Strange History Of Safety Coffins: From Ancient To Modern Times
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The fear of being buried alive has been a constant companion of humankind for as long as anyone can remember. As bizarre as it might sound, certain variations of safety coffins designed during the 18th and 19th centuries are still in practice today.
The recovery of supposedly dead victims of cholera, as depicted in The Premature Burial by Antoine Wiertz, fuelled the demand for safety coffins. Image credit: Antoine Wiertz - source - Public Domain
Taphophobia is the medical term for fear of being buried alive due to being incorrectly pronounced dead.
Taphophobia can be justified due to the number of cases of people being buried alive by accident. In 1905, the English reformer William Tebb collected accounts of premature burial. He found 219 cases of near-live burial, 149 actual live burials, 10 cases of live dissection, and 2 cases of awakening while embalmed. Of course, Edgar Allan Poe's novel The Premature Burial, published in 1844, resulted in even greater fear, mainly since the book contained accounts of supposedly genuine cases of premature burial.
Therefore, it's not a surprise people feared coffins and graves.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many safety coffins were patented. Many sarcophagi were fitted with a mechanism to allow the occupant to signal that they had been buried alive.
The first recorded safety coffin was constructed on the orders of Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick before he died in 1792. The Duke demanded to have a window installed to allow light in and an air tube to supply fresh air, and instead of having the lid nailed down, he had a lock fitted. In a unique pocket of his shroud, he had two keys, one for the coffin lid and a second for the tomb door.
The trouble with many designed safety coffins was that they included ladders, escape hatches, and even feeding tubes, but their creators forgot to implement a method for providing air.
In 1798, P.G. Pessler, a German priest, suggested that all coffins must have a tube inserted from which a cord would run to the church bells. If an individual had been buried alive, he could draw attention to himself by ringing the bells.
Pessler's colleague, Pastor Beck, suggested that coffins should have a small trumpet-like tube attached. Each day, the local priest could check the state of putrefaction of the corpse by sniffing the odors emanating from the box. If no smell was detected or the priest heard cries for help, the coffin could be dug up and the occupant rescued.
In 1822, Dr. Adolf Gutsmuth wanted to demonstrate his ingenious safety coffins. He was buried alive, stayed underground for several hours, and even ate a meal delivered to him through the coffin's feeding tube.
Improvement of safety coffins and their mechanism continued. In 1829, Dr. Johann Gottfried Taberger designed a system using a bell that would alert the cemetery night watchman.
In 1900, Walter McKnight of Buffalo, NY, patented an all-electric device for "indicating the awakening of persons buried alive." In addition to the usual air pipe to the surface, a giant electromagnet (solenoid) pulled up a cap on the air pipe when the movement of the corpse's hands closed a switch. An electric bell was mounted outside the enclosure.
A telegraphic grave signal device was patented in 1901 by Monroe Griffith of Sioux Falls, IA. In addition to the wiring of hands and feet to signal awakening and movement of the corpse switches under the corpse would close if grave robbers lifted the body. Rather than a buzzer above the grave, the wires lead to a central office such as "the home of the cemetery sexton or police station."
In 1908, George Willems of Roanoke, IL, patented a grave attachment that consisted of a pipe at the foot of the coffin leading to the surface, with an adjustable mirror at each end and a remote-controlled flashlight. The idea was to observe the corpse for several days after burial.
1913 brought a more sophisticated device for detecting a corpse "in hospitals, morgues, crematories, at bathing beaches and on ocean-going steamers." Peter Backus, of Delphos, OH, was the inventor. The elaborate apparatus consisted of a motor-driven vacuum pump, electric heaters, a telephone monitor, and a unique stretcher in a sealed casket. Presumably, a professional operated this apparatus and performed tests for residual life in the corpse.
As late as 1983, Fernand Gauchard of France patented a coffin life detector. The device used electrical relays and included a vacuum pump but still relied on the old standby of detecting body movement to trigger the alarm.
In 1995, a modern safety coffin was patented by Fabrizio Caselli. His design included an emergency alarm, an intercom system, a torch (flashlight), a breathing apparatus, a heart monitor, and a stimulator.
It is believed that the phrases "saved by the bell," "dead ringer," and "graveyard shift" come from the use of safety coffins in the Victorian era.
The fear of being buried alive is still with us today. However, it is interesting to note that no documented cases of anybody being saved by a safety coffin.
Written by - A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Updated on October 29, 2023
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Ancient Greeks In Ukraine: 2000-Year-Old Settlement With Previously Unknown Structures – Localized By Polish Archaeologists
Archaeology | Nov 15, 2015
-
Mysterious Handprint And Cry For Justice From Beyond The Grave
Featured Stories | Jan 2, 2020
-
Maya Site With At Least 300 Buildings Some Of Which Are Over 8 Meters High – Discovered
Archaeology | Sep 16, 2022
-
Mysterious Hockomock Swamp – A Vortex To The Unknown In Massachusetts?
Featured Stories | Oct 9, 2019
-
Ancient Great City Of Napata In The Kingdom Of Kush
Civilizations | Dec 30, 2015
-
On This Day In History: Ensisheim Meteorite Fell To Earth – On Nov 7, 1492
News | Nov 7, 2016
-
Mysterious 210,000-Year-Old Apidima Skull Could Re-Write Human History
Archaeology | Jul 11, 2019
-
Ancient Greeks Had Great Understanding Of Weather And Climate
Civilizations | Sep 7, 2015
-
Was Tintagel Castle A Fortress Used By Iconic Hero King Arthur?
Featured Stories | Jul 12, 2022
-
Surprising Time Capsule In Antarctica – Evidence Of Toxic Heavy Metal Pollution 800 Years Ago
Earth Changes | Jan 18, 2024
-
Earliest Document Written 2,100 Years Ago May Rewrite History Of The Basque Language
Archaeology | Nov 17, 2022
-
The Prophecy Of The Rainbow Warriors And Future Of Planet Earth
Featured Stories | Aug 29, 2018
-
When Did Humans First Start To Speak?
Featured Stories | Dec 12, 2022
-
Unraveling The Mystery Behind The Perplexing Story Of Pied Piper Of Hamelin
Featured Stories | Sep 29, 2015
-
Advent: Facts And History About The Christian Season Celebration
Ancient Traditions And Customs | Dec 1, 2023
-
Roman Coin Hoards Found In The Conwy Valley Declared Treasure
Archaeology | Oct 20, 2023
-
On This Day In History: Emperor Romulus Augustus Deposed – On September 4, 476
News | Sep 4, 2016
-
Djoser – Most Outstanding King Of The Third Dynasty In Ancient Egypt And His Step Pyramid
Featured Stories | Sep 7, 2021
-
Rare ‘Cursed’ Tablet Predating The Dead Sea Scrolls Discovered On Mount Ebal Could Re-Write History – Scientists Say
Archaeology | Mar 25, 2022
-
Secrets Of The Scarab – Ancient Sacred Symbol In Human History
Ancient Symbols | Jun 14, 2015