Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-02-02
CREMATION


Club. held at the home of ". Il. Castle
last evening. +. ]. Lowrey read paper
on Cremation or Burial?" Following
are a few of the extracts from this In.
teresting essay:
The subject of how best to dispose
of dead bodies has had consideration
of all ages and periods, and various
reasons and circumstances have led tu
different conclusions at different times
Among the primitive Aryans 1t is
said bodies were consigned to the
flames as they believed that in that
way only could the body be changed
into a spirit.
There seems to be little doubt that
the influence of the Christian religion
was against the custom Of cremation,
and belief in the resurrection OF tho
body had no doubt Its bearing on tho
feelings OF those early Christians.
Admitting that there is objection to
q change, based on prejudice, super.
stition, or sentiment for a custom OF
long established usage, the matter
should at least have careful considers.
ton in It's various aspects.
Another thing against cemeteries Is
that they cannot be considered perma.
nent. One is established in part ot
a city that Is considered to be well
adapted for such a purpose, and out Of
the way Of future development OF the
resident district It Is thought. Is there
one present who has not seen GENE.
teries closed and bodies being re.
moved? In San Francisco In the sew.
enties some OF us saw the old Yerba
Buena give way to progress on the
site of the present city hall lot, and
bones being dug up and hauled away
In dump carts.
As to our local cemeteries. In
Nuuanu valley you see an area not ap
parently crowded, but there are lots
in that cemetery where body has been
placed over body Records have been
kept since 1Si7 and they show $500
burials In those grounds No one who
knows anything about the King street
or Kawaiahao burial grounds considers
that they should be used further. The
former is badly crowded and many In
terments are made where the coffin II
placed in the water. Kawaiahao wal
used at first without any plan as Il
lanes, or walks, and graves were mad
at random you might say. Later al
was cleared Off and the place laid on
as II there had been no burials. Nov
Il Is not uncommon at all to strike 9th
ell, collins, and In digging grave Their
a few weeks ago In space suppose
to be unoccupied, three different col
fins were cut into each lying at a dill
ferent angle.
or course objections are brough
forward against cremation and one
that of destroying evidence Of crime
but 1t seldom happens that bodies ar
exhumed for this purpose. and there
no restriction against embalming boz
les, a process which Is said to be effec
ual in preventing the discovery {
many poisons. But those In charge
crematories are strict In their regul'
tions and In many places are governe
by statutes so that all reasonable pr
> cautions are taken In such matters. O
the other hand the practice OF bod
, stealing is done away with, and III
terrors of burial alive are obviated.
While the practice Of cremation hs
not made as great progress as OF
might expect, yet 1t Is growing In pc
ular favor and in the United Stat
during 1902 there were 3,l5S bodies
duced to ashes In this way.
On Quarantine Island In 1893
crude affair for the purpose OF crems
ing bodies was erected and 1t has be-
used 1893 times Crude indeed as col
VI pared to many OF the beautiful esta
lishments now In existence, but tho
OF us who have seen 1t in operate
:. know that IL accomplishes the obje'
and that. in a little under one hol
The body of at least one member
this society was cremated there.
~ During 1900 public meeting W
called to discuss the matter OF putt
d. in more complete apparatus and II
more accessible place, and 1t was
J. cided to form company on lines In