Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-12-13
THE BURNING BUSH.
A MODERN SPECIMEN OF THE
"MIRACLE" TREE.
Found In Africa-lts Trunk Il In
cOmbustible and u Actually
Seems 20 Thrive on
Big Forest Fires.
MOTHER historical "ni---,.n

AA' 'Ifl-
ing bush" OF Moses. accepted
unfalteringly by Biblical students. Of
all the wonders related IN tho Scrip.
tures, has been considered rs among
the most marvellous.
The Scriptural account 70 be found
in Exodus Ill, 90 says: "Aui tie
angel of the Lord appeared unto lin
(Moses) in a flame OF fire, out Of the
midst Of bush; and he looked, Gl3.
behold, the bush burned with fire, aud
the bush was not consumed.
"And Noses said, [ will now tur-
aside and see this great sight, why "a.
bush is not burned.
"And when the Lord saw that be
turned aside to see, God called uat5
him out Of the midst o. the bush, AID
said, Moses, Moses. And he SAID,
Here am ].
"And He said, Draw not nigh hither,
put filthy shoes from off thy feet .or
the place whereon thou staudcst is
holy ground. "
In a recent English Foreign Of,a
report there is a description Of a lately
discovered stunted tree that goes bv
the name of the chaparro. If this be
not the veritable "burning bust" that
"burned with fire and was not con.
sumed" it is very close to it, for eI.
periments have revealed that it not
only resists fire for very long time.
but that its trunk is practically in.
combustible. 1t seems actually to
thrive on great forest fires in which il
alone remains unconsumed, for if q
long period passes without a conaagra.
ton the chaparro gradually decays and
dies.
In a huge conAagration this strs,ss
tree seems to start into life, as az OF.
binary plant does when it is wet with
rain after a long drought. Anil tie
swirling reds andyellows of the flames
it takes on new life, and after the
fire has swept past it is seen with new
shoots OF vivid green springing out Of
it. At such times the chaparros stand
alone, sturdy and strong, amid the
surrounding blackened trunks, the
only living things in land reduced to
sterility.
1t is not accurate to say that the en-
tire tree comes out of forest fire uu-
scathed. While the body of the tree
is incombustible, its smaller branches
and twigs burn. They burn very
slowly, while the rest of the woodland
is going up in smoke.
The London scientists who have
looked into the matter believe that
the trunk of the tree, and its branches
in a smaller degree, exude under the
influence Of great heat moisture that
is sufficient, owing TO its peculiar
chemical properties, TO protect the
wood.
Commenting on the chaparros, the
English Foreign Office report says:
at is very remarkable that these fire.
begotten plantations are nowhere
crowded to excess; on the contrary
the trees are so regularly placed that
their aspect vies with that of the most
carefully formed gardens"
w h4lC l1C WIZ l1CO Is uNCd IL
the report the term "bush" would be
more accurate, for the chaparro is
little more than that. 1t seldom grows
to a height OF more than eight feet
and in appearance it much more re.
sembles a bush than even a smallish
tree. 1t grows mainly in South Africa,
being most frequently met with in the
wild regions lar to the west OF the
/ Transvaal, in districts where few white
men have been. The natives look upon
it with superstitious awe, and imagine
that a god dwells within its trunk.
They avoid the groves of these trees
after nightfall. The wood is tough
and unvielding, and after a fire will
dull the edge of the sharpest instru,
ment. A specimen OF chaparro bark
is on exhibition in the museum of the
Pharmaceutical Society, Bloomsbury
/ Square, London.
A comparison of the description OIL
this remarkable tree with that giveE
of the burning bush" shows that i
was probably the thorny acacia OF thu
Arabian peninsula, the stunt OF Egypt
and was akin to the shittah tree anc
SIENNA. Hence the mountains on which
it grows derive their name. Sinai; ant
the tract is called the "Wilderness Of
Sin" or the "Seneh. The wood OF
the shittah tree furnished the material
for the Ark of the Covenant and various
parts of the Tabernacle. 1t IS hard,
tough and durable and susceptible o.
fine polish. New York World.