The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-07-19
BURNING BODIES.,OF THE DEAD
CREMATION is GAINING GROUND
AMONG VARIOUS CREEDS.
In One CrematOry Is Handsome Room
Where MOurners Wait While De-
parted Is Reduced to Ashes.


The dedication recently in Leipzig,
Germany, of one of the finest, if not
the very finest, crematoriums in the
world, one costing about 100000,
calls forth new attention to the pro-
gress of that method of disposal of
dead human bodies. Less than so
years ago the first cremation in this
country aroused considerable Oppo-
sition, but this is being gradually
overcome as people throw aside pref
udice and permit themselves to calm
| ly investigate the merits of this form
of disposal of their dead. Today
there are nearly so crematories in
this country, and thousands of men,
women and children are cremated
! in America every year, such disposal
of the dead exciting no more com
ment than the act of inhumation so
universally practiced. One of the
most curious objections to cremation
was that the almost total disintegra-
ton of the body into it's gaseous
part would Interfere with the res
direction in proper shape for reha-
bilitatiOn, as the body which had
disintegrated slowly in the ground,
through process Of long years not
pleasing to contemplate, would be
more easily reconstructed than a fig
ure from the ashes of one who had
been cremated.
Another objection was that to burn
the body of a friend or relative seem
ed horrible. 1t was suggestive in
more ways than one. 1t was difficult
to impress upon the public that in
cineratiOn is much more beautiful
than inhumatiOn, the deposit of the
body in a hole in the ground being
thought preferable to quick consump-
ton of it in a beautiful building, and
by means of that element which is
recognized as the great purifier. All
these objections have been swept
away, and cremation now arouSes
no more comment than inhumation
Even the Vatican has modified its un-
friendly attitude toward the practice
and in Germany alone last year near
ly 500 Roman Catholics were dispOs-
ed of by incineration.
The new crematory at Leipzig,
lerected in South cemetery, is in the
Romano-Byzantine style of architect
ure. 1t contains three chapels, one
accommodating 600 persons and two
others 200 each. 1t has an immense
columbarium, in the inches of which
urns may be placed containing the
pound or two of calcined bones which
are all that remain of one who has
been cremated. The urns may be of
the most artistic design, costing more
than an ordinary monument of a
cemetery if desired, and bearing in
scriptions according to the taste of
surviving relatives and friends.
In a handsome cremation chamber
the friends of the dead man may
remain while the body is being re-
duced to ashes in one of the adioin-
ing furnaces On the arrival the re-
mains are placed in a concealed trap
door in front of the altar and worked
by hydraulic power. When the SER
vices are ended the coffin with its
wreaths of flowers slowly and SOL
EMMY, as though moved by some
mythical power, sinks from sight,
and is automatically passed into the
furnace without being touched by al
len hands. In the short time that
has elapsed since it has been in use
an average of ten bodies a week
have been incinerated in this sDien-
did temple for the disposal of the
dead.
In conservative England and Wales
the number of cremations last year
was nearly 1000. The most surpris-
ing forward step for cremation, how
ever, was that recently in China,
where such disposal of the dead was
looked upon with horror. During
the prevalence of the plague it was
found to be imperative that the bod
les of the tens of thousands of dead
should be burned for the sake of the
living.
HAVE HIGH REGARD FOR MOON.