Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Safety Coffins

February 18, 2026

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  • The historical fear of being buried alive, known as taphophobia, was prevalent in the 1800s, leading to the invention and patenting of numerous 'safety coffins' designed to allow escape or signal for help. 
  • The rise of safety coffins coincided with the cultural shift toward Romanticism, which emphasized the spiritual and the possibility of a thin veil between life and death, fueling anxieties about premature burial. 
  • Various safety coffin designs existed, ranging from simple bells and tubes for breathing/communication to complex spring-loaded lids, with some inventors like Franz Vester and Count Michel de Carnice Carnicki staging public demonstrations. 

Segments

George Washington’s Burial Precaution
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(00:01:10)
  • Key Takeaway: George Washington explicitly instructed his secretary to wait three days before burial due to the real fear of accidental premature interment.
  • Summary: George Washington, near death, instructed his secretary, Tobias Lear, not to place his body in the vault for less than three days. This instruction stemmed from the non-zero chance of being accidentally buried alive due to inadequate medical detection methods of the time. Modern methods like EKG or EEG could detect vital signs that palpation or visual checks might miss.
Taphophobia and Safety Coffin Origins
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(00:03:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The specific phobia of being buried alive is called taphophobia, and the invention of safety coffins was influenced by the Romanticism movement.
  • Summary: The fear of being buried alive is formally known as taphophobia. The sudden appearance of safety coffin patents, dating back to the 1790s in Central Europe, coincided with the rise of Romanticism. This cultural movement emphasized unseen realities and the possibility of an afterlife, which may have amplified concerns about the thin veil between life and death.
Examples of Safety Coffin Designs
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(00:09:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Over 100 safety coffin patents were granted in the 19th century, featuring mechanisms like bells, escape ladders, and spring-loaded lids.
  • Summary: More than 100 security coffin patents were granted in the U.S. during the 19th century, each with unique features. Simple designs included a bell pulled by a cord, while others incorporated tubes and ladders allowing the occupant to crawl out of the grave. One 1843 patent by Christian Eisenbrand featured a spring-loaded lid activated by the slightest movement, though it required being interred in an above-ground vault.
Poe and Premature Burial Narratives
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(00:12:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Edgar Allan Poe’s 1844 short story, ‘The Premature Burial,’ reinforced the public’s intense anxiety regarding being buried alive.
  • Summary: Edgar Allan Poe published ‘The Premature Burial’ in 1844, calling being buried alive the most terrific of mortal extremes. Poe’s writing capitalized on the contemporary belief that the boundaries between life and death were shadowy and vague. This literary contribution likely spurred further development and marketing of safety coffin designs.
Showmanship and Burial Records
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(00:13:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Inventors staged elaborate public demonstrations of their safety coffins, culminating in a nine-day burial record set in 1898.
  • Summary: Inventors often acted as showmen, traveling to sell their devices; for instance, Count Michel de Carnice Carnicki toured with his ‘Le Carnice’ coffin, which included a breathing tube. A doctor claimed one in 200 people were buried alive, using this statistic to promote his product. Faroppo Lorenzo, an Italian volunteer, holds the verified record for being buried alive in a safety casket for nine days in 1898.
Timothy Clark Smith’s Unique Grave
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(00:15:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Timothy Clark Smith’s 1893 grave in Vermont was fitted with a window allowing passersby to visually confirm he was not alive.
  • Summary: Timothy Clark Smith’s grave in New Haven, Vermont, was uniquely designed to address burial fears. His grave included a window positioned six feet down to look directly at his face. This feature allowed people passing by to check on his status and confirm he was deceased. The window remains there today, though visibility is obscured by age.