The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-02
CREMATION
OR BURIAL !?
Continued from page 81


contrary. there was gratifying exeHp
ton from many unpleasant features c
earth burial. I cannot doubt that thi
reform Will commend itself more an,
more to thoughtful people"
Another clergyman, strenuousIy op
posed to cremation, is asked by a frien'
on his death-bed to have his bod
treated in this way. and against hi
wishes the clergyman accompanies TIL
| body when the time comes. He de
! scribes his experience there and says:
| LAS we turned away from the in
/ Generator where we had left the body
of our friend, it was pleasant to thin
! of him still resting in its rosy light
! surrounded by what seemed TO US as
| floods of purity. 1t was grateful too
to feel that whatever might remain aft
er a few brief hours of purifying work
would be as he would wish it, clean and
white, like his own pure self, without
offence to thought or memory. The
earthly parts which might be driven of
by heat and in that sense made
spiritual would have their home with
sunlight in the upper air. and aitogeth-
err every thought and feeling which
the scene evoked, SO far from being
painful, as 1 feared they would be, We're
enga ging and winsome, if one may use
such words of such a scene. After all
that I have seen / must say that my
feelings are completely changed, and
that the process of incineration is so
much more attractive than anything
which l had ever conceived, that
would as much rather see the body of
my dearest friend cremated than
buried, as can possibly be imagined"
While the practice of cremation has
not made as great progress as one
might expect, yet it is growing in pop
ular favor and in the United States
during 1902 there were 1858 bodies re-
duced to ashes in this way.
on Quarantine Island in 1899 a crude
affair for the purpose of cremating
bodies was erected and it has been
used 1913 times. Crude indeed as COM
pared to many of the beautiful estab-
Iishments now in existence, but those
of us who have seen it in operation
know that it accompIishes the object,
and that, in a little under one hour
The body of at least one member of
this society was cremated there.
During 1900 public meeting was call
ed to discuss the matter of putting in
a more complete apparatus and IN
cided to form company on lines in
1icated in a charter submitted, but like
many other projects of about that time
t was not pushed to completion. AS it
IS likely that there viii before long be
established a new cemetery for the city
ct us hope that it will be in the most
suitable location which can be found
md that connected with it there may
be an up-to-date crematory: and as
-hought and attention is given to the
subject, it will appeal to and win the |
support of many who now hold aloof
When the paper had been read Judge |
said that. he had attended |
he meeting reluctant to listen, but Mr.. |
4owrey's views had been so clearly
md convincingfy set forth, that his
'wn views had undergone quite
hange, and he felt it was the duty of
he society to have the address publish
d by the local press. The society vot-
d in the affirmative on Judge Hart
Wells suggestion, and the paper was
iven to the Advertiser.
DR.. Emerson said that the economic
eature of cremation was very strong
rom the standpoint of the value of
cal estate used for cemetery purposes.
Joseph Emerson said he had once
urveyed a piece of ground near Bos-
While doing so, city officials had tested
Tater running near an adjacent grave
ard to ascertain whether or not it had
ecome polluted for domestic purposes.
his incident had nauseated him and
ince then the burying of the dead did
ot appeal to him.
Prof. Brigham told of the methods
sed for burying the dead in New Or
cans. He had seen some of the con-
rete vaults, in which the caskets had
cen placed, with the bases cracked
wing to the presence of water, and
rom these lizards had been seen to is
Ne. It was repugnant spectacle.
w. r. Castle referred to a meeting in
honolulu during the visitation of
lague the result of which was a can
ass of the community to ascertain its
Jews on the establishment of a crenla-
Org. The results We're not satisfac-
Dry, but he thought that present day
onditions would find a growing senti-
lent in favor of this scientific method
the disposition of the dead
DR.. Bishop was. not in favor of Gre
nation. He was of the opinion that
ands could be found outside city linn
s for use as .graveyards.
T. Give Davies called attention to the
entimental side of the question, which
pposed cremation. When a person
anne to the end of his life he was
rought as close as possible to the
uestion of religion. 1t brought to mind
he raising of Lazarus and the resur-
ection of Christ. There was a strong
eHgious sentiment to be overcome be-
ore people could be brought to favor
remation. The form of the burial SER