The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-03-07

Curious Methods Of Making riro.
There are few things more curious. and
which furnish such food for reflection,
as the ways IN which uncivilized man
makes fire. The problem Of the easiest
and best way TO get a spark must have
been worked at la the earliest times,
when the human race realized the need
Of fire, and the man who solved the
problem IS one Of the worlds great but
unknown benefactors. It is not un.
likely that various methods have been
invented as the result Of these attempts;
It is ttue Of the beginning of our mar
velou, age Of inventions. The modern
period furnishes the most singular ways,
for the reason that chemistry and
physics have enlarged the field For
an immense period in mans history the
method of kindlng fire afresh was by
turning or rul bing one stick upon au-
other In Bauma, tribe called the
Kakhyens carry for striking light a
cylinder OF buffalo horn. with a central
bore tl3ree-sixieenths of an inch in lii
ameter and three inches deep burned
into it A closely fitting piungeF Of
iron wood work, in the hole. When the
native wants a light he withdrawH the
plunger aud puts a bit Of tinder into
cavity in The end of IT. The piston is
slos ssseried an driven down with
quick blow, suddenly Withdrawn, and
the finder rs found TO be ignit,d. The
Dyaks Of Burneo. who were systematic
head hunters before the advent Of Rajah
Brooke, who made use Of a besiap or
fire syringe Of brass lined with lead,
fitted with a wooden plunger. This inn
plemeut was known in this country
under the name of instantaneous light
giving syringe before the invention Of
matches, but was not gen rally used,
since, at best, it gave uncertain results,
leading the lecturer to saturate the
finder with bisulphide Of carbon to
minimize the burden OF proof Il is an
interesting question how the Dyaks and
Burmese came to employ the aero.
phore for fire making The Cochin China
people strike two pieces Of bamboo to-
gether and ignite tindeE The coating
] Of amorphous, slick like flint on the
surface Of the bamboo yields a spark at
a sharp blow
The traveller, Mr. w. 7. Hornaday,
tells Inc that the jungles are frequently
fired by the excessive friction Of the
bamboos during a gale The Tungaras
Of British North Borneo and the Ter.
nate Malays carry attached to the girde
joint of bamboo, often finely carved
containing tinder and a fragment Of
porcelain. The hit Of china with finder
| is held in one hand and struck against
the bamboo tinder horn held in the OF en-
generally getting light at the first blow.
The Aleutians of Alaska made fire hy
dipping two pieces of quartz in sulphur
which abounds in the islands, and st ik-
ing them together over a small heap of
down on which sulphur has been sprin-
kled Somes tribes Of Eskimo use two
pieces Of iron pyrites, or pyrites and
Aint, in the same way. Matches have
gone everywhere and supplauted the
native fire making processes. Holm
the distinguished Danish Arctic explorer,
relates that an Eskimo on being pre-
sented with box of matches, gave
away his FIRE drill, saying he would have
no further need Of it The National
Museum has a collecti of fire making
apparatus, showing the representative
methods of making fire used in various
parts Of the world. 1t would he iinpos-
sible to duplicate the majority Of The
pieces now, since trade has carried
matches to the ends of the earth Blaci,-
smiths can start a fire by pounding v.o-
lently rod of soft iron, first spfe ding
ON the anvil layer of powdered coi
dust. This is a good illustration OF the
conversion of force into heat Il Water
Hough, in The Popular SCIENCE News.
a LONY,s HLANK MILK