Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-09-04
THE ORDEAL BY FIRE
A Hindoo Ceremony That Puzzles
the Ulinit;ated.
WALK OVER GLOWING COILS.
The Participants In the Mystisyine
Spectacle Play With the Fiery Err
bsrs a. Children Play With Sand
and Emerge Unframed.

Spectacle Ray win tde tiert Lsr :
bsrs a. Children Play With Sand
and Emerge Unframed.
once witnessed most remarkable
ordeal by fire at Benares. India. II
was held on the grounds OF villa on
the outskirts Of the city. anl among
is were some OF the most prominent
men and women OF official and social
life in British India. Army and navy
officers touched elbows with French
savants. all more than glad to accept
an invitation that might ut least offer
opportunity either to catch some ciew
toward solving the mystery Of the In
dian tire ordeal or else catch the priest
ly per4ormcrs in a nice trap at c5asum
E2ate aud age long deception. success
fully worked among a suyerstitious
aud overcredulous people like the Hin
docs.
Seats had been arranged for our par
ty out Oh the spacious lawn. where a
trench had 'beea dug sixteen feet long.
six feet wide and four feet deep Tlc
fire In the trench was lighted before
noon, hut the ordeal itself WIS not 10
come on until after sunset. The trenc.
was died with kindlng wood aud logs
and was set aire by the attendants
who kept w blaze as hot as Llasi
furnace all day long. until the trench
by SUNSET was filed three feet deep
with a compact, glowing bed OF rel
hot Goals.
We were escorted to our seats at
about 6:3o. and we were not inclined
to question the reality OF that fire from
the moment we sat down within twelve
feet OF it. Whatever else might he
fraud or hypnotism In this milan ti-t
ordeal, we could not for momeat
doubt the realism OF that scorchilg
heat that made our eyes smart aud
grow bloodshot. We. who had come to
SCOT and doubt were soon realizing
that the managers OF the Benares fire
ordeal had already gained 10 points out
OF 100 In favor OF their honesty and OF
their power over the mighty element
OF fire. that figures 80 largely In orien-
tai philosophy as one Of the three or
four primal elements of the physical
universe.
A great commotion and babel OF
voices soou proclaimed the coming OF
the procession OF priests. headed by
the arch priest Brahmapoots, carrying
a huge Indian sword. followed by the
two minor priests who were destined
to walk unharmed through that yard
thick fiery bed. scintillating In the In
creasing darkness and lighting up the
dark faces of the hundreds OF gaping
Hindoos standing behind us. While
we Europeans and Americans. always
hypercritical and given to scientific re
search. were awaiting the coming OF
the moment when our IS per cent OF
credulity was either to be shattered or
rounded ont to the fullness OF com
pleted and abiding faith In Hinloo
control and mastery OF the devouring
element Of fire. our Hindoo fellow on.
lockers. on the other hand. were antici
pating the ordeal with oil the simple
ity Of eredulous children. Ours was an
almost terrifying heart tension. and we
almost wished that we were not occi-
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