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Show 1 THE MODERN FlEMR f (From the Catholic Universe.' Cleveland.) The funeral procession of our forefathers, fore-fathers, with their! bier borne by strong hands and the mourners slowly afoot, were tediously harrowing affairs. How these staid folk, cf another cen'tury would have cpened their eyes could they have locked forward to the day when the dead should be borne to their last resting place by swift-going electricity! elec-tricity! Even a quarter of a century ago, we would have shaken our heals incredulously. But the world has made great strides since then, and its progress is broadening every day and adapting itself to every need. One of the latest improvements upon old methods is found-in. the new funeral car which has recently been constructed in Cleveland. While its use did not originate there, the idea having already been acted upon with great success in San Francisco," Rochester and other cities, it has never been fitted up with such elaborate elegance and such great regard for comfort as the model designed design-ed for use in Cleveland. To Catholics it will be especially interesting in-teresting to know that the funeral car is the idea and design of Rev. G. F. Houck, chancellor of the diocese. For many years Father Houck has felt that a car of this kind would be of inestimable inesti-mable value ais a saver of money and time, besides serving the comfort of the public in a way impossible in the old carriage system. Many obstacles have conspired to defer the realization of his long-cherished plan until the present time. No expense has beem spared by the management of the street railway company in carrying out Father Houck's design, and the result is even better than his hopes. The exterior of the car is plain black with a gold border, with the words, in j gold letters, "Funeral Car" on the front 1 and sides. The interior is divided into two compartments; the one in front, j twelve feet in length, reserved for the corpse, is draped mrougnout in neavy broadcloth. If necessary, there is room for four coffins in this repository It la fitted with drop doors on each side, and rubber rollers for greater ease and facility fa-cility in removing the casket Shelves for floral offerings have also been provided. pro-vided. The second compartment, which will seat twenty-eight persons, is fitted out with the greatest taste and elegance. ele-gance. The seats, for greater durability and healthfulness, are made of split rattan and the windows are artistically draped with green tapestry and yellow silk. The draping throughout the car is worthy of special attention. In the clear, the car is twenty-eight feet long and eight feet wide. The principal object of the new car is economy. The hearse will be brought into requisition only for carrying the remains to the church. The car will run on all street railway systems in Cleveland Cleve-land and its suburbs. The problem of the disposition of the car during church services was long a difficult one and ono of the chief obstacles to. its construction. con-struction. This difficulty has now been obviated by setting aside certain stations, sta-tions, thirty-six In number, where the car can be switched off until the services ser-vices are concluded. For convenience at the cemeteries, hand hearses have been provided to which the remains are transferred from the car and carried car-ried to the grave. The members of the funeral party will return to their homes' on the ordinary cars.' It. cannot be doubted that this new departure will meet with much encouragement encour-agement in Cleveland. The world's advancement ad-vancement means the greater comfort and convenience of the people. All these things are signs of progress that cannot be put aside. Perhaps they will also mercifully help to do away with a foolish system of show and sham that fallows us even to the graves of our dead. |