woman persisted in calling
the place a herbarium instead of a CO.
lumbarium, and the mistake didn't seem
such a big one. In addition to the arti-
fetal flowers there were palm branches.
sheayss of wheat. vases, worked notices,
embroidered ribbons, photographer,
ever so many photographs. The peoples
faces looked out from the inches contain-
ing their own ashes.
Two women came in and one Of. them
unlocked the glass door of niche about
eight feet from the floor She opened the
door and then they both sat down and
stared up at the urn in its nest OF flowers
and knck-k knacks Occasionally they
wiped their eyes, and at last they closed
and locked the door and went slowly
around on a tour of inspection. Mean
while Engineer Kuehne's wife had come.
She plays the organ at all incinerations,
Eer husband being occupied with his man
fold duties downstairs. Other visitors
had dropped in, SO that there were perhaps
twenty persons present when the first
funeral arrived. The coffin. which contained
the body of an elderly man was placed
at one end of columbarium, and the Ger
man Masonic service was said.
Engineer Kuehne had made his appear
ance, closing the folding doors behind him.
He wore costume much like that which
Faust wears when he is first seen in his
library. a long, full black gown with wide
sleeves and a baret. or ull-crowned cap
something like a Tam The top of this
crown was of scarlet velvet and on each
Sleeve were appliqued a design of Il red
velvet urn about a foot in length. He
was accompanied by another man SINH
larly dressed. At the close of the service
the pallbearers carried the coffin out 10 the
corridor and the doors were closed. Then
came the sound of rumbling as the catafal:-
! que was rolled into place In few min
utes the doors were again opened and the
! friends were beclIoned to approach the
! sliding partition which had been pushed
I back They walked slowly forward, but
| the bystanders, who now numbered forty
or fifty. pressed upon their heels in mad
! desire to get to the opening and see what
1 ever was to be seen, and finally the whole
crowd closed in, a struggling mass, with
J neck craning and elbow prodding and
scarcely suppressed comments on the sight
On the catafalque rested the iron cradle
with the body. which was wrapped in the
white muslin soaked in a solution of alum.
! This is TO prevent any burning of the
/ clothing or the coffin, when it is first put
into the retort and before the doors can
/ be closed. The catafalque had been pushed
! up to one of the iron doors; the assis-
! tant stood with a long iron rod thrust
! into a groove at one side of the cradle.
! Engineer Kuehne slipped on the great
| gloves and opened the outer door of the
retort, then the second door and the glow
| ing sides of the low, long arch became
visible. The ghoulish crowd craned and
prodded more vigorously and uttered long
"O-o-ohs,'' Engineer Kuehne picked up
another rod, thrust 1t into a groove on his
side of the cradle, the two men in their
queer ancient dress drove the cradle far
into the arched retOrt, the doors closed
with two bangs. and everybody turned
away.
After the doors into the columbarium
had been closed the reporter stood at the
open side door facing Mount olivet Gem
etery and talked to Engineer Kuehne and
| the assistant.
Have l any feeling about it," repeated
this extraordinary fireman. "Of course
have But" and he looked across the
street at the men who were digging graves,
Il would never give up my work and take
theirs. Here comes our second one for the
| afternoon. It's young girl, you know.
Only sixteen years old. We shall not take
the body from the coffin. That is at the
familys request. 1t is easier TO incinerate
only the body, you know; quicker and less
| work. For when the coffin is also burned
we have to fan out the wood ashes and
take out the bits of metal with a magnet
But people seem to feel differently about
taking the body from the coffin when 1t iF
a young girl; and she was only sixteen"
Engineer Kuehne's eyes rested on the
white coffin as the hearse turned in at the
gate. and the reporter looked at Engineer
Kuehne. Then he came down the ugly hill
thinking all the time of the advisability
of having law requi.ing that all under
takers, sections, funeral directors, pail
bearers, hearse drivers and firemen In
crematories should have kind eyes. New
| York Sun