1882 Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings Vo 1 026

13

ONLY ASHES REMAIN
---
Cremation of the Body of
Frederic A. Henshaw.
---
The Crematory at Forest Hills Used for the
Second Time - Incineration a Success in
Every Respect - Nothing to Offend in the
Slighest Degree - Body of Mr. Henshaw's
Wife to Be Cremated Today.

[Column 1 of 4]
The Romans in the sepulchral chamber
near the gate of San Sebastiano in their
city, the natives singing their wild, wierd
songs and incantations before the ashes of
their dead in Hindoostan, the Saxons pre-
paring their beloved friends' remains for
their last resting place by incineration in
Dresden, the loving mother seeing the body
of a dear child lowered from her sight for
the last time into the fresh grave in the
family lot were not more impressed nor
more satisfied with the disposal of the dead
than the few relatives and witnesses to the
cremation of the body of Frederic A. Hen-
shaw in the new crematory at Forest Hills
yesterday afternoon.

The relatives and friends of the man
whose body was cremated were satisfied
because they knew that his wish, oft ex-
pressed in life, and when near death's door,
was being carried ourt.

The members of the Massachusetts Cre-
mation Society were satisfied because they
had succeeded in accomplishing incinera-
tion with no disagreeable features.

No doubt the cremation yesterday con-

[column 3 of 4]
verted many doubtful believers to this
method of restoring ashes to ashes.

It Was the Second Cremation

in the new stone and brick one-stored cre-
matory in the shadow of the whispering
pines just off Walk Hill street in Forest
Hills. The first cremation was of the body
of Lucy Stone last Saturday.

The crematory now resembles an artistic
porter's lodge tucked away in a pine
grove.

The chapel is not yet finished, but the
crematory proper is built, and has exempli-
fied its use on two occasions.

Mr. Frederic H. Henshaw was born in At-
tleboro in 1831, and died in Waban Nov.
30, 1893. Services over his remains were
held Dec. 2, and the body was taken to the
receiving tomb of Mt. Hope cemetery. In
this instance the body was embalmed at
the time of putting it in the receiving
tomb, although such a precaution against
the natural dissolution was not necessary.

In the matter of cremation, during life,
Mr. Howard. A. Pickering, a lifelong friend
of the deceased, and a retired Boston mer-
chant, was invested with power of attor-
ney. Mr. Henshaw was a stockholder in
the Massachusetts Cremation Society. Mr.
Pickering persuaded the relatives of the
late Mr. Henshaw to allow representatives
of the press and other interested parties to
witness the cremation.

There were present yesterday Dr. James
A. Chadwick, president of the society; Dr.
Homans, secretary; Treasurer John
Richie, Thomas A. Henshaw, Howard A.
Pickering, Charles Burrell of Newton,
Leonard R. Hodges, Prof. Richards of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Supt. Albert F. Tenney of the crematory,
Moses P. Pickering, president of the Theat-
rical Mechanics' Association of the United
States and Canada; Leonared L. Hodges,
brother-in-law of Mr. Henshaw; Mrs. A. E.
Russell, Mrs. M. P. Pickering, Mrs. L. M.
[Column 2 of 4]
Ham, Miss Mary B. Comyns and Mr. Charles
P. Sanborn.

Messrs. Hobart Ames and W. H. Ames
represented the Ames Oil Burner Company
of New England, the concern which built
the cremating apparatus.

Shortly after high noon the witness

Gathered at the Crematory.

Whether it was the grim fascination of the
whole thing or the intense interest in the
subject, it is needless to say that all exam-
ined the construction of the crematory with
a curiosity not associated with the usual
ceremonies over the dead.

Back of the retorts the room resembles
very much the ordinary steam boiler or
fire room in a small factory. There are
two retorts or ovens, each 8 feet 6 inches
long, 3 feet wide, 30 inches high on the
side and 36 inches at the crown of the
arch. These retorts are lined with the
yellowish white fire bricks. Into these
ovens, from three pipes is driven oil, which
is transformed into spray before leaving
the pipes by tiny propellers.

Connected with each retort is a flue in
[Column 4 of 4]
the great chimney, which stretches 35 feet
skyward above the hearth of the retort. In
order to make the crematory a success
there must be powerful draughts in those
two flues leading up the chimney. The
chimney is kept heated during a crema-
tion. In the bottom of each flue below the
hearth of each retort is blowed the sprayed
oil, ignited the moment it leaves the pipe.

The flames from the three feeding burn-
ers on the other side of the retort pass
across the hearth of the retort; thence it
passes below the hearth and then into the
flue of the chimney.

An engine run by ordinary steam power
lifts the oil from the well outside into a
small glass reservoir above the retorts,
whence it gravitates to the ends of the
tubes to be sprayed before ignited.

The oil used is the residue of petroleum,
after kerosene and the naphtha have been
taken out. It

Creates an Intense Heat.

The draught in the chimney is powerful
in the extreme, while excess gases escaping
from the retorts are burned by the flames
from the draught creating burner at the
bottom of the flue.

The retort room is finished roughly, since
it is not expected that witnesses will care
to visit that part of the crematory ordinarily.
The south retort was used yesterday.

At 12:26 o'clock the burner in the chim-
ney was started. At 12:41 sprayed oil was
ignited in the retort by a torch, and the
whirring wheels of the pump, with the
rushing of the crimson flames across the
hearth warned the spectators that final
preparations for the transforming of ashes
to ashes were begun.

The flames leaped and danced across the
retort until the firebrick glowed with a
white heat. At 1:30 o'clock the superintendent
declared the retort ready to re-
ceive its human offering.

In the room opposite the engine room,
perhaps 30 by 15 feet, the mourners and
nearest friends of the deceases were gath-
ered. One side of the room is a plain
white wall. The opposite side is formed
by the front ends of the retorts, the
monotony of the white brick relieve, per-
haps, by the black iron doors that open into
the ovens.

The black draped casket lay on the cloth
covered bier. Every head was bowed and
hats were removed as four strong men
lifted the casket from the bier. Supt. Ten-
ney unlocks the small brass padlock and
swings open the iron door. It is 1:41 by
Prof. Richards' watch, and the flame have
been shut off for 10 minutes in order that
the casket shall not be charred as it enters
the retort.

The casket is gently slid into place

In the Heated Oven.

A rope is pulled and the inside firebrick
door falls. The iron door is slammed
again. The brass padlock is snapped and
the key is handed to Mr. H. A. Pickering,
who sealed the keyhole of the padlock.

[two sketches]
[Spanning columns 1 & 2]
Caption: THE PEEP-HOLE TO THE RETORT
One man looking into peep-hole while 4 others wait their turn

[Sketch: spanning columns 3 & 4]
[Caption: THE RECEIVING ROOM]
The attendees stand around the casket on the bier. Two women are seated at either end and one man is reading to the group. The iron door of the retort is seen off to the right side.