The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-10-30
HOW SAVAGES MAKE FIRE.
SOME ACCOMPLISH 1T IN FIVE SEC
oNDS.
Fhe-Making by Gyration, by Saw
ing, by Flowing, and by Percussion
Various Methods Described.


and cataloguing the fire making imple-
ments, of which the museum has fine
collection. Believing that nature an
swers question only through an expert
ment. Mr. Hough has made fire by the
various methods represented in the col
lection. In speaking to a reporter OF the
Washington Star, Mr.. Hough said the
common belief that to make fire by rub
bing two pieces of wood is very difficult,
was erroneous. He had, he said, repeat.
edly made fire in thirty seconds by the
twirling stick and in five seconds with
the bow drill.
Mr.. Hough in studying and arranging
the collection in the museum has classi-
fled them under four heads. The first
class is fire making by gyration, embrac-
lug the simple two-stick apparatus found
among the Indians of North, Central and
South America, the Amos, of Japan, the
Somalis, of Africa, etc. and the four part
apparatus, used by the Eskimo and some
American Indians. The second-class
fire-making by saving, comprises the
apparatus of the Malays and Burmese.
The third class, fire making by plowing,
is represented by the imple-
ments used in Polynesia and
Australia. The fourth class is COW
cred by the head fre-making by per
cussion, and in it are included the
pvrites and flint of the Eskimo and
Indian, and the flint and steel still in use
in many lands well advanced in civiliza-
ton. The simplest method Of producing
fire by gyration is by twirling fire
stick between the palms of the hand.
Mr.. Hough says there is great knack in
twirling the stick 1t is taken between
the palms Of the outstretched hands,
which are drawn backward and forward
past each other almost to the finger tips,
thus giving the drill a gyrating motion
| At the same time a strong downward
pressure is given, which may be called
a rotating pressure. The hands move
| down the drill; when they nearly reach
the lower end, they are brought back to
the top with Il quick motion. This ro-
tation is repeated us rapidly as possible.
When the motion begins light colored
powder, ground off, begins to collect i'll
| the slot. Soon the powder gets darker,
the smell of burnt wood is noticed and
smoke is seen. Probably by the next
turn there will be Il little curl of smoke
of peculiar coloring, showing that active
combustion had begun. The little pellet
of ground-off wood may now be shaker
out of the slot. At first it is dark and a
thin line of smoke comes from it; grad
ually the fire spreads through it until i
glows live coal. 1t is in this semi
charred dust that heat is held until it in
creases to about 45O degrees or higher
Everything depends on keeping the dus
in a heap; it is impossible to make tir'
without doing this. With the bow drill
the case is similar to that described
In the saving method the dus
falls through the small hole worn by The
knife. In the blowing method the dus
is pushed along until it forms heap al
the end of the groove. BY examining
many specimens of fire apparatus Mr.
Hough has found that the fire drill Il
be effective must meet several require
ments. Either the drill or the heartl
must be of dry, intlammable wood
Wood that is 'punky' or soft from III
cipient decay is generally chosen, mos
often pieces riddled by worms. Wood O
this kind is not only easier of ignition
but it is ground off easily, and is NOR
capable of retaining the heat generated
byfriction until it accumulates sufficient,
to ignite the powder. The Eskimo has
to a great extent, emancipated himsel
from the necessity of using any particu
lar kind of wood by the invention Of tn
compound drill, by which he gets stron!
pressure with high rate of speed, thu
generating enough heat to fire wood quit
intractable by the simple two-part drill
This invention was necessary from IN
conditions in the Eskimo's frozen home
where drift-wood is mainly depende,
upon. The Eskimo, however, Away
secures a piece of good soft wood whc
he can. Mr. HouPh thinks the sim
plicity of the thing itself and It's wild
distribution among the tribes of mel
argue in favor of the claim Of the tWirl
ing sticks for priority of invention owe
the more complex flint and pyrite
method.
The aborigines of Australia cut with
hatchet hole in a dry, fallen tree. Thi
hole they fill with powder made b.
crushing between their hands the dry rip
head of the flower stalk of certain plant
Then they turn the stem head downwar,
into the hole and twirl IT, A few second
suffice to get fire \ tribe in Soutl
Australia obtain fire 10y using the gras
tree. A split piece Of the flower stem 0
the grass tree is placed upon the ground
the fiat side uppermost A thinner piec
is held between the palms of the hand
the lower end being pressed upon tn
piece ON the ground, and an alternate re
volying motion is given to it by rubbing
the hand backward and forward until tn
wood iguites. In Java, too, fire is some
times produced by friction. D'Almeida
describing journey in Java, says: BE
fore starting on our return felt desirou
to smoke cigar, in order to keep tn
cold out; but finding had forgotten IN
fusees / asked one of the men if he coul
give me light. He immediatel
picked up a dry piece Of wood, and
holding it fixed on the ground, asked ON
of his companions TO rub another acros
it. This being quickly done, in less tina
five minutes the friction caused the uI
right piece 10 burn. The man soon bile,
il into flame aud handed it TO me
Travellers say that the Maori gets fire b
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