Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-11
PROTECTING HI E A
An Interesting Invention for Those Who
Are Not Prepared for the Better
Preventive, Cremation.
Cincinnati Times.

Cincinnati Times.l
A corpse is encased in a casket and
inferred. Under the back of the dead
body, and resting on the bottom of the
coffin is a small machine leading from
which to a building to the right are
two wires. The wires connect the
machine in the casket with an alarm
bell and an Indicator in the building.
AS soon as the corpse is disturbed the
bell sounds an alarm and the grave is
indicated. If either of the wires be
cut anywhere the same result follows.
The Indicator and alarm bell may be
stationed at the residence of the sex
ton or other person II charge Of the
cemetery, or they may be placed any
where else chosen, so that an attempt
to tamper in any way with a body, in
the coffin of which one ofthe machines
is placed, is instantly telegraphed to
these whose duty it is to protect the
graves. Thus it will be seen that
it would be useless for a graye-robber
to cut the wires in the hope of pre-
venting communication, for by so
doing he would only sound the alarm
himself. The secret Of this is in the
fact that there is weight at the sig
nal station, which is held in check BY
a current of electricity passing through
the wires and machine. Immediately
the current is broken the weight sets
the bell to ringing. In the above
illustration the wires are shown
underground, but they may be strung
through the air, and the expense Of
burying them obviated. Another in
~calculable benefit arising from the use
Of the invention would be the guard
it would place against persons who are
buried alive by mistake remaining en-
tirely helpless. The least movement
on the part of the body or person in
the casket would cause the machine
therein to open the circuit of cleo
tricity, and a visit to the grave would
soon determine whether the alarm had
been sounded by a ghOul or the being
in the coffin. The machine itself is
not absolutely necessary, as a mere
coil Of wire even in the trough box"
will ring the bell if disturbed.
At first glance it would appear that
the objects of the continuance might
be defeated by connecting to two wires
by means of a conductor at some point
between the grave and the alarm sta
ton, which seemingly would form a
circuit which would still hold the
weight at the bell-box in check, at the
same time there would be no connec-
ton with the grave. But an attempt
of that kind would form a third
ground wire, and the machine in the
casket would detach the weight.
There is no way either by which an
extra battery can be attached so as to
allow any part of the wires or machin-
cry to be successfully tempered with
without giving the alarm.
In regard to THE cost of the appa-
ratus, that depends upon the demands
of the person purchasing. 1t can be
made not to exceed $3.50. One of
that price would last sixty days, which
is as long as there is any necessity of
having a corpse watched under ordi-
nary circumstances, but in the case of
a person of great wealth, whose re-
mains would be apt to, be stolen for
the sake of extracting a reward for
their return, as happened with A. T.
Stewards, a machine that would last
and operate a hundred years could be
made at a somewhat heavier expense.
However, the cost of such an appa-
ratus could never approximate any
thing at all like even a ~hundredth part
of the expense of hiring watchmen, as
was done by Mrs. Powers, of Phila-
delphia, after the death of her hus-
band.
The Wesleyan cemetery authorities
are contemplating the Introduction Of
the invention in their grounds, and if
such should happen there will be a
test of the apparatus on a large scale.