Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-09-19
METHODS OF MAKING FIRE.
Inventions of the Untutored savage Tor
kindling Flames.


kindling Flames.
There are few things more curious,
and which furnish such food for retlec.
ton, as the ways in which mcivilized
man makes fire. The problem Of the
easiest and best way TO get "A spark
must have been worked at in the
earliest times, when the human race
realized the need of fire. and the man
who solved the problem is Of the
worlds great but unknown b~elefactors.
1t is not rnlikely that various methods
have been invented as the result Of
these attempts. Ii is true of the begin
ming Of our marvellous age o. inyen-
tons. The modern period furnishes
the most singular ways. for the reason
that chemistry and physics have IN.
larged the field.
For an immense period in mans his.
tory the method of kindling fire afresh
was by turning or rubbing one stick
upon another. In Burmah "a tribe called
the k~akhyens carry for striking a light
a cylinder Of buffalo horn, with a cen
tral bore three-siNteenths Of an inch in
diameter aud three inches deep burned
in il. A closely fitting pluneer OF iron
wood works in the hole. When the
native wants a light he withdraws the
plungcr and puts a bit of finder into a
cavity in the end of IL. The piston is
then inserted and driven down with a
quick blow. suddenly withdrawn. and
the finder Is found 10 be iCnitcd The
Dynks. o! Corneo, who were systematic
head hunters before the ADVENT If Ra-
jah Brooke also made Us, OF a baslapi,
n lire syringe Of brass, lined with lead.
fitted with a wooden plunger.
This implement was known In this
country under the name OF ''instanta.
neous li-tItEiving syringe" before the
invention Of matches, but was not gen.
orally used, since. at best. it gave un.
certain results, lealh , the lecturer TO
saturatr the tiIlrr r.Jh b;sglpAilc Of
carbon to- .lninize ne burden Of proof
1t is an interestinE question how the
Dyaks and Burni e came 10 employ
the ~acrophore far tire making. The
Cochin China pc pie strike two pieces
of bamboo together and ignite finder.
Tie coating Of amorphous. sick like
flint on the surface Of the bamboo
yields a spark ut "A sharp blow. The
traveller Nh W. I. Hornaly SAYS that
the jungle, are frequently fired by the
excessive friction OF the bamboos dur
inc a gale
The Tungaras. of British North Bur-
neo, anu the Terate Malays carry at
ra"hed To the grille a joint OF bamboo.
pllen finely carved, containing finder
and a fragment Of porcelain The bit
of china with finder is held in one
hand and struck against tie bamboo
finder horn held In the other. generally
getting Il light at the first blow. The
Aleutians. Of Alaska. make tire by dip
ping " pieces of quartz in sulphur,
which abounds in the islands. and
striking them together over a small
heap OF down on which sulphur has
been sprinkled. Some tribes of Ks.
quimau use two pieces Of iron pyrites
or pyrites and flint in the saline way.
Matches have gone everywhere and
supplanted the native fire making pro.
cesses. Holm, the distinguished Dan.
ish arctic explorer, relates that an
Esquimau, on being presented with a
box of matches, gave away his fire
drill, saying he would have no further
need of II. The National museum has
a collection OF fire making apparatus.
showing the representative methods of
making fire used in various parts Of the
world. 1t would be impossible TO du.
plicate the majority Of the pieces now,
since trade has carried matches 10 the
ends Of the earth. Blacksmiths can
start n fire by pounding violently a rod
of soft iron. first spreading on the anvil
n layer Of powdered coal dust. This is
a cool illustration Of the conversion
Of force into heat. Popular Science
News.