The San Francisco call., 1906-05-22
FIRE WALKERS
NEAR To DEATH
Garments Ignite While
Giving Exhibition at
Berkeley.
Spectators Extinguish the
Blaze and Save Per-
formers.

BERKELEY, May 21.-Two swarthy
skinned natives of Tahiti, a priest and
to give exhibitions Of the ancient "hre-
walking" ceremony of their tribe, tip
toed today in their bare feet over a
bfg bed of redhot stones. and then, at
the moment when a crowd of ave.
struck spectators was about to breeak
into cheers for the uncanny feat, tiny
wisp of flame shot up from the glow
ing Goals beneath, set fire to the fiow-
ing mats that encircled the waists OF
the fire walkers, and for few mo-
ments the Tahitians seemed doomed.
Tragedy was apparently to be the
outcome of what was intended, to be
merely weird spectacle. Women
screamed in terror, as the flames
flashed over Priest Puhia Apihauni
and his wife The fire walkers" who
had successfully traversed the redhot
stones, with no injury to their bare
feet, were dazed by the unexpected
sequel to their journey, and apparent
ly helpless, certain to die.
Fire Chief James Kenny and Post
master Schmidt, who were in the
crowd, broke through the barriers that
separated the helpless performers from
the spectators. and throwing both OF
the Tahitians to the ground, covered
them with their coats. The quick wit
of the Berkeley men undoubtedly saved
the lives of the islanders. They would
have been burned fatally but for Ken
ny and Schmidt's action.
The priests wife suffered severe
burns on her neck and arms and hands.
Her feet, which had pressed the red
hot stones. were not SO much as scared
by the contact. Priest Puhia Apt
hanui sustained some slight burns on
his hands, but was not otherwise hurt.
His bare feet showed no indications
of having just traversed a bed of
glowing stones.
The Tahitians are representatives OF
the old fire worshipers of the South
Sea Islands. The rite OF walking in
bare feet over hot stones has been
practiced there and in the Orient 70
centuries. Priest Puhia and his wife
are nearly the last of the race whicr
in Tahiti has p-acticed thhe rite. They
have been brought to America by
Prince Tauraatua Salmon, under whose
direction their performance will be
given throughout the country. The
affair in Berkeley today was a sort Of
dress rehearsal.
Priest Puhia is about 80 years old.
His wife is a few years younger. They
lolled contentedly on the grass this
afternoon, in a vacant lot at Rose and
Grove streets, where big fire beneath
n lot of stones had been burning for
several hours, waiting the signal from
Prince Salmon for their march across
the stones to be made. The stones are
OF volcanic origin, porous. Ordinary
stones would crack and split when
subjected to the intense heat used for
the fire walking rite.
When the expert In charge of the
fire announced that all was ready,
Friest Puhia and Mrs. Puhia placed
wreaths of eucalyptus leaves in their
hair wrapped white flbrous native
mats around their waists, picked up
bundles Of banana leaves and wild
flowers, carrying the latter in one hand
and a native spear in the other and
moved forward 1t was the f1brous
mats that almost proved the undoing
Of the priest and his wife.
For ten minutes the islanders stood
before the fire, chanting prayers to the
deity who is supposed to protect. them
from harm as they walk in the fire.
Then the banana leaves were used to
smite the ground. three times. before
the bed of rocks. and that ceremony
ended, the priest and his companion
stepped forward, blithely moving along
over the glowing stones.
They seemed in no especial hurry.
Their feet apparently were not affected
by the terrible heat from the fiery
rocks. The performance would have
been completely successful but for the
vagrant wisp of flame that set fire to
Mrs. Puhia's costume, and was COM
municated instantly to the priests in
flammable ornaments. When the blaze
that enyeIoped them was finally ex-
tinguished. thhe Tahitians accepted
congratulations from the crowd, and
were taken in a carriage to their resi-
dence at 2024 Ashby avenue
DR.. Carpenter of Alameda, County
Health Inspector. attempted to test the
heat of the stones just before thhe fire
walkers stepped on the pile of rocks.
He held thermometer capable of reg
istering as hign as 500 degrees Fahren-
heit. suspended by an iron pole over
the stones. The heat was so fierce that
the thermometer broke when brougb,s
close to the rocks. There could be M
doubt, of the fact that the stones over
which the barefooted Tahitians
pranced really were warm.