Jason Gaston

EXPLODING COFFINS?! Yes, someone actually invented them. And they were designed to make grave robbers regret their career choices!

During the late 1800s, body snatching was a serious problem. Medical schools needed cadavers, grave robbers were happy to supply them, and grieving families were understandably less than thrilled.

So American inventors came up with an absolutely insane solution: BOOBY-TRAP THE DEAD!

Enter the COFFIN TORPEDO, a real patented invention designed to shoot or blow up anyone attempting to steal a corpse.

In this video, we're digging into the bizarre history of these deadly contraptions, inventors Philip K. Clover and Thomas N. Howell, the unbelievably aggressive advertisements, and an 1881 newspaper report claiming a grave robber met a spectacularly unfortunate end.

Because nothing says "Rest in Peace" quite like turning Grandma's coffin into a potential crime scene.

These inventions were real, and the patents still exist. Whether the most famous reported explosion actually happened is a fascinating historical question.

If you enjoy bizarre history, strange inventions, and true stories that sound completely made up, please LIKE this video, SHARE it with somebody who enjoys weird history, and SUBSCRIBE for more!

And tell me in the comments: Would you want your coffin equipped with a torpedo? Or would you prefer to leave this world without taking someone else with you?

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SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Philip K. Clover's 1878 Coffin Torpedo Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US208672A/en

Thomas N. Howell's 1879 Grave Torpedo Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US217379A/en

Thomas N. Howell's 1881 Grave Torpedo Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US251231A/en

Hagley Museum: Grave Guns & Coffin Torpedoes
https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/grave-guns-coffin-torpedoes-inventions-protecting-dead-living

PBS History Detectives: Cemetery Alarm
https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/cemetery-alarm/index.html

Atlas Obscura: Victorian Coffin Torpedoes
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/coffin-torpedos

WOSU Public Media: Ohio's Ghoulish Gambit Against Grave Robbing
https://www.wosu.org/news/2017-05-17/ohios-ghoulish-gambit-against-grave-robbing-coffin-torpedoes

#CoffinTorpedo #ExplodingCoffins #WeirdHistory #StrangeHistory #GraveRobbers #VictorianHistory #BodySnatching #HistoryDocumentary #GraveMistake #RestInPieces