Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-03-14
PREVENTS LIVE BURIAL.
Life Saving Device to Avoid
Premature Interment.
INVENTION OF RUSSIAN COUNT.

Emile Camis Has Come to America
to Demonstrate the Efficacy of the
Method - Was Inferred Once and
Describes Sensations as He Heard
C1ods Fall ON His Coffin Lid
Emile Camis, once committed to the
earth and willing to be again in order
to show the efficacy Of a device to save
life in case Of premature burial, has
arrived in New York. AS part Of his
luggage M. Camis brought with him
the apparatus which he has himself
tested in such a novel way. He in
tends. according to the New York Her
aid, to deliver lectures in this country
on the dangers of premature burial and
to advocate the use of a contrivance
so simple and effective that the horrors
attending too hasty interment may
be averted
M. Camfs is the associate of Count
Michel de Karnice Karnicke, who first
evolved the idea of the apparatus. The
count is the chamberlain to the czar
Of Russia. The nobleman's attention
was several years ago called to the
necessity of having some device to
succor those who have by accident
been committed to the tomb before
actual death. 1t was found when the
grave of a Belgian girl was opened
that the body had turned. The cham
berlain was so impressed by an ac-
count which he read Of the occurrence
that he Immediately gave his attention
70 n Por
such a tragedy. The result was the
Karnicke system, which already has
a large following in France.
In 10000 French wills the testators
ask that when they are buried the de-
vice be placed over their coff1ns, so that
there may be a chance to save them in
case life merely burns low instead Of
being extinguished. M. Camis has
done much to assist the count In the
perfecting of the invention. He has
delivered addresses on the subject be-
fore academies Of medicine, before as
sociations of learned men and legisla-
tive committees.
There is already In this country So
ciety which Is devoted to furthering
the use of the system. M. Camis will
establish headquarters in New York,
from which he will conduct a cam
paign in the interest of the Karnicke
method.
''The DEVICE" said he, sis far from
intricate. It will not revolutioniZe the
present methods of burial. 1t consists,
broadly speaking, Of a tube 10 cent?
meters in diameter and a hermetically
sealed box. AS soon as the coffin is
lowered into the grave the tube, which
according to the English measurement
is about 31a inches in diameter, is fitted
over an aperture in it. At the top of
this tube is the hermetically sealed
box. On the breast of the supposedly
dead body is placed ball. which is at
tached to rod. The least movement
of the chest or of the body, in fact, will
be communicated to the signal box
above ground. The ball is placed upon
the chest because owing to the resist
ance Of the bony skeleton that part Of
the body is not swelled by the gases Of
decomposition.
Exceedingly simple is the mecha-
nism. Motion communicated by the
movement of the body releases a
spring which causes a door in the box
to fall open, thus admitting light and
air to the coffin. 1t would be possible
for a man to live for two days under
such conditions. The same motion
causes a bell to ring half an hour. It
also sets off a rocket, which in the
night serves to call the attention of the
persons in charge of the cemetery.
'Should the one who is entombed cry
aloud for help the contrivance greatly
| increases the volume of the voice. In
| addition to this the movement of the
| body causes a ball to be lifted above
| the head Of the grave. There are thus
| revealed signals any one of which
would serve at any hour Of the day or
| night to call attention to the plight Of
i the person in the coffin. After sunset
! there is always a lamp burning in front
! of the box. The light from it is reflect
! ed into the tube and thus to the interi-
or of the coffin. During the day suff1-
cient light is admitted to the coffin to
enable one to read the writing on slip
of paper.
'"This method is entirely practical" J"
| NJ Camis continued. 1.-THE cost of the
| appliance is less than that Of floral
! wreath or a broken column. Any me-
chanic could put it in place. The price
| of the materials is comparatively
small. The apparatus might cost $40
or SIS in this country. Still. the item
of cost could be reduced to the mini
num- The device could simply become
a part of the outfit of the undertaken.
who would charge a fee for putting it
in place.
''At the end of the period when there
is possibility of any signs of life be-
inc manifested the tube may be with