THE CREMATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 15

THE CREMATORIUM.

',' '■. S'':."Tho; (jpenirig ; bf' tho Wellington. City Croma- :. ;.; .tbrlumt'recojls. memories- of .a "visit■ which 1 ..: '•-paidytb;-Woking' Creniatorium: 1 in. ;October,' /??:MSi", ;.writcs ; ( ; Mr.v;Kpbert'- Darroch.y-!rThe' w'aa;tho first, to be f Greeted lin''- , Englaud/'un(ier'tho'.'nu3picb3;bf'thb English * .■: ; Cremation. Society, and fifteen. years; ago. it was f•, aplainbrickbuildinjjof thrcocompartments, no-! '.v';'thirig;:]ikosb'prbtbnti6us : in appearance as tho ■■-.•.; Wellington. • building,'-' and tho chimney . staok v--.; : Trfis"-!yory much highor. : : .':';.• .", -.:■'-- : ; ; .■■'.,'■ :"Oi£ entering,?tho :first compartment was-tho .■■;•'.. urn'room,' containing sholvos for the urns and .r: j; tre3tlos..for>tlio 'coflin, : for heroin tho -funeral' ~ ;-sdrtico '.was:read.'. •■ After.■ tho scrvico. 'tho coflin v.-. was remove;! to the furnace room,' and 'during -i ..:;:.-the'.'cromation.noi ono''.was >. admitted to ' this J-compartment;except; tho ! attendant,' who In-V'.-Bpec.tcd.irom' time -to timo through /peep-holes ; - ; vtQ:'see-howrthings woro, progressing.' Tho,fire ■ J ~ wfis always; givon two. hours - star t, - and ft cro- '" mntion I ;'usually took about.two hours. . -.' ~-,'. l'"if.relatives or friends n-ero.waiting for.tho ■?;■: ashes,'; they the ; third - compartmont, .;.-/■ a small waiting-room plentifully, supplied with v, 1 - literature touchingoh the subjeots'ior cremation :'.'-,-.and'urn-burial from 1 the .very..-earliest:timos; K.-together with the different pap'ora and paniph- ; volets iof'thV English Cremation:. Society.- -,-. i-V :r ;v--V'"«}or.thß.-;i-.crbni'dt:on.:'. ;, .wo9''.;fii»lßhcd,! , ...-tho. ;'..,attenuant drew v;thoC.remains "-together and ,; ;■/-placed .them in an urn supplied' either.by-tho . •-; relatives, or, ..by, .tho - society. . They could then :- :bo -takon away to tho; private buryinra'alots in ~.-.::-different: cpmoterics or .loft for a fortnfcht at. ■; r 'tho > oremato.riu'm'..- v 'Atth'o''.espir&tibn'of o fort-.' ~'':. night;, if not;claimed, ; .thdy.woro, buriodin, the enclosure round ,',tbocrematorium; which" was <- r . giyeh .up; oatirely - to, urn-burial.;: The' nppeari ,' finco- of .this enclosure: at once : reminded mo of .;';:;? the/'cemßtny.'for our pets in bur childish, days. -V.jl-..Each-gravo was (I thr,oe fect.'s'qnare,-.With n littlo .:,>:!.,woodenvheadstone':about..a'.:foot; but,'.of'.'the .' : ' v;;, Brbund'and.fouf, ; inches in width. 'Tho:bemetory .';contained: the ashes of -at loaSt-, ono porson v'i/'lateiofjNew' Zealand^;.::/.'.;:; ; ,."!.-:•' ;.yX : - ::'..-. . 'v'.;. V"! do; not know what'.tho liltiirinto "reifmins .;'.'., frpmy'a ..cremationVat .'tho 'Wellington: Crbma- ".■'; .torium .-.will \be, but;;fifteen years . arfo ;:• thb :r..;: Woking -.Crematorium' yielded '.small pieces: of 7.;v.bbribplibsidos-. ashes'.'' : -;;-' V;;': ::•:"::;;' ;;..;■':. ;;•;,.;:: ■~' :■''■■ ■' -■ j'-Dr;' Hastings j Stowaft, of' Xbndori,. brother : ; v-toVMfs.': 1. ;W. /Middleton,'.:; of ;Daniel' Street, .- :.-:Newtown, showed mo tho rosultaof a; cremation •;.: ;.which.i ;ho'.witnesse.d.j at.- Woking,"by ..spcoinl -;.'..pHviUgb.yj.Besidoshashes;lthoro;,woro several ; of piece', a"portion'''Of tho .:;: femur;'boihgabout six inches In length.' ■'. -.;-■•,;.' ■..;?: entirely .;,by.': ; voluntary.:. subscriptions—whothor .-.'; /■-, subsidised or not; now. '.by - : a behefiobnt' Govern- ,-•/ 'ment'l cannot,say-r-ahd coftsequontlyicrbmation ;:.';:': was;much.'.more. expensive.'.than"the'orthodox 7^;;bu'rying.";^-^-;^ ; ;: L /.y '^^^'::-^;-^ ::^: ~