The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-11
s Street. w. v. Y ID s CO. Street.
DEAD IN PARIS.
How Bodies Are Cared For and Disposed
Of in French Capital.

In reply to an inquiry from the Massa-
chusetts Cremation Society, and for the
information Of the large number OF AmePf-
cans who visit or reside more or less per-
manently In Paris, the. following report,
summarizing the formalitles and conditions
which pertain to the burial, cremation,
embalming and transportation Of the re-
mains of persons who die within the city
and district of Paris, is submitted by Con-
sui. General Frank H. Mason:
Prior to January 1, 1907, the burial or
other disposal of the dead in Paris was in
trusted to a corporation under municipal
control, known as the rPompes Funebres,"
which provided all the paraphernalia of
funeral services, interments, etc, under
an elaborate tariff of fees, graded to fit tho
several classes of funerals of persons of
different social and financial condition.
Since the beginning of the present year
this function has been assumed by the
municipality of Paris. which now deals di-
rectly with the undertakers, of which there
are about forty in the city, and who OBJ
tain from the municipal bureau collins of
various classes, bearers, transport wagons
and carriages for funerals, as well as pail
bearers and all the material requisite for
dEaping of houses of mourning.
The prices which the undertakerS pay
for all these things are fixed by ordinance
and are therefore uniform, but their
charges to the family or. estate of the
deceased includes a great many additional
items and are in many eases based on the
supposed ability or willingness of the sur
viving relatives to pay. 1t Is here that the
opportunities for extortion occur and lead
to abuses, of which Americans, In COM
mon with other foreigners, have frequently
cause to complain.
When a death occurs IN Paris, whether
10 a hotel, hospital; boarding house or
private dwelling, 1t is required that the
fact shall be at once reported. to the au-
AIA~44t1a ~ 41a vrnnAfcnapnnnf = O~ nrn-
cinct, in which the decease has. taken
! place. Through this report or Ny some
private channel, an undertaken who learns
! of the death usually appears on the scene
and presents himself to the stricken fam
ily as the representative of the munich
pality who will take charge of all neces-
sary arrangements for the disposal of the
remains. Foreigners under these circum-
stances are apt to place the whole bust
ness unreservedly in the hands of the I'M
| dertaker, leaving him pra ctically with a
free hand as to the means to be employed
and the expenses incurred. AS ignorance
In such cases is apt to be costly, the fol-
lowing facts are worthy of consideration
by those to whom the subject may have a
personal interest.
There is at the Cemetery of Pere La
chaise, in Paris, a crematory at which the
body Of ANY person who dies in France
from any cause except suicide or murder,
may be inclnerated under the following
conditions:
II the deceased is accompanied at tho
time ofsdeath by a husband wife< parent
or other near relative, such survivor
should write on a sheet of stamped paper
q letter to the malrie of, the arrondisse-
ment in which the death has taken place
la request that. in accordance. with the ex-
pressed wish Of tie deceased person, per-
mission may be granted for the body 10
be cremated. This request may. be pre-
sented by the undertaken who has been
intrusted with the preliminary arrange
ments. If he is known at the marie the
request is uniformly granted on his state
ment and without the presentation Of any
passport or other document excepting
physician's certificate establishing the
cause and place of death.
A person travelling alone should, ms 0
matter Of .precaution. carry with his pass
port and other personal papers a WRITER
request specifying, in the event OF death.
what disposition shall be made of his re-
mains. IN the absence OF some controlling
reason to the contrary. this wish is uni
formly respected. provided sufficient funds
or credit is available 10 meet the expense
which would be thereby involved. IF !:
physician Is in attendance a verbal Fe-
quest made to him by the patient Is gen
orally sufficient to decide what dispostti y
snail be made Of the body after death.