The first public burial ground
in Cincinnati was located upon the square bounded by
Fourth and Fifth, Walnut and Main Streets, and was given
to the people by the original proprietors, in part, for
that purpose, the other part being used for the erection
thereon of the first Presbyterian church, near the
corner of Fourth and Main streets. It was used for
this purpose for twenty-seven years, when it became so
crowded that another cemetery became necessary. A
church still stands on the original site, but tall
buildings now occupy the ground once used for burial
purposes. In 1810 a new cemetery was laid out by
the Presbyterians between Elm and Vine, and Eleventh and
Twelfth streets, but it was long since filled, and other
grounds had to be secured.
Other denominations opened graveyards for themselves as
the population and churches increased, until there were
twenty-three cemeteries appropriated for the interment
of the dead, and many of them are still in use.
In 1844 it became apparent that a general cemetery, on
a large scale and some distance from the city, should be
established. A committee was appointed to select a
site, the Garrard farm, of 160 acres was purchased, and
on the 21st of January, 1845, Spring Grove Cemetery
Company was incorporated. And to place it upon a
firm basis two hundred citizens subscribed $100 each,
for which they were entitled to select a lot fifty feet
square. In memory of the springs and groves on the
land, it was named Spring Grove, and consecrated on the
28th of August, 1845. The original plan of the
grounds was made by John Notman, of Philadelphia,
the designer of the famous Laurel Hill cemetery in that
city. To the original purchase 434 acres have been
added at a cost of $330,000. The chief and most
characteristic improvements have been made since 1855.
A system of landscape ornamentation was adopted, which
has resulted in one of the most attractive and beautiful
burial place in the country. As remarked by a
visitor, "its green slopes and wooded levels, its
stately avenues and beautiful monuments, shrubbery and
flowers, new form component parts of one great whole,
unobstructed by fences, and diversified by quiet lakes."
In this lovely retreat are many magnificent monuments
reared by loving hands to perpetuate the memory of
deceased friends. Among the most notable tributes are
the Dexter and Burnet mausoleums; the sepulchral chapel,
containing the statue of George Salves, Jr.,
executed by Daumas, in Paris; the Lytle
monument over the remains of Gen. William H. Lytle,
who fell at Chickamauga; the Shillito, Potter,
Neff, Pendleton, Lawler, Gano, Resor, and Many other
memorials, some of them of great cost and beauty.
The Gano shaft is of gray sandstone, and was
originally erected, in1827, in the old Catherine street
burial ground in the city, by Daniel Gano, to the
memory of his father, the brave pioneer and soldier,
Maj. Gen. John S. Gano. The Walker
monument is fashioned after the celebrated tomb of
Scipio Africanus, in Rome. Another beautiful
monument was erected to the memory of a teacher,
Prof. E. S. Brooks, by his pupils. Col.
Oliver Spencer of the Continental army in the
Revolution, who died here in 1811; Col. Robert
Elliott, who was barbarously murdered by the Indians
near Colerain, in 1794; Rev. Joshua L. Wilson for
thirty-eight years pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, in Cincinnati; Rev. J. T. Brooke, D. D.,
whose prayers lent interest to the consecration
ceremonies of the cemetery in 1845; and many other local
celebrities repose here under fitting memorials in
marble and granite, which the lack of space forbids us
from noticing in this connection.
During the past year more than 200,000 persons visited
this "Silent City," and wandered through its lovely
walks, gazed thoughtfully upon its suggestive memorials
and meditated on the end of reserve for all.
Last years more than 11,000 single graves were occupied,
and the ashes of 1,000 veteran soldiers commingled with
the soil in the lot set apart for them. The total
interments to date are nearly 55,000, and the number of
lot holders is nearly 10,000.
THE CINCINNATI CREMATION COMPANY.
It is learned
from C. M. Lotze, Esq., that this company was
organized October 4, 1884. On this occasion the
following gentlemen met in his office, in the Wiggins
block, to consider the proposition, and they became the
original founders: Otto Rauchfus, C. M. Lotze,
Albert Meininger, V. M. Mayer, C. A. Nulsen,
Julius Greyer, Benn Pitman, Samuel Burnstein, Charles
Jacobs, Jr., and Henry Oliver. The
following were the first officers chosen:
President, Charles Jacobs, Jr.; vice-president,
C. A. Nulsen; secretary, Albert
Meininger; treasurer, Henry Oliver;
attorney, C. M. Lotze.
The Association was incorporated as a company Oct.
26, 1884, and the first general meeting was held at
Central Turner Hall, and the building of the crematory
was begun in June, 1885. It is situated on Dixmyth
avenue, near Burnet woods, on an elevation overlooking
Mill creek valley. The building is oval in form,
massive, and constructed of Indiana limestone. It
contains a chapel, residence rooms for the
superintendent, a basement, where the preparing rooms,
two retorts, and furnace rooms are situated.
When a body is brought to the crematory the coffin is
first placed on an elevator and raised to the chapel,
where such religious services as may have been desired
by the deceased, or friends, are held, after which it is
lowered to the basement, where it is prepared for
cremation by simply taking it out of the coffin and
making a careful examination to be assured that life is
extinct. The body is then wrapped in muslin cloth,
saturated with alum water, when it is placed on a table
supplied with rollers and moved to the opening of the
retort and rolled into the same on an iron cradle.
The process of incineration lasts on an average two
hours, when the ashes are removed and delivered to the
relatives or friends in a metal case to be disposed of
as they may see fit. This was the old process
first in use, but during the summer of 1893 an
improvement was made by the erection of two retorts, and
so arranged that the coffin, without removing the body
therefrom, can be shoved into the retort and all
consumed together.
The fuel used is coke, and the degree of heat attained
is about 2,000 Fahrenheit. The fire does not at
any time come in contact with the coffin or body, but
circulates round the retort. The retort is made of
fire clay. The body is reduced to ashes by the
action of the heat only, and the average weight of the
ashes is 3½ pounds.
The crematory chapel also contains niches in which the
ashes of deceased can be placed in urns, and the grounds
can also be used for the interment of the ashes of such
as their friends may see fit to order.
The retort is completely closed during the process of
incineration, but it may be witnessed through a small
window of mica placed in the rear end. The cost,
which includes a metallic case, is $25. Cremation
began in July, 1887, and up to this time (1893) about
three hundred bodies have been incinerated. The
cost of the crematory building was about $20,000, but
with the cost of site, grading and adornment, the total
has reached about $30,000, exclusive of the retorts and
furnaces, which cost nearly $3,000.
The crematory has not yet been self-supporting, but has been
kept up by voluntary assessments on this stock, and
voluntary contributions by the members and friends of
the cause. There are about four hundred members
and friends of th cause. There are about four
hundred members, composed of all nationalities and
religious beliefs. The officers for 1893 were
President, G. A. Merryweather; secretary, A.
T. Roever; treasurer, Fred A. Meiser;
attorney, C. M. Lotze. Directors: Herman
Husemann, Henry Lowenstein, P.
H. Hartmann, Dr. E. W. Walker, Henry
Littinger, Adolph Sander, and L.
A. Strobel.
Any person can visit the place. The crematory
is always open and in charge of the superintendent, who
will admit visitors and explain everything to them.
It was built for the purpose of exhibiting the process
of cremation to the public free of charge, in order to
reform the method of disposing of the dead for the
benefit of the living. No member of the Society is
required to bind himself to have his body cremated.
This process of disposing of the dead, it is believed,
will become almost universal, because it is demanded by
the laws of sanitation as population increases.
Thoughtfully considered, there is nothing repugnant or
barbarous in this method of disposing of the human
tabernacle. When looked at through the mica window
in the retort, "a beautiful rosy light envelopes the
body, and it seems to be transfigured in an aurora of
benignant splendor. The pallid cheek of death is
made to blush, and grief gathers color, and hope stands
dressed with ruby light ot prophesy the radiant life
beyond. The relic ash, pure as powdered pearl, may
be more sentimentally preserved in the columbarium, or
crypt of churches, than in teh cold, dark human seed,
unabsorbed by the elements, undevoured by the hunger of
plants and animals from which the glorified may spring
when the reveille of the Resurrection is sounded by the
trumpet of the Archangel of Immortality."
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