The Chase Vault

In 1724, a twelve foot by six and a half foot concrete vault was constructed on a small island in the Caribbean called Barbados. Originally built for the burial of the James Elliot family, it was later handed down to the Chase family, who were a very wealthy family that inhabited the island in 1808. The first to pass away from the family were buried there, and later in time the whole family was to be left undisturbed, there in the vault. But as the last few descendents of the family were to be buried, strange occurrences took place, and the coffins were thrown around the vault and set in very strange fashions. This phenomenon has never been explained for certain, but many theories have come about to try and clarify how the coffins were moved. Some say vandals, flooding, seismic earth activity, or maybe even some sort of supernatural energy. The Chase vault in Barbados is a great mystery of the world, and whether it had been caused by vandals, flooding, seismic activity, or the popular supernatural theory, we will never know for sure.

The arrangement of the coffins was very strange. Almost different every time the vault was opened. Sometimes the coffins were thrown to opposite ends of the vault; sometimes they were set totally upside down. A simple explanation would be a human vandal breaking in and disturbing the coffins. According to many island natives, the Chase Family had many enemies because they were so rich and conceited. But evidence disproves this theory in many ways. A mortar seal was left on the vault doors, and was found untouched before the vault was reopened and the strange occurrences were discovered, as well as the sand left in specific patterns on the floors to make sure no intruder had entered(Mysterious Moving Coffins of Barbados, Moore). Also, the lead coffins each took eight men to place in the vault, (Chase Crypt of Barbados, Veazy). In addition to the overwhelming weight, the dimensions of the coffins and the room didn’t agree with the way they were arranged. The coffins would have had to have been taken out of the vault, turned one hundred eighty degrees, and also flipped upside down, then slipped back into the vault (Chase Crypt of Barbados, Veazey). This explanation has without a doubt been ruled out.

Another proposed theory is the flood theory. It states that some water source flooded the vault and caused the coffins to float and arrange themselves in the strange patterns. This theory could be possible because the lead coffins could have floated due to the volume of water displaced being greater than the weight of the coffin (Caribbean Travel Information: Entering the Chase Vault). The sand could have also been left undisturbed if the water seeped in at an immensely slow rate. But, the vault dimensions once again showed a problem in the theory. It would be impossible to arrange the coffins in this manner. This theory has also been ruled out because no other vaults were flooded, and no other evidence of water had been found in the vault, or soaked into the wood coffins.

A further reasoning behind the mystery of the Chase Vault is blaming the disturbance on volcanic or seismic activity. The island of Barbados is located on a fault line, and neighboring islands were caused by volcanic action (Great World of Mysteries, Russell), so this theory does seem likely. Nevertheless, Barbados itself was actually formed by a coral uprising and not a volcano. No volcanic or seismic activity was recorded on the island of Barbados any time around the disturbances as well. This theory is ruled out due to the fact no seismic or volcanic activity had occurred.

The only theory that cannot be ruled out by fact is the supernatural forces theory. This theory suggests supernatural forces or "energies" caused the vaults movements. Many people suggest this theory such as Sir Arthur Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Sir Doyle had actually spent time researching this specific case. Other experts suggest that there is a reason to believe that decease youth consist of some sort of "energy" and that the youth’s "energy" stirred up some kinetic forces, causing the strange movements (The Coffins that Kept Moving, Soveign). Also others believe that the tension between the natives and the family, and the family itself, caused the paranormal activities, since the spirits were not resting in peace.

The Chase Vault in Barbados currently is one of the greatest mysteries of the world. Whether it was caused by vandals, floods, earthquakes, or even supernatural forces, the world may never be one hundred percent certain. Many of these theories have been ruled out by experiment and fact, and some still remain a possibility. But no matter what the case, or the true explanation behind the vault’s movements, it has kept many of the smartest scientists and researchers searching for the true answers, for many years.