"David" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 12:21:44 -0400, "firstjois"
wrote:

X_HOBBES wrote:
I noticed the same thing... Very nice dovetail joints, and the
cypress will last for a very long time. I didn't know about the
outer shells in lead/zinc and Elm. I would have expected it to be
more ornate, but perhaps the outer shells are -- still haven't seen
them.

X_HOBBES

[snip]

Not sure about anything more ornate since the actual spaces for burial are
very limited. Maybe this is a case when bigger is not better.

The Pope requested to be buried in the earth. An unusual request.
Earth is in very short supply at the Vatican.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4424477.stm The link shows the
coffin being lowered into the crypt. Everyone seems agreed the inner coffin
is cypress but judging by the picture the whole thing can't be THAT heavy as
the coffin is suspended between two aluminium scaffold towers spanned with a
wooden beam as it's lowered into the crypt. So it can't be lead can it...?
so zinc. Difficult to say what the outer coffin is made of but it does look
like oak.

grumble