CREMATION IN NEW YORK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 41, 16 February 1877, Page 4

CREMATION IN NEW YORK.

The New York Herald thus dea-\ cribes the furaaca erected by Dr. Le Moyne, used for the first time on Wednesday: — The crematory is built of brick, one story in height, with & roof of corrugated iron, and is provided with three chimneys. The I building is divided into two rooms, the : reception-room and furnace- room. 'The reception room is about twenty feet square, and ia furnished in the simplest manner. In the centre there ;is a catafalqne upon which to rest the body, and about the room some chairs for the acoomodation of the friends of the departed. A door from the re-ception-room leads into . the . furnace)room, which in size ia about; ten by j twenty feet. In this room there ia nothing but the furnace. The retort in which the remains to be .cremated ; are placed was made Especially for this i purpose. It is seven and a half feet ; in length, twenty-eight ioehes in height, and twenty-eight ioehes wide, and somewhat .resembles a gaa. retort, Jthe \ only, difference being that its; sides are 'perpendicular instead of bejngiLarcbeti. Beneath the retort ia the furnace, and ■ the whole is enclosed 4u brick work. : Coke ia the fuel used, -and it is calculated that the retort can be brought to a . white heat in twenty-four hours. Then the body wilVbe inserted, andln about five hours it will be reduced to ashes Before the ashes can be collected, how- ; ever, the furnace must be allowed to : coo], and this, it is thought, will t&ke i about thirty-six honre. When the 1 ashes are collected, they will be placed io boxes and held subject to the' order of the friends of the departed. An index of these boxes will be kept so that they may be obtained at any time, aud'prevent any danger of their being mingled. Whilst bnrning the gasaes emanating from the body are returned to ; the furnace and there consumed. This ; is accomplished by having a vent hole 'at the back of tlie retort, opening into i the furnace and through this all gasses ; generated by the combustion of the body will be forced to escape. Ai- : ready the furnace has been tested with ' 168 pounds of sheep carcases, and it ; was found to work admirably ; there is, ; therefore, no reason to expect failure I in any other instance. "'■ " ' ' ■ " _J-Ji— _ !_cga