PARK AND CEMETERY 
155 
NATIONAL CREMATION ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED 
The organization of a cremation society 
that counts on the support of the people 
not only of the United States and Canada, 
but of the countries to the south, includ- 
ing South America, was the object an- 
nounced at the meeting in Detroit, on the 
27th and 28th of August, 1913, held to 
organize a national association in accord- 
ance with the call sent out by the Michi- 
gan Cremation Association. 
The gathering was held in the chapel of 
the association at Fulton and Govin streets, 
Detroit, and an address of welcome was 
had from Mayor Oscar B. Marx, who 
after a cordial greeting, stated that : “Be- 
ing a cremationist myself, I have no diffi- 
culty in realizing that the practice of incin- 
eration is preferable to earth-burial from 
an esthetic as well as a hygienic stand- 
point.” He added further : “In order to bring 
about a change in public sentiment, con- 
tinual propaganda is required and in this 
respect, I believe, your new national so- 
ciety is destined to play a great part.” 
After selecting as a name for the new 
society, The Cremation Association of 
America, the business of organization was 
transacted, and the following officers 
elected : 
Dr. Hugo Erichsen, of Detroit, Presi- 
dent; G. S. Metcalf, of Buffalo, Vice-Presi- 
dent; Frank L. Cobb, of Boston, Treas- 
urer; Chas. C. Reynolds, of Los Angeles, 
Secretary, who with the following mem- 
bers form an Executive Board : A. T. 
Roever, Cincinnati; W. O. Roy, Montreal; 
C. W. Buchanan, Indianapolis; R. D'Oench, 
St. Louis; H. S. Mann, Omaha; W. J. 
Adams, Fort Wayne. 
The membership was made active and 
associate, the fee for the former being 
$10.00 per year, and $1.00 for the latter. 
Other active delegates were : 
E. P. Samson, of Pittsburgh ; Konrad 
Krueck, of Cleveland, and Messrs. Win- 
ters and Allen of the crematory connected 
with Woodmere Cemetery, Detroit. 
Dr. Erichsen in addressing the associa- 
tion said: “We have reached another 
milestone in the history of cremation in 
America. For the first time we are here 
assembled to counsel with each other and 
take steps to carry on an effective propa- 
ganda in behalf* of a reform that enlisted 
the efforts of such eminent physicians as 
the late Dr. Samuel Gross, of Philadelphia, 
and Sir Henry Thompson, of London. In 
a recent letter to me, my friend Burkhard 
Reber, President of the Cremation Society 
of Geneva, Switzerland, gave it as his 
opinion, that a continual propaganda is 
absolutely essential to the progress of in- 
cineration.” Further in that line Dr. 
Erichsen urged hygienic argument, lec- 
tures, stereopticon entertainments, and the 
distribution of cremation literature. 
The afternoon of the first day of the 
convention was spent in an automobile 
tour of Belle Isle. 
Ihe second day was occupied by dis- 
cussions on various topics having to do 
with the practical side ot cremation, i. e. 
- — the use of gas, oil, etc., m supplying 
superheated air to the retorts where the 
remains are reduced to their original ele- 
ments, leaving but the lime in the lorm of 
ashes. Ihe matter of allowing visitors in 
the incinerating room during operations, 
was found to have been subject to different 
practices, but Mr. Reynolds, of Los An- 
geles, said that he encouraged the prac- 
tice to the fullest extent, as he was able 
to explain the operation in a quiet and 
sympathetic way, and that the simplicity 
seemed to remove the feelings of affright, 
dread and apprehension ot evil that so 
otten occur on first acquaintance with cre- 
mation. 
t he final session was held in Parlor D 
of the Cadillac Hotel, where the following 
paper on “Columbariums” was read by 5. 
F. Balcom, of Indianapolis, an associate 
member : 
COLUMBARIUMS. 
In the British Medical Journal of Febru- 
ary za, fair, a report ot me progress ot 
cremation in Ureac Britain is given as toi- 
iows: "Becorus snow a sngnc decrease in 
mis country curing the year rylu, the total 
having Deen Sio, as against Soo in isos. 
ac an me crematories together there was 
a total decrease oh to. unis is slight, but 
none the less disappointing, as nowhere 
nas there been a steady increase. The 
cremation bociety ot Bngiana is in a 
nourishing condition, and many wen known 
peisons nave lately given practical support 
to me movement by becoming iite mem- 
bers. Cremation is still almost entirely 
connned to the wen-to-do classes.” 
^ This snows the cremation problem in 
England to be about as in America, as far 
as getting hold ot me masses is con- 
cerned. A writer in the Keview of tteview 
states the present condition quite well as 
toiiows; There are certain movements or 
a public nature whicn literally "pursue 
me noiseless tenor ot their way,” gaining 
aunerents here and there. The cremation 
movement is one of these. 
■from these quotations it is fair to con- 
clude that there has been a lack of effort, 
or that the right methods have not been 
put in use. i ts it sufficient that it should 
be left to “pursue the noiseless tenor of 
its way?” 
Cremation is radically different from in- 
humation, anu a line of cleavage comes at 
the incinerarium, and the province of cre- 
mation ends there. The remains come 
back in a purihed state, but they come 
with an appeal. To bury them in the earth 
is unnatural, for earth in this case has no 
office to perform, and it is a notorious 
fact that mother earth has proved to be a 
most unreliable keeper. To place the ashes 
in an urn without providing a permanent 
abiding place for it, stops at a most un- 
satisfactory resting place. 
Can there not in some way be provided 
a method, peculiar to cremation, that would 
preserve them permanently and in a beau- 
tiful and endearing way? 
It might be answered that columbariums 
are provided. This is getting close to a 
solution, but at the same time we find 
that nearly all the columbariums are con- 
nected with the incinerariums, and here 
again comes in the line of cleavage men- 
tioned. Cremation is an absolute neces- 
sity, but can never draw to itself any 
measure of affection. Sentiment and af- 
fection will ever cting to the incinerated 
remains, so by the true nature of^things 
they should be entirely separate, except in 
cases where it is necessary to store them 
temporarily. 
It’ is easily seen that it is not the prov- 
ince of the crematory to enter this field of 
sentiment. It can only stand ready to per- 
form its grim duty and, realize that’ it has 
a thankless task; and when the practice ot 
cremation Shan nave become any ways gen- 
eral, tne crematory owners wm be grau to 
be relieved of tne care of remains tnat are 
unknown, unseen, ana practically ourieu 
out of sight, wnat tnen can be offered as 
a solution ot the question? 
we will attempt a tew suggestions, as 
follows: 
r. individual or family columbariums, 
located in cemetery lots, and made as at- 
tractive as architectural design and land- 
scape treatment can make them. 
z. community or corporation colum- 
bariums that are located in cemeteries or 
on public ground wnere there can be an 
assurance that they win remain undisturbed 
tor generations to come, 'these can be on 
a scale to make them a matter of pride 
to the patrons, and a credit to the com- 
munity in which tney are erected. 
6 . A national columbarium on a scale 
greater than any of tne others and having 
features that could not 1 be had by those 
erected in the various states, could be 
planned. It could be made to appeal to 
those who have no tamiiy ties that would 
induce them to become associated with any 
state or local columbariums; and to those 
who might wish to establish a tamiiy that 
would provide a resting place tor tne re- 
mains of members of the tamiiy for a long 
time to come. 
The features in which it would differ 
front state or community columbariums 
would be that it should be located at 
some central point and in such a way as 
to insure its not being’ disturbed tor all 
time to come; this could only be m tne 
mountains; tor instance, at some point 
in tne Blue fudge, centrally located as to 
tne country east of the Mississippi river, 
and so maintained that it would be a joy 
to visit it on a pilgrimage. Another feat- 
ure would be that each state could have a 
reservation tor its citizens and the various 
societies could do the same. The order of 
odd f ellows in California has erected a 
crematorium with a columbarium attached, 
but it cannot be of general use over the 
country. In the case of a nationai colum- 
barium, this or any order or fraternity 
could establish a general repository, in the 
same sense that they have a Grand Bodge. 
Such an institution, being under national 
control, would give an opportunity for wont 
m the broadest of all fields. This would 
induce people to become iue members and 
make provision for cremation while yet in 
active life, and would bind together the 
efforts of cremationists ail over the land. 
It would also give full play to the 
aesthetic side oi cremation, for the building 
would be planned on a vast scale, as an 
Egyptian temple, tor instance, which is 
capable of construction and occupancy m 
parts, with a view to a magnificent struc- 
ture when completed. Tne interior would 
be ntted with reception rooms and corri- 
dors which would give endless opportunity 
tor memorial tablets, busts, statuary, pan- 
els, gates and other constructions in bronze, 
marble and stone. 
It is to the aesthetic side of the sub- 
ject that appeals will have to be made to 
secure converts to cremation, for the sci- 
entific side is always in evidence and forces 
its claims continually. The memorial feat- 
ure that has always been a solace to rel- 
atives and friends in earth burial is hard 
to replace in cremation, and work along 
tne line of columbariums will accomplisn 
more than any thing else to remedy the 
discouraging conditions mentioned in the 
beginning of this paper. 
As a final action the association ad- 
journed to meet at Indianapolis in 1914, 
on a date to be determined later by the 
Executive Board, 
A vote of thanks and appreciation was 
given Dr. Erichsen for his energy and un- 
tiring efforts in the bringing together rep- 
resentative cremationists from the princi- 
pal cities dotted over the land from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific, and extending from 
Canada, who was most ably represented 
by a delegate, to the southern boundary of 
the territory now practicing cremation. 
Numerous letters from others were re- 
ceived asking that they be enrolled as 
active members 
