WELLINGTON CREMATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 444, 1 March 1909, Page 8

WELLINGTON CREMATORIUM.

111 July, 1906, a movoment was established in Wellington which had as its object the building of a crematorium. A circular was issued to leading citizens by the Mayor (the Hon. T. W. Hislop) inviting subscriptions for the Wellington Cremation Fund. Tho circular had its geaiesis in tho presence in the city of Miss Studliolmo (daughter of tho late Mr. John Studholme, of South Canterbury), who had been in England for some years studying tho wide range of subjects embraced by the term "hygiene, under the auspices of the National' Health Society. Miss Studholmo's health not having been of tho best at that time, she. decided to visit lior people in Nc.v Zealand. Before leaving England she was asked to endeavour to do something to forward the idea of establishing crematoria in this colony. ;\ ith this end in view, Miss Studholme waited upon tho Mayor, and, with his aid, succeeded in forming a small committoo to forward the object in view. , Although the matter had been discussed at different times by the City Council, the first definite steps woro taken m December last, when tho council accopted a tender for the furnace. It was submitted by the Carbon Oxide Company, of London, and the prico was £545. Plans wero prepared for the building, and a'couple of weeks ago tho contract for its erection was lot to JHr. J.

Priddoy, at £749 10s. The crematorium will be erected in 'the Karon Cemetery, on a site adjoining the old caretaker's cottage, near the eastern boundary. The building will be of brick, roofed in Marseilles tiles, and the chimney, 50 feet in height, is concealed in an ornamental tower. The front portion forms the chapel, 28ft. x 18ft., which opens through to the cremating chamber, 24ft. x 15ft. At the inner end of the chapel, the coffin is placed on a catapalquc or table, from which, by means ■''of a noiseless hand winch, it can be removed through automatic-ally-closing doors to tho cremating chamber and to its place in tho furnace. Cremation will occupy about an hour. From the accompanying diagram it will be seen that the coffin is not placed above or near .the actual fire; a barrier separates it from the flames, and only the great heat of the furnace operates in reducing tho corpse to ashes. Tho chimney is sufficiently nigh to prevent any nuisance arising from the fumes. If desired, tho ashes may bo collected and placed in an urn or buried in a gravo in the ordinary way. The crematorium should be completed by tho middle of June, and the furnace, now on the way out from England; will then bo fitted without further delay, so that August should see the institution ready for uso. Tho City Council has not yet decided. what fees will bo charged, but the payment should not bo moro than £2 or £3.