Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-06-11
PRIMITIVE FIRE MAKING.


some ~ tho simplest Devices or UnclvIl-
Iced Tribes Described.
st. Nicholas.
It IL q curious fact that the African, In
lighting the fire in which to smelt the iron
from which he makes his remarkable steel
weapons, uses neither stone nor metal in
obtaining the first spark. 1t is interesting
to observe the fire-making tools that have
been used. They may be divided by the
sort of motion required into four classes
Indians, Australians Eskmos. Hindus
and others use the whirkng or drilling mo-
tion; Malays, Burmese and others use a
saving movement; Polynesians. Papuans
and others use a blowing motion, while
the custom of obtaining a fire by striking
a light now seems as common among bar
barous as civilized men. In nearly all
tribes several methods are used. accord
ing to circumstances and the means at
hand A very fine collection of fre-mak-
ing implements may be seen in the Ma
tional museum in the Smithsonian Insti-
futon, at Washington. Nearly every
method is represented there.
and most widely used device is called the
two stick apparatus. 1t has been used
everywhere and at all times 1t consists
of rough plank or large stick, which
rests on the ground as a hearth, and a
smooth round stick, from one and one
half to two feet long. which we will call
the drill. In the gradual improvements of
this simple, but necessary, tool, the diff
ferent tribes show their mental develop
pent-'heir ingenuity or power of think
Ing. The wood chosen for the hearth is
a dry, worm riddled piece of the juniper,
wn.te maple or cedar. Drills are also
chosen of dry infammable wood. Many
tribes prefer the starchy stem of some
Towering plant
The hearth has one or more-usually
many-holes or shallow sockets drilled in
its upper face and narrow slots leading
from these sockets or fire holes to the
finder beneath. The finder is made of
shredded bark or fungus, which will catch
fire quickly and burn slowly, like a slow
match
An Indian kneels with one knee on each
end of the hearth, which is of a conven-
lent length, and placing an end of the
fire stick upright in one of the sockets or
fire holes twirls it rapidly between his
open palms by rubbing them back and
forth past each other almost to the finger
tips. AT the same time he presses the drill
firmly into the fire hole, letting his hands
move down the drill until they nearly
reach the bottom. when they are brought
back to the top with quick, def motion,
and move swiftly down again.
Soon you will see that the wood is being
ground off the end of the fire stick in
fine powder that collects in the narrow
slot leading from the fire hole to the tin
der beneath. AS the amount of powder
Increases it grows darker and darker, I'M
til It IS almost black. You VIII notice the
door of burning wood and after the stick
has been twirled from fifteen to forty
five seconds a little curl of queer colored
smoke will begin to arise. Combustion
has begun. The Indian will then tap his
wooden hearth and the smoking pellet
will drop out of the slot to the finder be-
low, where it can easily be blown into
blaze. 1t is necessary to keep the fine
friction heated dust in a close heap if fire
is to be generated from wooden tools.