Dr Smith lived a colorful life. He was a successful doctor and a surgeon and served his position at prestigious institutes. However, what was remembered about this Victorian doctor centuries down was not his successful life, but his intense fear of being buried alive, so much so that he had a window installed at his grave so that people would know if he accidentally gets buried alive.
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Humans are fragile and we all have fears. Some live with the fear of heights, some with the fear of clowns, and some with the fear of spiders. Well, there are so many different kinds of fears that humans live with and these can get triggered at any point in life.
This one, however, is a bit unique, as this Victorian doctor had a phobia of getting buried alive and so he had a window installed in his grave so people could check if he was truly dead.
Dr. Timothy Clark Smith, a Vermont medical doctor born in 1821, has one of those wacky graves people will rave about in the years to come.
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(Though late Irish actor, Spike Milligan, surely takes the top prize with his headstone that reads: "I told you I was ill.")
According to Find A Grave, Dr. Smith first received his bachelor's degree in 1842, before completing his medical degree in New York City some 13 years later.
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He led a very happening life, having worked as a teacher, as a clerk in the US Treasury Department, and as a physician.
Additionally, Smith worked as a surgeon for the Russian army, inclduing, serving both the US Consulate in Russia and Romania. However, apart from his colorful life and all these acehivements, the thing that stands out most about his life was his intense fear of being buried alive, something he literally took to his grave upon his death in 1893.
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During the time period, his fear was not that irrational as there were so many instances where people were literally buried alive during the 17th and 18th centuries. In fact, medical sources have shown 149 cases of premature burial, 10 cases where bodies were accidentally dissected prior to death, and 2 cases where embalming was performed prematurely, per Vermonter.
One can only believe that these stories would have continued to emanate as urban legends throughout the following decades to Smith's lifetime.
A local newspaper article from the time Dr. Smith died wrote that he "died suddenly on Saturday morning at the Logan House (hotel) where he had been living. After breakfast, he walked out into the office and stood by the stove when stricken."
Upon burial, the doctor's grave was installed with a 6-foot tube and 14"x14" glass panel so that anyone visiting his grave would be able to see if he'd accidentally been buried alive.
The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry has since published an article about his unique burial, writing: "There are other legends about the tomb. One is that Smith had it outfitted with 'tools for his escape.' Although condensation and plant growth inside the shaft now block one’s view, residents in years past claimed to see the tools along with Smith’s bones."
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"Said one, 'You can see the face of the skeleton down there with a hammer and chisel crossed on the ground next to it.'
Another source claims that when Smith was interred, "in the corpse's hand they placed a bell that he could ring should he wake up and find himself the victim of a premature burial,'" the article continued.