The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-06

the human hand is plunged into molten
metal and instantly withdrawn quite
unframed, owing to the rapid evapora-
ton from the surface of the skin.
which creates mOmentary protection.
But il has been pointed out that such
experiments call for momentary eX-
posures to the heat, whereas the fire
walk lasts a very appreciabIe time.
1t has been furthermore urged that
chemical. substances, such as the oil
from the fat of the green frog or the
Juice from the aloe plant are en-
pioyed by the natives as a protection
against the heat. Those putting forth
this explanation. it may be remarked,
have never been willing to testify to
their faith by a practical experiment
in their own proper persons. AS a
matter of fact. chemical authorities
may be quoted as saying that there is
no known substance which. smeared
upon the body. can alone protect il
from the SOrching heat of an open
furnace. Those endeavoFing to explain
the matter along these lines go on TO
say that the fire walker is a native of
d hot country, walking all day along
roads hot enough to blister the feet
of a white man. Their soles, unac-
custOmed to shoes. become tanned like
leather Besides, Oriental inherits
a much less sensitive nervous orgarli-
cation than the American or European.
AS "clincher.' is emphasized the
frenzy of religious ferVCr which sways
the performers mind, rendering him in
sensible to physical pain-and that is
the explanation.
This would co very well were the
neat OF the stones anywhere within los
degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at
which albumen cOagulates, and the
substance of the human body disinteg-
rates. But such explanations are ludi-
Crously Inadequate where the temper
allure of the steaming furnace of stones
ranges from 500 to 1900 degrees Fab
rCnheit. So great is the heat from the
stones that observers have sometimes
found il impossible to stand within sew
eral feet of them. They are grouped in
a large mass. forming literally a white
hot furnace.
Strange to say. there is q statement
made TO the POlynesian society by one
Colonel Gudgeon, a British resident of
'Rartonga, to the effect that he himself
had performed the feat of fire walking.
The colonel says:
can hardly give you my sensations,
but l can say this, that / knew quite
well l was walking on red hot stones.
and could feel the heat, yet 1 was not
burned. / felt something resembling
slight electric shocks, both at the time
and afterward, but that is all. / do
not know that l should recommend
every one 10 try il. A man must have
mana Qhe mysterious power) to do it:
IL be has not, it win lie too late when
he is on the hot stones of Tama-ahi
roa.
ITO show you the heat of the stones.
quite half an hour afterward some one
remarked to the priest that the stones
would not be hot enough to cook the
food His only answer was to throw
his green branch on the oven. and in
& quarter OF a minute ii was blazing.
l did not walk quickly across
the oven, but with elaboration, because
1 feared that / should tread on a sharp
point of the stones and fall. Ny feet
also were very tender. l did not men
ton the fact, but my impression as I
crossed the oven was that the skin
would peal off my feet. Yet all 1 really
feit when the task was accomplished
was a tinkling sensa ton not unlike
slight electric shocks on the soles OF
my feet, and this continued for seven
hours or more. The really funny thing
Is that, though the stones were hot
enough an hour afterWard to burn my
green branches of the ii (dracoena) the
very tender skin of my feet was not
even hardened by the fire"
The doctors OF Dunedin New Zeal
and, recently subjected some fire walk
ers to a careful examination immedi-
ately after they came off from the
turning stones They found the mems
feet and hands extremely cold which
gave rise 10 some suspicion of the use
OF local refrigerant. Otherwise the
feet were soft and there was no sign OF
any burns. DR.. Hocken, a well known
New Zealand scientist on a previous
occasion, even licked the feet of the
IRE walkers to see if he could trace any
chemical, but without result. DR.. Hook
en-. when he Witnessed the fire walking.
~ divided himself with thermometer
registering up to 400 degrees Fahreh-