The Mystery of Barbados’ Moving Coffins 

Love Bespoke post already glad they’re still sponsoring

"explore box= some dumb shit and a coconut vanilla bean bar!? dude.........come on. everyone has sold out. incredible

If it wasn't just made up, could also get a coffin standing on its head from simply there having been more weight there as the water made it float. Lower body weighing less than upper body, so the coffin floating up by its lower portion first.

Can you make a episode written by chat gpt. Would be interesting

I've seen water move dozens of coffins during various flash floods in Louisiana. These were all modern, metal, sealed coffins. In the southern part of the state, the water table is so high that most folks are interred either in fully above-ground mausoleums or in individually sized concrete boxes set only slightly into the ground, so that their thick lids sit at or slightly above the surface. Often, newer boxes are then stacked vertically atop the 1st. Only in a few hilly areas is it possible to dig a proper grave but even there, enough water can still move the coffins. Obviously, all the above-ground structures are apt to be swept away in a flood but the interesting thing is unearthing of coffins in ground-level boxes and even buried several feet in the ground. This happens due to the buoyancy of the coffins. In the case of the ground-level concrete boxes, water gets in under the lid and floats the coffin within the box. This doesn't require a major flood, just enough water to fill the small space between the coffin and the sides of the box. Thus, it can happen just from a common hard rain of several inches in a short time. Anyway, the coffin is buoyant enough to lift the lid of the box, this being concrete 3-4" thick. As the coffin is usually curved on top, the lid tends to slide off to 1 side and end up slightly askew when the storm passes, like somebody with insufficient means tried to rob the grave. But if there's a major flood happening then coffin might be able to rise completely out of the box and float away in the surface water. The process is essentially the same for coffins buried in the ground, although this takes a particularly severe storm and flash flood, especially after a fairly wet period preceding it. It also usually requires a fairly fresh grave, where the dirt above the coffin is still relatively loose. The ground gets so saturated that the coffin starts floating upwards through it, and the dirt above is so soggy and loosely packed that it can't prevent the coffin rising. As a result, the coffin can erupt from the ground with some force, usually with 1 end coming up first like at the end of that old "Poltergeist" movie. There is actually news video footage of this happening. Anyway, as this is a severe storm, there's usually a fair bit of water flowing across the surface so the coffin is often then swept away, although sometimes it remains upended partially protruding from its grave. Anyway, coffins float (at least modern metal ones). Add sufficient water and they move very easily. This is a well-known and documented thing in Louisiana, happening basically in every major storm. But it's never been considered supernatural because it always happens during a highly obvious storm and up on the surface where it's totally visible while it's happening. The only difference between this and the Barbados case is the lack of visibility inside the tomb while this was happening.

"The Whistlerverse." I like it!

Ask a Retired Mortician :) Her channel is pretty darn good nontheless.

@@ABrit-bt6ce Did Caitlin actually change the name of the channel? I've been wondering why I haven't been notified of any new uploads in forever.

She's been on sabbatical, but has been slowly revving up again. Sounds like she's got things in the works. ​@audreymuzingo933

@@audreymuzingo933 No, she's just gone a bit quiet. I watched the JFK vid just after I commented. 2 months ago was the last from her.

The middle ages were magic 🎵

I’m a bit puzzled, you wrote about the caskets that ended up in a a standing position and why. But most ended up on their heads, supposedly. And also Simon says coffins although I’m not sure they know the difference. Just theoretically I am assuming a coffin more likely to end up with the head down, as the narrow part seems more likely to float(?). I’m not sure honestly but when I think of bottles the top tends to float up and the bottom down, so I guess a greater likelihood of the same for a coffin, but a casket, of course having no narrow end, would be 50/50 chance of which side ended up.

@@KraftyKreator In the time period this story features, they could have been either shape. As to the "head" end of the casket sinking, humans have a greater concentration of bone mass in their upper bodies than their lower. That could have played a role. As well, most crypts have shelf-like pockets in the walls. Into which coffins/caskets would be fitted. This would mean that, in order to be floating around the room, they'd first need to float out from under the shelf above theirs. That might have caused the contents to become jostled a bit, from one end of the box to the other. The exception was the one placed on a bier (plinth, I think some might call it). This one might have had more freedom to tip in whichever direction offered the most/least resistance.

@@EgaoKage Don't forget playing bumper cars with other coffins, heavier ones taking longer to float and coming up underneath an already floating coffin, tipping it up at that end. Just watched video of homes flooded in Texas recently and the contents of the homes were scattered about much like described here.

Also if the smaller coffin was placed head to head on top of the larger then that would cause an uneven weight distribution from the start. Causing it to tilt towards the head end and any liquified contents to follow before it was floating clear of the ground. If it then drifted towards a wall before the water drained from the chamber the wall could have "helped" it to settle on its end when the water drained away. Essentially the wall would have prevented the lighter foot end from touchin the ground as the water drained.

"Get OUT of my HOUSE" *yeets coffins*

"Get OUT of my HOUSE" *yeets coffins*

Exactly what I came here to say! :D

Or just being annoyed at having the cheapest coffin.

Barbados Slim!!

My family are from Barbados and I didnt even know that!

It’s like saying Hawaii is in America; it’s part of America, so technically true, even though it is located in the Pacific.

Yep I learned so at school (combermere) in Barbados we are an Atlantic island nation though obviously culturally Caribbean.

I told my story on Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. I knew Barbados was south. I wasn't sure how far south. Also, my mind kept thinking of Jamaica! I had a friend from Jamaica. She was well educated & very kind. I loved my visits with her.

Yes! Caitlin is so under rated. She's demystified so much about death and dying in such a positive way that we just need more of her in the world

@@Seanii9323 Agreed. And less, like, RU-vid censoring her because *gasp!* she mentioned... DEATH!!

Is this a different title from Will My Cats Eat My Eyeballs by her?

I laughed at so many parts of "Smoke gets in your eyes" bwahhhaaa. Guess I have a sicker sense of humor than I thought lol

@@dannileigh6426yes

Also 'From here to eternity' great books.❤❤❤❤

She's an absolute star! Been following her channel / reading her books for ages!

No, he wants to live forever, he'd sit down for a ghostly brunch with the pharaohs to figure out how to last as a ghost the longest.

​@@personzorz If you could live forever you'd still inevitable die at one point because you'd get stuck somewhere and die of starvation or dehydration - it actually got approached mathematically and over time the chance to get stuck in a situation you can't free yourself of approaches certainty. 🤣

​@@kai_plays_khomuspresumably a GHOST wouldn't have that issue. Also if your immortal then you'd just have to wait for someone to come along and pull you out or erosion or whatever to get you out of wherever you eventually get stuck.

If they're real he'd actively choose to move on anyway to avoid anyone noticing him and thinking ghosts exist

If he became a ghost he would be a sixth sense/the others type of ghost where be thinks he's still alive and assumes he's just having huge memory issues

I was coming into the comments to add this. Shifts in weight, unequal weight distribution in the coffin construction, small leaks, etc. could all cause this. Not to mention if a coffin got caught up on a ledge or rough surface on the walls, one end would "stick" while the rest lowered with the draining water.

There was that sealed sarcophagus they found a while ago in Egypt upon opening they discovered the 3 buried inside of it had turned in a pool of liquid. My guess is that the surface inside of the coffin is uneven, causing the liquefied remains to be unbalanced, so when the place is being flooded, only one end is being lifted, like half filled bottle of soda.

I was hoping someone would have mentioned this, as with the decomposing matter being shifted with the movement and ESPECIALLY in the case of one of the individuals being exceptionally large are going to shift how they balance when floating in the water, and thus how and where they're left positioned as the water slowly drains and leaves them positioned strangely and inconsistently to one another which would have made the whole thing feel more supernatural upon discovering it to anyone unfamiliar with what could have caused that.

​@@Skelath forbidden smoothie

The ceiling of the vault was arched so if the water level was high the floating coffins could have been turned by it.

yes

I've never seen a lead coffin, let alone multiple lead coffins, float. With how big/small the vault is, it would take a strong surge of water to prop a lead coffin, that required 8 men to lift, against the door. Also, how would the only wooden coffin stay in place while lead coffins are thrown about?

​@BURDYMAN777 it doesn't take much water for the lead coffins to float. Also, the wooden one was thrown around the first few times, until it was damaged and they tied it back together with wire. From that point on, it didn't move. Boats full of holes tend to be bad at floating.

@@BURDYMAN777 You wont see 8 men carrying the Titanic would you, but she floated, same principal, i have seen many wrecked and destroyed lead coffins etc in crypts and if you had a grasp of energy or forces etc, its a google away, but it really is simple.

@@BURDYMAN777 air inside lead coffins, wood coffin filled with water. A liitle bit of air will pick up alot of weight under water. Google "lift bags". 2 bags about 4ft square full of air will lift a 2000 pound car from the bottom of a river.

Thanks! I was wondering.

I'm now like Mrs. Winchester. I'm petite with arthritis in my knees & hips. I remember the 4" risers for the staircases. I loved it then. But I often think of having shorter risers to prevent arthritic pain in my knees & hips.

I learned so much from Black Forger about puff ball mushrooms it was so interesting.

They grow all over here. They are a natural pesticide that's harmless to humans. That dust drives bugs off really well.

happy birthday!!!

lol I just commented something similar as a (now former) fellow New Orleanian! Hi!

That’s why you just don’t live below sea level. Common sense. Adopt mandatory cremation

How is the water coming in with enough force to move a lead coffin without damaging the crypt

The problem is the church is on a ridge. The area does not flood.

Exactly! I grew up in coastal Virginia. Our flood waters drop too quickly to raise all the the newest coffins, but Richmond, VA 2hrs from my hometown had terrible flooding issues and I can remember as a child the news always showed video footage of coffins floating down the main roadways of Richmond, VA every time they had a serious flood which usually occurred around Hurricane season and any major storms. The James River flows through downtown Richmond and that river can flood to tremendous levels. The level of that river has risen over 28ft due to flooding. The flood level starts at 17ft. They now have a massive floodwall downtown to prevent flooding issues.

Does he have children?

Ag1

Agreed- immediately thought he had accidentally brought a large sippy cup from home! Made me chuckle the whole time.

Might be a Gamer Sups cup. Many shaker cups are built/look that way.

@@nicoletor8604 he have two kids, he did talk about them alot in the channel.

What is wrong with your eye?

Same.

Me too, but they made me jaded. Every time I looked into a subject, I found they left out vital info that gave an obvious and mundane explanation. I don't trust anything now, cuz is always someone who prefers a fairy tale to reality. And so spins the facts.

@@PositiveOnly-dm3rx I did a cursory search on spontaneous combustion and there does not seem to be a clear scientific explanation, only theories) For the record - I’d love one, it would be rather comforting!

I loved those books so much. Time Life or something did a big series. I was haunted by Spring Heel Jack. It's funny what sticks with children.

@@staceyn2541 I have never heard of him before, will read up) I still love a good supernatural tale)

You don't think you may have a problem....😅 Cheers from New Zealand

@@stevelee5724 think? Absolutely not I’m much more self aware I know I got a problem 😂😂 shouldn’t pick topics I’m interested in lol

Dorcas was a fairly common name

I'm with you on that... what an unfortunate name, common or not

Almost as bad as Sigourney

Dorcus is a Bible name, hence popular

Dumb.. lol. Another fictional character is froto, that's not a popular name,

That's a "proper" way we say it, it's more like bar-bay-dus 😭

It's probably spelled Dorcas, but you're not wrong 😂

You'd get bullied so hard as a child with a name like that now days

​@@wolvie1618 So hard. The kids would be merciless.

​@@wolvie1618I had a colleague and friend called Dorcas. I also remember it being the first name of one of our music teachers when I was in primary school.

Dorcus/Dorcas is Latin for antilope(I'm a Ling.Anthropology nerd). So that, mixed with Dork being a relatively new word, is probably why Dorcus/Dorcas ended up being used as a name without anyone batting an eye.

Oh you would have HATED my neighborhood a few years back. There was a volcano going off in my district and it caused like a dozen earthquakes a day. I saw one so strong it looked like someone had grabbed the ground and shaken it like a blanket, it *rippled*

Trevor Marshall spoke about on something that used to show on CBC eons ago

The Museum does a bus tour every Halloween and the Chase Vault is usually a part of it.

The Chase Vault is at Christ Church Parish church, take a right when looking at the church entrance.

Poor people couldn't afford an education back then. So your comment comes off as ignorant.

nvm, the coffins were giant lead monstrosities, my bets on flood waters seeping in and shifting everything around, especially since the vault's floor was sand