A SAFETY COFFIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1922, Page 7

A SAFETY COFFIN

‘‘Safety first—and last”—is un doubtedly the motto of Christiaj Straube, a native of German}, resident in the United States vv o, according to a report from Richland, New Jersey, has made tor hnnsell a coffin, which now is one of the pi in cipal items of furniture in his house And lie is apparently very proudof his home-made casket. Straube live in a one-roomed shack m the woods between Richland and Milmay, am the furniture consists of a stove, a small table, a cot, a chan—and the coffin. The owner’s pride in the coffin which is made of boards sawn from trees in the surrounding woods, is because of its completeness. It contains complete paraphernalia to safeguard the occupant from unnecessary suffering in case he is buried alive. In the cover above the place where the man s nose ’will be is a hole in which a pipe, ten feet in length is set, which will extend above the surface of the earth, affording plenty of fresh air to the “corps.” On the top of the pipe is a large bell, connected with a rope, to be placed in the occupant’s hand so that he can ring for rescuers if .ie regains consciousness in the coffin. Straube does not believe m embalming and has from his youth fearea .he possibility of being buried and coming to life when under six feet of earth. It, was this fear that prompted him to build his own coffin provided with the necessary safeguards against such a calamity. A fresh sandwich is made every two or-three days, the last one made to be placed in his hand immediately after death.