Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-14
BENAREs ORDEAL BY FIRE


A controversy having arisen In some
of The papcts about the recent perform
a',c.. 81 thc rirr ceremony az iicnnrcr.
an account II what actually took place
by nm English oniool,er. may be OF In
torcat 20 readers says the Lahore civil
and Military Gazette. u was during
the recent convention ~ the Thcosoph-
icai roclciy that a good many ~ uq
who arr intcrcntcd In tho NE ~ India
below the surface being present some
Hindu friends arranged with n certain
scot ~ shlynitc iiindus. who claim tn
power Of rendering FIRE harmless. o.
givc nn exhibition ~ their powers Ac-
cordlngiy trench was dug In tho
Trounda " the Tarorc villa about Is
feet long by Z. and this was hllcj with
logs ~ wood. which were icft 10 blaze
an day In tho evening the trench was
Allied by o. tisk layer II glowing Goals
giving on a tremendous heat ~ p.
m. we repaired tn the scene ~ action.
our party cnnHiate1 of Mrs. iicHant.
Countess Wnchtmeistcr Dr. Richard
ron, late Professor ~ chemistry nt Uni.
vcralty college. BRISTOL. Dr, Pascal.
French doctor NJ medicine Ste.
Bcrtram Kcightley h1rrister.ht-lnw.
Miss Lillian Edrrr. ~. A.; Colonel Oi.
colt and others. Chairs were arranged
FOR ~ on q Mind ~ daia formed N the
earth thrown out ~ the trench and
about \ feet from u. This was the near
cst point 90 the hlr fire ut which one
could bear the scnrching heat. At our
back. and surrounding the trench. was
q dense but orderly crowd of hundreds
~ iIinduH. All waited with eager oK-
pectntion. ~ last 70 huhbub approach.
INK from tho gates ~ the villa an
nounccd the arrival ~ the procession.
II consisted ~ a chief priest who
presided. carrying sword. two others
who We're going a. pass through the
flames and an image 10 n glass canopy
born" along by others. The leader In
timated that his two colleagues would
pass through the fiery furnace. aud
nfierward anybody who liked Of tho
male persuasion might follow them
through unframed. but no women were
permitted 10 20 through Then onHupd
q most extraordinary aud. In some re-
rncc's, painful spectacle n T. u doe
tf'Te N Hinduism that all the functions
OF nature. nre, rain. etc. arr presided
over by nature spirits This particular
sect Of Hndu- claims 10 have preserved
the secret ~ being able to control the
nrc spirits Va that for tho time they are
unable 60 burn. Whatever may BE- the
explanation. these nre the facts ccr-
tain mystic ceremonies having been
performed. and coconnuts having been
tossed Into the flames. the two Junior
priests apparently became pnaaeHre1
with frantic rhrickn and cries. they
pared twice round the blazing trench.
preceded by the chief priest with his |
sword ana followed by the brilliantly |
Illuminated canopy. Then. ftlll In a |
frenzy painful 10 behold they plunged |
up 10 their ankles IN the acorchlnE fur |
nae" and passed backward and for |
ward several times, the rcd-hot Goals |
and sparks scattering about their feet |
The crowd followed In their wake. nrvt |
one Or two Individuals. until the others, /
gaining confidence and caught hy en- |
thuHlnnm rushed through In hundreds, /
even little children ~ four and five |
years old running up and down tho /
tronch over the burning Goals exactly |
nH n n had been a soft carpet An were |
unhurt, Among those who yentured |
was brother ~ one ~ our party This .
whnfu name I am prepared
10 give privately. walked through the /
trench twice very slowly. and described
The sensation nficrwnrd no having been
like walking over hot sand
a nkcpilc among ~ having PROFOUND.
~ the theory that the feet m natives
were covered By an lnterumont W.
dense that u was proof oven against
live GOALS. DR.. Pascal carefully cx-
minated the feet n this witness imme.
imtely after his performance and
found the altln ~ the roloH was OF the
normal thickness N European feet aud
That they We're untouched By the frr.
saw one man deliberately pause IN
The middle " the trench TO nick IN "A
mindful ~ the Naming cmhoru. which
h. then carried through 90 the side A
lncn turhnn which ron from some
'u,'H hend lay on the Goals without lg-
hitting. me- ala the cncnanutH. Tn.
priests remained on the scene FOR about
twenty minutes. during which time tho
.wn apparently roHseHaed men were
held hy otherH. After they left the
'rnwd was advised 10 cenHo eyperi.
nentinF with the IRE, md no moro
laeaod over. ~ This stage Dr. Rich-
irdaon nnd myself ieft our seats and
attempted 10 approach the hrInf M
he iiery gulf hut the heat was IN great
hat we had 10 turn back