Mark Twain question - Page 2

boxcorner · 01-12-2011, 05:10 AM

People have long had a fascination with death and apparently Samuel Clemens was no exception.

Artfully2u · 01-12-2011, 06:51 AM

Hi there! I am new and found your question about cannons. I am guessing here, but I would think that the theory would be that the vibrations would dislodge the body from whatever it could be caught on and allow it to float to the top....or, parts of it as the body decompose.

patrickt · 01-12-2011, 07:03 AM

Here's one:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...to-the-surface

boxcorner · 01-12-2011, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Here's one:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...to-the-surface

Excellent article.

Maggie Leung · 01-12-2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Here's one:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...to-the-surface

Great link. Thanks.

This thread has generated more info than I expected. If I ever need to figure out what to do with a body, I'll post a thread, lol.

Anthem · 01-12-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

This thread has generated more info than I expected. If I ever need to figure out what to do with a body, I'll post a thread, lol.

We'll do our best!

MikeFromHC · 01-13-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

I've been rereading some Twain before I dig into his autobiography and am wondering:

What is the concept behind the people searching for Tom and Huck shooting off cannons in hopes of bringing up their bodies from underwater? How was that supposed to work?

Shock waves are the answer and it probably worked often enough when the body had been in water that was not too cold and was ready to float but mired in mud. (It's fairly common to find them on the bottom in a hands and knees position so they would nt be stuck hard)

I think they mentioned mercury in loaves of bread also and that probably worked in a current. It got saturated and sank at about the same rate a body would. I've recovered a few bodies by just exhaling at the point the people thought they went under and letting myself sink. Even in fairly rapid current a body tends to stay in one place for quite a while because of the laminar flow of the water.

boxcorner · 01-15-2011, 01:15 PM

Somewhat off topic, I know, but this is about Mark Twain and books ...

Did you know that Mark Twain opened Kensal Rise library in north London?

Libraries seen as easy touch when it comes to balancing the books

The reference to Mark Twain is in the 5th paragraph.

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01-12-2011, 05:10 AM	#16
boxcorner »(°±°)« Posts: 826 Karma: 775629 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: divisive reader	People have long had a fascination with death and apparently Samuel Clemens was no exception.

01-12-2011, 06:51 AM	#17
Artfully2u Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: nook	Hi there! I am new and found your question about cannons. I am guessing here, but I would think that the theory would be that the vibrations would dislodge the body from whatever it could be caught on and allow it to float to the top....or, parts of it as the body decompose.

01-12-2011, 07:03 AM	#18
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Here's one: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...to-the-surface

01-15-2011, 01:15 PM	#23
boxcorner »(°±°)« Posts: 826 Karma: 775629 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: divisive reader	Somewhat off topic, I know, but this is about Mark Twain and books ... Did you know that Mark Twain opened Kensal Rise library in north London? Libraries seen as easy touch when it comes to balancing the books The reference to Mark Twain is in the 5th paragraph.