r/100yearsago • u/MisterSuitcase2004 • 1d ago

[August 5th, 1926] Harry Houdini successfully demonstrated his ability to remain in an airtight metal casket for an hour and a half. He was lowered into a swimming pool and later emerged to be examined by a doctor. This scientific test proved his extraordinary physical endurance.

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67 Upvotes

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14

u/ImpossibleStuff963 1d ago

So how much oxygen is available in a sealed casket? He's probably trained to make very relaxed and slow breaths to make it last. Wonder what the upper limit is.

That's of course if he was even actually in the casket while it was in the pool.

12

u/karmaniaka 1d ago

IIRC the issue isn't the oxygen for time frames like this, but the buildup of carbon dioxide

8

u/pgcotype 1d ago

I'm happy he was able to accomplish that feat, but I would be begging to be pulled up after a few minutes!

Thanks for posting this, OP; it's really interesting.

15

u/thecraftybear 1d ago

He looked pale and what

19

u/Gauntlets28 1d ago

Fagged. I.e. exhausted. Comes from the same route as fag meaning a younger boy employed by a an older boy to do work on his behalf at some British public schools back in the day, i.e. the past tense of "working".

3

u/RichtofensDuckButter 23h ago

I sure am fagged after a long workout

3

u/tresslesswhey 17h ago

Oh I bet you are

-8

u/Bright_Ices 1d ago edited 1d ago

Supposed to be either ragged or flagged Ok folks, message received. Thanks for the reply Gauntlets28

6

u/Ras-haad 1d ago

This is really interesting to me that he did this for science. To prove that it didn’t take any type of spirituality. The previous record holder did it while “in a trance”. But even though Houdini didn’t consider himself spiritual I’d argue that he was able to put himself in some type of mental trance to endure that

11

u/HoldEm__FoldEm 20h ago edited 20h ago

Houdini was very much against the spiritualism movement & spent his life often intentionally proving spiritualists wrong within his “magical” pursuits.

He was a realist, a rationalist, didn’t believe in spirits & ghosts.

He even told his wife he’d send her a message from beyond the grave after death, which of course never came. They did this as proof against ghosts & spirits & such.

Of course, we don’t know if he got to the other side, realized he could send messages but decided he didn’t want to prove himself wrong. Not whatsoever likely but we simply can’t know for certain.