Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-12-05
A, CYCLONE Of FLAME
Fires In Bamboo Forests Are the
FierceSt Known.
SWEEP ON A MILE A MINUTE.

Like the Roar. the Roll and the Rattle
of a Great Battle Is the Noise OF the
Exploding Stalks That Sometimes
Shoot High Into the Air.
When the forests are atire. when
the smoke makes dusk at noon anu
reddens the harvest moon a thousand
miles away, there is the measure OF
confagration. When the prairies burn
rs they used to before farms had crept
in upon the endless miles OF grass,
there was a fire which rar like mao
and left behind it blackened tran OF
death. If one could combine the speed
of the prairie fire with the tumult OF
the blazing forest, that would be
fire indeed.
Such q combination is effected when
the bamboo groves catch fire. Inc
bamboo is but grass, grass with
the height Of a tree, swaying stems
reaching 100, even $50, feet in air.
In Cambodia. where the BAMBOO
groves along the rivers cover the space
of forests. it IS no unusual thing Ior
fires TO break out and sweep all before
them for many miles. If the summer
has been dry the bamboo turns scar
and inflammable as any grass.
All that is needed is spark; theh
ruin runs red. 1t IS not necessary 10
rely upon the carelessneSs OF me
woodsman to start the blaze. Inc
bamboo can kindle itself.
Let two swayirg stalks Of dry BAN
boo be set in motion by the breeze let
one rub across the other long enough,
and the friction will set the spark ana
the long dry leaves will feed the flame
1t is known that many fires OF the
bamboo forests thus originate. Per
hans it was from observing such
SIGHT that primitive man learned the
Promethcan secret. That theory mas
been advanced.
As soon as flame in the bamDoos
has crept to the level of the tossing
fins if spreads like wildfire. The wlnd
carries a sheet of flame along the grove
Mt tremendous speed. Some observers
say that such fires have been seen 10
move forward at the rate Of more than
n mile a minute. Seen from below II
looks as if she sky had burst into an
instant flash Of flame.
From such a burst Of fire there coulu
be no escape. Fortunately it passes
high overhead at the tops of the bam-
boos. It serves as a warning 10 the
Traveller who may be making his way
along some one Of the water courses
nv which the forest is intersected Inc
bamboo itself is almost an ODSIacie u
travel of any sort. 1t is well nigh I'M
nossible to force q way through 1t eX-
cont by the slow and toilsOme labor OF
hewing out a path.
The fire in the great trunks moves
more slowly, and if warning be takeI
II may be possible to sink ones boa
and throw up wet heritage and cla!
against the bank Of the stream TO pro
vide shelter until the furnace Dlas
has blown by. Such fire in the BAN
boo has not only the speed OF the pral
RE fire on its sweep overhead, but
has the same volume of fuel as 1
found in any forest fire. 1t combine
the two types.
Bamboo forest fires have anothe
ouality which is all their own. The
bang and rattle with thunderou
crashes. as of artillery fire, withou
cessation.
The stalks of these tree bamboos az
frequently more than foot IN ulan'
fer. Near the ground the joints al
close together; in the younger groWt
the nodes may be several 1eet apar
But. long or short as they may be- eac
Joint of the sun dried bamboo IS
tightly sealed chamber filed with al
The partitions between the cavities al
singularly tough; the outside rind
the stalks is almost pure flint.
When the blast Of the flame SWEEP
onward the air in the stalks up'
which il is driven is suddenly heat'
TO very high temperature. The resi-
nun Of moisture which may be IN u
stems is Immediately transformed III
steam and at once subjected to supC
heating. thus becoming a violent exp
sive. AS the hot breath Of the taI
becomes hotter these joints burst WI
loud cannon discharges.
Sometimes the force Of the eXplosl
near the roots is SO great as to s1o
the stalk like q javelin high into t
air. where it flashes into torchl
flame and is carried by the wind
spread wider disaster. The burstl
of the smaller joints is like the roll a
rattle Of rifles and machine guns. L
effect is that of a battle hotly conte
ed.-Washington Post.