The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-12
Fire Kings ond Fire Eaters.


riety by Kind of defiance of fire. This
appears to be the man mentioned by
Nine de Sevigne He waited upon
her from Vitry. and dropped into his
mouth melted scaling wax, "as If it had
been SO much cold water,n without the
slightest sem blance of pain; nor did his
tongue show the least sign of burning
OF injury whatever. The lively letter
writer, while treating the display al.
most as n miracle, nevertheless asked
ina nalfbantering tone what, would be
come of the proofs of innocence so
much depended on in former ages, from
the ordeal bv fire. Richardson probably
exhibited his marvels in various parts
of Europe; for Evelyn was present at
one such display at Lady Sutherland's.
After d n1er the fire king devoured
flaming birthstone by way OF dessert;
thewed and swallowed burning Goals;
melted beer glass and then ate it up,
or drank it down; put live coal on
his tongue, placed an oyster on the
coal, blew this strange substitute for
fireplace with bellows, and so con-
tinued until tie oyster was roasted or
scalloped he melted pitch and wax
with sulphur, and drank Off the mix
ture in Il flaming state; and finally
held a thick piece Of red hot iron be-
tween his tee.h A learned French
publication, the Journal dcS SdCdRs.
gave detailed accounts of Richarson
marvels and in the same Journal NJ.
PautLot afterwards explained how
they w~re done, according to revela-
tions made to him by Richardson's
servant The exhibitor rubbed with
some chemical substance tile hands
and other parts of the skin to be eX-
posed to the fire the powerful liquor
hardened the Scarf-Skin into kind of
leather, and, after many repetitions Of
the experiment, this hardening became
permanent Some blacksmith it is
known, can handle a piece of iron
nearly red hot, the skin of the hand
having became indurated by long
practice at the hot trade. In roast
ing bits of steak and raw oysters on
his tongue, Richardson is said to
have secretly placed a thin slice of veal
between the tongue and the burning
coal, and that this and the moisture
OF the mouth shielded him from injury
As to swallowing such dainties as
flaming sulphur ami pitch, he was wont
to retire Immediately from the audi
ence drink off warm water and oil,
and 50 obtain relief bv an enetic.
Early in the last century a fire eater
named Hilterkeit exhibited in London;
H., I'll NT
the honor of appearing before three or
foar members of the royal family.
A bout the middle of the century the
great hero in this line was Powell, who
was visited and described by Strut.
Although eighty years of age, this
man would take burning Goals from
the fire and eat them; place bundle
of lighted matches in his mouth. and
blow out the sulphur fumes through
his nostrils; carry a red hot heater
around the room between his teeth
brUll piece of becfsteak Oh hot char
coal placed on his tongue, and drink
with an iron spoon Il delectable bever-
age consisting of blazing hot pitch,
wax, birthstone and lead. There was
q little wasgery in some of his des-
cripLiOns OF Powell's tendencies His
common food is birthstone and fire,
which he licks up as eagerly as q
hungry peasant would a mess of pot
tage He feeds on this extraordinary
diet before princes and peers, to their
infinite satisfaction: and such is his
passion for this terrible clement that
If he were to come hungry into your
kitchen while a sirlOin WAS roasting,
would eat up the fire and leave the
beet" We may fairly surmise that
Powell adopted some such prccaution-
ary measures as his predecessor
Richardson.
A bout the same time, the beginning
of the reign of George III, several
scientific men made some valuable eX-
periments to ascertain what degree of
heat the human frame could endure
for short time with impunitv, apart
from any sophisticatiCn or secret
NJ NJ. Duhamel and
a Young girl, who entered an oven
and remained there ten minutes at
of 2SS degie ees Fahrenheit,
and on another who brayed heat of
325 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes
DE- Solander, first clothed and then
remained for some minutes
in an oven at 90 degrees Sir Joseph
Banks at little higher temperature
and DR. Bladgeu at $50 degrees. Eggs
were at the same time roasted hard in
a few minutes, AMI a beefsteak Baked
(for it was really baking) in about
ha.f an hour The experimenters
could not touch any Of their metal
buttons or buckles without burning
their fingers. All the temperatures
here named, except one, greatly exceed
that of boiling water.
Sixty or seventy years ago there
was Signora Girard,lli, VIII tonisL-
Ell the sight seers Of London ny sand
inc with her naked feet on plate of