74 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
with shift drive to a counter-shaft and 
silent chain drive to the rear wheels. 
One of our illustrations shows the 
motor arrangement. The tires are 
solid, being 34x4j4 in front and 36x4 
dual tires in the rear. The speed will 
be about 16 miles an hour. Power 
will be contained in an Edison Storage 
Battery of 115A-6 cells located under 
the seats and will give a mileage of 
from 40 to 50. These batteries will 
be interchangeable and one set can 
be charged while another set is being 
used so that two or more funerals 
can be conducted in one day with the 
same coach. There is to be no ex- 
pense spared in the construction of 
the bodies and the specifications call 
for spring seats and backs to the 
cushions which are to be upholstered 
in machine buffed leather. There will 
be silk curtains at the windows and 
between the compartments above the 
seats. These curtains make it possible 
to have three compartments or all in 
one as desired, and in inclement 
weather funeral services may be held 
in the car. 
Special attention has been given the 
spring arrangement. These springs 
are imported from France and impart 
an ease of riding which is most neces- 
sary for a vehicle of this kind. 
The Chassis will be built by the 
Electric Omnibus Corporation of 
New York and Troy, and the bodies 
by the H. McFarland Co., of Chicago. 
This car is the result of very care- 
I 7 
•IV 
ful study by C. J. Field, the vice-pres- 
ident of the Electric Omnibus Cor- 
poration of New York, and Mr. Bel- 
lett Lawson, Jr. Mr. Lawson designed 
the type of coach body to be used, 
and has applied for a patent on it. 
As far back as 1901 Mr. Lawson 
studied funeral transportation and at 
that time considered the automobile, 
but as it was in an embryo state 
turned to the electric trolley funeral 
car and the system in use in Buffalo 
was inaugurated by him. It is a great 
financial success. These cars are used 
to their full capacity but as a small 
percentage of people live on the car 
lines the use of trolley cars is limited 
to a comparatively few people. In 
spite of this the receipts are about 
$9,000 a year per car. 
Mr. Field has been identified with 
the Edison interests for years and is 
the designer of the Electric Buses 
which are in successful service here 
for Carson Pirie Scott & Co. In co- 
operation with Mr. LaAvson, Mr. Field 
has completed the details of these 
funeral coaches for this company. The 
company will control this type of 
Funeral Coach for Cook County for a 
specified time under an agreement 
with the Electric Omnibus Corpora- 
tion. The Funeral Coach Company 
has a capital stock of $60,000. This 
will give ample working capital to 
purchase five of these coaches, and the 
necessary equipment, including the 
fitting up of a garage. 
CHASSIS OF LAWSON AUTO FUNERAL COACH, SHOWING 
ARRANGEMENT OF MOTORS. 
PROGRESSIVE WORK IN SWAN POINT CEMETERY 
The annual report of the directors 
of Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, 
R. I., pays a strong tribute to the 
late Superintendent Timothy McCar- 
thy, and tells of the year’s work in 
these interesting burial grounds, that 
are famous for boulder effects, natural 
landscape beauty and careful im- 
provement in every particular. 
Tbe report of the Board says of 
Mr. McCarthy and his successor: 
“To him is due, in very large measure, the 
beauty and parklike character of the ceme- 
tery. He was known all over the country 
by his reputation as an horticulturist He 
knew each plant in the grounds, and treated 
and loved them as tenderly as if they were 
his own children. He introduced many new 
varieties of shrubs and vines here, and rarely 
failed with those, that came from different 
climes than ours. His kindly and sympa- 
thetic disposition attracted all who met him, 
and his upright and sterling character in- 
spired confidence in those who had dealings 
with him. By Mr. McCarthy's death the 
community lost a good citizen, and his many 
acquaintances, a true and faithful friend. 
“We were fortunate in having as assistant 
superintendent, Mr. Daniel S. Thurber, who 
had been associated with Mr. McCarthy for 
many years and who thoroughly knew his 
plans, and the systems that have been so 
successfully employed in the past. From 
his long experience both in the outdoor and 
office work of the cemetery, Mr. Thurber 
was better acquainted with the requirements 
and better qualified than anyone else, for 
the position of superintendent. On March 
8th, 1911, your board elected Mr. Thurber 
superintendent to succeed Mr. McCarthy. 
Our choice was a happy one as all who 
know Mr. Thurber are pleased to acknowl- 
edge and as those under him have shown 
by their faithful performance of their 
duties.” 
Following are some interesting ex- 
tracts from the annual report of Swan 
Point : 
The- work of the cemetery has been, car- 
ried on during the year in the regular rou- 
tine manner. There have been 315 inter- 
ments. Over 40,000 square feet of avenues 
have been regraded and macadamized, 12,000 
square feet of land graded and seeded and 
the general up-keep carfully attended to. 
During the Spring and early Summer trees 
were attacked by canker worms and elm 
beetles. The trees are sprinkled to 
stop the ravages of these pests as far as 
possible. 
The trees have been looked after, pruned, 
cleaned and repaired by the Everett Forestry 
Company. This work was considered very 
necessary as there was much dead wood in 
the trees and numbers of colonies of gypsy 
moths. On account of the great number of 
trees, and their value and importance, it 
was decided to have this work done by ex- 
perts. Although this work seems very ex- 
pensive (already more than. $3,000.00 have 
been spent on it), yet the board thinks it 
will be cheaper in the end, and better done 
than if undertaken by the cemetery force. 
The limits of development in the eastern 
part of the cemetery have nearly been 
reached, and but comparatively few lots now 
remain to be disposed of. 
The board have consulted with Olmsted 
Bros., Landscape Architects, as to the lay- 
cut of the land between Swan Point Road 
and the Boulevard. Their report will prob- 
ably recommend the removal of all the 
dwellings, stables, greenhouses, stonecrush- 
ers, etc., to some new location to the west 
of the Boulevard. The intention is to ob- 
tain a comprehensive plan that may be 
worked toward in the most convenient and 
economical manner. 
Following are some of the rules 
governing the grounds: 
In order to preserve, as far as possible, the 
natural or general surface of the ground, no 
lot shall be raised or depressed without the 
consent of the superintendent. 
Grading, excavations for graves or vaults, 
building foundations and graves, setting 
markers, and all other work in the cemetery, 
must be done by the employes of the cor- 
poration, except, however, that grading and 
embellishment of a lot may be done by the 
owner under the direction of the superinten- 
dent. 
No lots shall be enclosed by curbing, rail- 
ings, hedges or otherwise without the con- 
sent of the directors. 
Suitable monuments, family vaults, and 
sepulchral structures, excepting tombs, may 
be erected on any lot;- and trees, shrubs 
and flowers may be planted thereon, but no 
tree growing upon a lot shall be cut down 
or destroyed without the consent of the 
directors. 
No path shall be less than four feet wide, 
except by special permission of the board of 
directors. 
No grave-markers or monuments of lime- 
stone, sandston.e or soapstone, or of any 
metallic substance, except standard bronze, 
will be permitted. Neither slabs nor head- 
stones should be more than two feet wide 
for adults, and eighteen inches for children, 
and if made with a base the base and slab 
