Would a lead lined coffin float? - Page 2

walkinman221 · 07-11-2010, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

My apologies, Gordon in getting you to do this simple mathematical exercise. The problem was that I read the original exert and made the assumption that because the coffin would have been bashed around as it's granite mausoleum was destroyed it would no longer have been waterproof; in fact, I have made the assumption throughout that no coffin is 100% waterproof whatever the circumstances.

I accept that a partially lead lined coffin may well be capable of floating in the short term (depending upon volume displacement) but there is also a secondary problem arising from the effect of seawater salinity on lead - but anyway, I won't go into that now.

I really don't know 'owt about the techniques and procedures in lining a coffin with lead; I assume the objective is to slow the decomposition of the body, in which case it makes far more sense to wrap the corpse itself in lead sheeting rather than line the coffin itself and then solder the surrounds.

I’ve attached a little sketch comprising 2 end views, feet up from a body in a coffin, one with the body wrapped in lead sheet and the second one with the coffin lined with lead, soldered and with a lead lid as well – I just can’t see how the coffin can be waterproof and as such will, after time, invariably sink.

Is that less in those coffins?

Busman747 · 07-11-2010, 22:58

If the coffin was actually air-tight, the body would surely become much, much lighter and the longer it decays and the various gasses given off from the corpse may have more boyancy than the original air that was in the coffin at the time of sealing the lid on..........?

steeljack · 07-11-2010, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busman747

If the coffin was actually air-tight, the body would surely become much, much lighter and the longer it decays and the various gasses given off from the corpse may have more boyancy than the original air that was in the coffin at the time of sealing the lid on..........?

Think the whole idea of having a sealed lead coffin is to prevent decay , seem to remember reading something during the last swine flu 'epidemic' that the scientific boffins wanted to open a lead lined coffin from the 1918 flu epidemic that killed millions to check the DNA of the chap inside (who was listed as having died from the flu) to see if it was the same/similar virus

Tealeaf · 07-11-2010, 23:18

Very hypothetical, Busman. You could also argue that if various gases were given off then the internal pressure would have been such so as to explode the coffin. Is there anyone here who does have knowledge of the rates of various gas discharges from a decomposing male body?

Tealeaf · 07-11-2010, 23:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

Think the whole idea of having a sealed lead coffin is to prevent decay , seem to remember reading something during the last swine flu 'epidemic' that the scientific boffins wanted to open a lead lined coffin from the 1918 flu epidemic that killed millions to check the DNA of the chap inside (who was listed as having died from the flu) to see if it was the same/similar virus

There is a guy in Church Kirk graveyard who is a defo on the 1918/19 Spanish Flu outbreak; however, I'm pretty sure he's never been dug up. I think the characters you are referring to are soldiers who died in the White Russian war of 1919 and were buried in permafrost up by Archangel. But I dunno if they were in a lead coffin or not.

steeljack · 07-11-2010, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Very hypothetical, Busman. You could also argue that if various gases were given off then the internal pressure would have been such so as to explode the coffin. Is there anyone here who does have knowledge of the rates of various gas discharges from a decomposing male body?

I know of a few town garbage/rubbish tips which have methane collection plants , catchs the gas produced by the buried rotting vegetation but never heard of it being a problem in a cemetry

steeljack · 07-11-2010, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

There is a guy in Church Kirk graveyard who is a defo on the 1918/19 Spanish Flu outbreak; however, I'm pretty sure he's never been dug up. I think the characters you are referring to are soldiers who died in the White Russian war of 1919 and were buried in permafrost up by Archangel. But I dunno if they were in a lead coffin or not.

this is the story , it was bird flu , (not swine flu)

Body in lead coffin may hold key to fighting pandemic | Society | The Guardian

Tealeaf · 07-11-2010, 23:46

Ok...that was one scource. I was going off memory; this is what wikipedia has to say:

Spanish flu research - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm right about the permafrost; I'm pretty sure about the Russian civil war stuff but at the moment I'm under the influence of a couple of bottles of claret and can't be bothered doing 'owt else (until tomorrow, that is).

Benipete · 08-11-2010, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Very hypothetical, Busman. You could also argue that if various gases were given off then the internal pressure would have been such so as to explode the coffin. Is there anyone here who does have knowledge of the rates of various gas discharges from a decomposing male body?

I don't think you are allowed to smoke in coffins now for just that very reason.

Gordon Booth · 08-11-2010, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

My apologies, Gordon in getting you to do this simple mathematical exercise.
I’ve attached a little sketch comprising 2 end views, feet up .

Tealeaf, believe me there's no such thing as a 'simple mathematical excercise' for me these days!I have the memory and attention span of a woodlouse.
I love the sketch but you can see why I left the extra air space-your little man is LOOKING OUT at us! He's still alive!
I lined the box because it made the calculations easier and helped my theory by giving more air space.I haven't a clue how they would do it and of course a wood coffin would never be watertight.But it would float for a while in its own right.
It's still a lovely story and I want to believe it so I won't try to work out what the answer would be if they just wrapped the body in lead-if you work it out and it wouldn't float don't tell me!