Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-22
.SAVAGES MAKE FIRE.
SOME ACCOMPLISH 1T IN 1--WE sEC.l
ONDS.
iirc-NIaking by Gyration. by Sawil
ing, by PiowlnE,an by PcrcussiOn
Various Methods Described

h'-hHRihE DS Gyf1ttOus by SAW
ing. by Piowing,an by Percussion
Various Methods Described.
Walter llough, of the National Muse
'im ut Washington, has been studying
and catalog',ing the fire making implc-'
mcnts, of which the museum las IL line
collection. believing that nature an
swers question only through IN expert
mcnt, MIR lIomgh hns mado lire by tho
various methods represented in tho col
lection. In speaking tn II reporter Of tho
Washington star, Mr.. llomgh said tho
common belief that To make fire by rub
bing two pieces Of wood is very difficult,
was erroneous. lie hnd ho snid, repeat
cdly made lire in thirty seconds by the
twirling stick and in five seconds with
the bow drill.
Mr.. IIough in studying and arranging
the collection in the museum has cnssi-,
fed them under four heads. Tho first
class III fire making by gyration, c',brac-
ing the simple two-stick apparatus found
among the Indians of North, Central und
South America, the Amos, OF japan, tho
Somnlis, of Africa, etc, and tho four-pnrt,
apparatus, used by the Eskimo and soma
American Indians. Tho second class
lirc-mnking by snwing, comprises tho
apparatus of tho Malays and burmese!
The third class, rc-mnking by plowiug.I
is represented by tho imploi
mcnts used in Polynesia and
Australia. The fourth class is cov1
cred by tho head llrc-malsing by per-
cussion, ind in il nrc included thu
pyrtcs and flint of the Eskimo and
Indian, and the flint and steel still in ,sn
i'll many lands well advanced in civilian
ton. The simplest method Of producing
n fire by gyrntion Is by twirling fro
stick between the pnlms Of the hand.
Mr.. llough snys there is great lSnnck ia
twirling the stick. 1t is taken between
tho palms of tho outstrctchcd hnnlsl
which nrc drawn backward and forward
pnst cnch other almost To tho finger tips,
thus giving the drill u agyrntng motion!
AZ tho snmo time II strong downward
pressure ia given, which mny bc called
II rotating pressure. Tho hantls mova
down tho drill; when tl.ay nearly reach
the lower end, they nrc brought back tV
the top with u quick motion. This ro.
tation liz repeated as rapidly ns possible.
When the motion begins II light colorod
powder, ground of, begins To collect Id
the smell of burnt wood is noticed nnd
smoke is seen. Probably by the next
turn there will be little curl of smoke
of peculiar coloring, showing Tint nctvd
combustion had begun. The little pellet
of ground Off wood mny now be shaken
out OF the slot. Al first il il dirk and u
thin line Of smoke comes from il; grnd.
unly the fire spreads through il until is
glows live conl IL is in this semi,
charrcd dust TINT heat in held until it in
crcnscs TO about $50 degrees or higher.
Everything depends on keeping tho dust
i'll heap; il IN impossible to mike fird
without doing this. With tho bow drill
tho case is similar to that described
In the saving method. tho dust
falls through the small hole worn by tho
knife. In the plowing method tho dust
III pushed along until it forms u hemp at
tho ond of tho groove. BY examining
mnny spccimens Of flr0 apparatus Mr..
IIough las found that thu fire drill to
bc effective must meet several rcCuirci
mcnts. Either the drill or tho hearth
must be of dry, inflnmmnblo wood,
Wood that il ''punly" or soft from in,
cipicnt decay is generally chosen, most
often pieces riddlcd by worms. Wood Of
this kind is not only easier of ignition!
but it is ground OIL casily, and is morI
capable of retaining the hcat generated
by friction until il taccumilatcs sufficiently
to ignite the powder. Tho Eskimo has:
to great extent, cmancipntcd himself
from the necessity of using my particu-
lar kind of wood by the invention of tho
compound drill, by which he gets strong
pressure with high rate of speed, thus
gcncrating enough hent to fire wood quite
intractablc by the simple two-pnrt drill!
This invention was necessary from tha
conditions in the Eskimo's frozen homo:
where driftwood is mainly depended
upon. Tho Eskimo, however, always
secures piece of good soft wood whom
he can. Mr.. IIough thinks the sim.
plicity of the thing itself and its wido
distribution among the tribes of men
argue in favor of tho clnim of the twirl.
ing sticks for priority of invention over
the more complex flint and pyrites
method
The aborigincs of Australia cut with
hatchct hole i'll dry, fallen tree This
hole they fill with u powder made BY
crushing between their hands the dry ripd
head of the flower stalk of n certain plant
Then they turn the stem head downward
into tho hole and twirl it, A few seconds
suffice to get fire. A tribe in South
Australia obtain fire by using the grass
tree. split piece of the flower stem OF
the grass tree is placed upon the ground,
the Hat side uppermost. thinner piece
is held between the palms of the hand,
the lower end being pressed upon tho
piece on the ground, and an alternate re;
volving motion is given to it by rubbing
the hand backward and forward until tho
wood ignitcs. In Java, too, fire is some-
times produced by friction. D'Almcida,
describing journey in Java, says "Bci
fore starting on our return felt dcsirous
to smoke cigar, in order to keep tho