New-York tribune., 1901-09-08

/ self seen elsewhera natives stsndinp uncon
cerheo with naked feet on the cover of pipes
conveying steam at about 300 degrees Fahren-
helt, where no European foot could even lightly
LIST Tor lainute- The stones then were hot.
Inc crucial question was how hot was the
upper part or this layer on which the feet were
! 10 rest an instant in passing? / could think of
no READY therrnometric method that could give
al d'S"Iutely trustworthy answer but | could
possibly determine the spot the thermal
equivalent of one of the hottest stones trodden
- ~ Was subsequently, SHOWN that the stone
might he much cooler at one part than anotherl
Most obviously. even this was not an easy thing
10 DO III the circumstances. hut l decided to try
10 get at least a trustworthy approximation
BY the aid of Chief Engineer Richardson who
attended with a stoker and one &c rba 0nartar1
/ masters. kindly detailed at my request bv the
shlps master Captain LawIass, l prepared for
the rough but conclusive exnerinlsut ,,ra.s,+I[-
described '''
II was now nearly 4:40 O'Clock. when six AGO
IyteS natiVes). wearing crowns of flowers
n, Mieatheu with garlands ana bearing poles near
- 1-ileeh Ieet long, ostensihly 10 be used
LeNefs IN topping over the upper stones ap-
Petftc they We're supposed TO need such long
PES because OF the distance which they
must stand on account Of the heat radiatAd
Ncm the pile. hut l had walked close beside II
moment before and satisfied myself tbat
! Cpuid nave manipulated the stones with a lever
OF one-third tn" length with some discomfort
but with entire safety Son1a Of Tho nr,arn,5,st
stones only weT turned over leaving a stlparior
layer. tie long. poles being neadlessv thrust
u' Wh betWe2n she stones TO the bottom where
I"9 ot them CkuSht fire at their extrenities
$3.50 Nely ,y Much u the impression that the
exposed layer Of stones was red hot when in
t~i't iilts were not. at least the These
10 tois poles ana the way they were handled were
men, d part OF the ingenious staging of the
Eole spectacle
Now the most impressive part of the cere
y iL-ohy oeSan Papa-Ita. tall. dignifed flower
crowned and dressed with garlands of flowers
appeared with naked feet and vvitb n larao
DosH oI II leaves in his hands and afte-
gong partly around the fire each way urtaring
Y hat seemed 70 he cornr1ards - :, - lS ms
Il o. '-atng the stones nearest him three times
win the Tt leaves. advanced steadily Lut
- ~ i4ISiy hGrFled step directly over the
~ - 1850. 1850. f'.Iowed him. but they had not
me couraSe 10 do directly along the beata5
- Lhty ioiio"ed about halfway between
- 80 ana me edge. where the stones were
lnahllrStIy cooler. since had satisfied ,,,,,ssfs
LLal tnry could be touched lightly with the
i-aii- iIpA-lt1 then turned and IaI rbe z-av
%; ck this time with deliberate counJarc. foi
lo"~d on his return by several nevy 5iscirI.s
most of them not keeping exocfIv ~ ~,
steps II The leader but obyio7,si1- ~ me
places \ third and fourth time Pan,Qi,,
~Ct1sseG ~ with a larger following after which
nam Enf' peans present walked over fha stones
without reference 10 tn. priests ire+r,,. -,
Ihe natives We're mostly in their bare feet ON.
III S'ycAIhs:- No European attempted 10
@ HatA IA pare f@-t EXCEPT in case that of a
ooS' VINO, was told found the stones TOO bot
ana Immediately stepped back
~, ! ne talSr en scene was certainly noteworthy
me ste, near the great ocean breaking on tba
L4IilrI reels the excited crowd talking about
me red not stones. the actual sight of the
i i'.liit ana MS acolytes making the passage
-oLIe e lIi- F-Gse where the occasional tongues OF
hame We're seen AT the centre with all rba at
t"Huahl circumstances. made up a scene. in no
va ldchlhs IN interest. Still the ess initial qu,s-
lion as 10 the actual heat OF these stones had
not Yet been answered and after tha fourth
passage ! secured Papa-Ita's parnission ,o ra
move, from the middle Of the niIe one stone
Whlch from its size and position every foot had
. iesteu upon III crossing. and which was rudoubt-
E euly al least a. not any one Of those trodden
oi, 9, II was pulled out 10y my assistants with
ullIlcuIiy, as II proved 10 be larger than | had
expected. II being of ovOid shape with the lower
eiu IN the hottest part Cf the fire / had brought
over me largest wooden bucket which the ship
had. and which Ealf filled with water ex-
pecting that this vrou;d cover the stone but il
proved tc be hardly enough. The stone caused
the water to tise nta arly 20 the top Of the bucket
ana IL was thrown into such violent ebullftion
tnat great deal Of il boiled over and escaped
Meighln@- Ihe stone exceedingly bad
conductpr of heat for II continued 70 boil the
water for about twelve minutes. when. the ebul-
lIon being nearly over. il removed 10 the
snip am the amount OF eVaporated water meas
/ ured.
MeanW hile others. as 7 have said began In
walk over the stones without anv reference TO
the ceremony lreso riped by Papa-Ita and three
! OF fouT persons. "hoi-. / personally knew on
board the ship, did in shoes the snles of
which were not burned at all one Of the gen
uSrntn. however. Whr crossed over with un-
burned shoes, showed me that the ends Of his
trousers had been burned by the flames which
times added 50 much to the impressiyeness Of
/ the spectacle ana there no doubt that anv
one who stumbled or got foot caught between
the hot stones might have b-4n badly burned
+ United States Deputy Consul Ducorrau who
was present, remarked me that ha knew that
I Papa-lta had failed on a neighboring island
( with stones Of a marblelike quality and he Of