Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 859611)

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.

Originally Posted by Busman747 (Post 859643)

Originally Posted by steeljack (Post 859644)

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

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 859645)

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?

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 859647)

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.

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 859645)

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?

Originally Posted by Tealeaf (Post 859611)

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

Originally Posted by Benipete (Post 859683)

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

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth (Post 859769)

No, no, no, Garinda! I've just proved she'll float and come back on the rising tide to haunt you!