THE MODERN CEMETERY 
83 
Foundations.* 
Before becoming superintendent of a cemetery, 
an experience of some thirty-five years in the prac- 
tical work of a brick and stone mason leads me to 
offer the following in relation to foundations as ap- 
plied to cemetery work particularly: 
It is a great mistake, in my opinion, to use pure 
lime for underground work, but there is lime that is 
one-half cement which persons used to working in 
lime and cement can detect at once when' using it. 
Lime mixed with cement can be used, but the purer 
the lime the less fit it is for use underground; it 
should only be used above ground. Cement, or 
water lime, as some call it, is the proper material 
for foundations, or underground work. In my own 
practice, I use all cement. American cem.ent, such 
as is made in Pennsylvania or New York states, is 
good enough for the majority of foundations. Of 
course, should an extra good job be desired, Port- 
land cement should be employed. 
In mixing all cements with sand, the materials, 
in proper proportions, should be thoroughly mixed 
dry at first, and when water is applied in the mor- 
tar box, care must be taken not to drown the miller^ 
as they say. In mixing, a strong hoe should be 
employed and also plenty of “elbow grease” in a 
lively way, so as to ensure thorough mixing before 
use. 
If the foundation is to be of brick, and -the 
weather is warm, the brick should be not merely 
• wet down but thoroughly soaked with water. A 
dry brick will absorb about one pound of water, — 
equal to a pint. So the advantage of soaking the 
brick is to prevent its drawing the water out of the 
cement mortar, which will prevent adhesion and 
there will be no bond. There is much more moist- 
ure in stone than in brick. 
Cemetery foundations should go down to the 
full depth of the adjoining graves, no matter what 
depth that may be. This is still more a necessity 
in large foundations. This will absolutely ensure 
them from toppling over. 
With good, hard, stone or good, hard, well 
burned brick laid in good cement mortar, and car- 
ried down to the depth of the graves, there will be no 
danger of losing the perpendicular or of falling over 
as is so often observed. 
It is necessary to use good, clean, sharp sand to 
secure good mortar, and the cement or lime should 
be as fine as flour. It forms a paste and sticks the 
particles of sand together, so that when it drys out 
it all becomes like a stone. Good cement will 
harden under water better than when exposed to the 
sun and air. 
*By R. B. Campbell, Superintendent of Holy Cross Cemetery, Fern- 
wood, Pa. 
A fair mortar may be made of a proportion of 
two barrels of sand to one of cement; if the cement 
is not considered extra good use one barrel of sand 
to one of cement. 
A few years ago I built some six little dams in 
a brook, which I was told I would have to build 
every year. I said: I guess not. They are there 
yet and are the beauty of my cemetery entrance. A 
stone wall foundation one foot thick was put in one 
foot below the bottom of the brook, and upon this 
a nine inch brick wall was built, arched up stream 
to form the dams. The arch form holds the struct- 
ure secure against spring freshets, which in the case 
of straight walls would carry them out. 
(§)U^^e^t!on^ to Lot OWner^. 
The Lakewood Cemetery Association of Lake 
City, Minn., have displayed praiseworthy enter- 
prise in the issue of an Annual for distribution 
which contains some good things. It is stated that 
one object of the Association is: “A labor of love, 
prompted by the tender recollections of the loved 
ones that are buried in our cemetery.” Another is: 
“It is an organized effort to keep the grounds in a 
neat and tidy manner.” It states plainly that: “It 
costs money to mow and rake, dig and cultivate, 
plant and water, mend and paint,’’ and suggests to 
lot owners that they can extend help by contribut- 
ing to the Permanent Care Fund, or at least, pro- 
vide for annual care. 
The following form is suggested for bequeath- 
ing money for Perpetual Care with Guaranty of 
Lot: “I hereby direct my executors to pay to the 
Lakewood Cemetery Association of Lake City, 
Minn., such sum of money as may be found neces- 
sary to obtain from said corporation a contract for 
the perpetual care of my lot . . . . in said cemetery. 
For convenience in mowing and raking, lots 
should be kept as nearly level as possible; also gra- 
vel walks replaced by grass paths, and on a level 
with the lots. 
“A good and well kept cemetery is one of the 
highest recommendations a people can have. With 
shabby churches, poor school houses and disarrang- 
ed cemeteries, there is little to boast of in any com- 
munity. They are an index to the moral standing 
and social pride of a city or people, and when they 
go uncared for it is useless to expect an influx of 
good people, for they will look elsewhere for 
homes.” 
“Familiarize yourself with the rules governing 
your cemetery, and do what you can to assist in 
their enforcement.” 
The unusually dry season has most forcibly suggested that 
an efficient water supply is one of the actual necessities of the 
modern cemetery. 
