Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

sure, draft and a cylindrical wick. His
smokelesS burner gave forth dazzling
illumination. A glass chimney added TO
beauty and utility. Better fuel came in
1885 with the discovery of camphine,
whose fame was bright but explosive
Flat wicks came. and with them the
ingenious toothed wheels that raise the
wick at will.
THE new fuel age. begun in 1859 with
- the discovery of coal Oil at Titus
vile, Pa, gave the lamp an ideal source
OF light. At last the perfect lamp.
public streets already were being lighted
by illuminating gas. In 1921, Balti-
more was the first American city to
adopt this illuminant.
The great thinkers in solemn pow
WOW began to wonder whether there
could not be even better way of light
ing than gas. Franklin. statesman
philosopher, showed that lightning and
electricity are one. Hence they rea-
soned that the phenomenon of light
might be electrical also. Thomas Edi.
son dreamed of Harvesting electricity to
a lamp, and he did.
AS firebug, man became civilized
Without this aid to combustion. he
would still be in savagery. There Is no
era of invention. no epoch in discovery
or event In history that can be divorced
from fire and its uses Fire, air, water
of alchemy Around a campfire, man
built tent, camp, village, town, city
and nation. There he was born. there
he worked, ate, slept, cooked and
thought.
There are no end of customs, legends,
rites and ceremonies erected about the
phenomenon of fire.
Fire signaling is primitive but effec-
tive method of communication, and its
use has at one time or another ex-
tended all over the world. BY day
there are smoke signals, while by night
they are by bright fire. The fire-smoke
code is now seen in the highly technical
and elaborate radio language by which
millions of words are sent and received
daily.
On his entrance into Aztec kingdom,
fernando Cortez was discovered from
the tops OF hills. Flaming beacons
gave the alarm to natives and an army
OF 100000 assembled.
The Apaches signaled by night by
setting fire to the stems of large plants.
The Iroquois League demanded that
CONAA AhCocNli6Ci approaching tAAuHC
at night should light fire or carry a
torch in order to warn of his peaceful
intent. The American plains Indians
perfected specialized system of inter-
r1ipted smoke and fire signals.
Kadiak Island ESkimos employ q sys-
tenn that benefits marriage trousseaus
At each village there is place where
visitors stop to signal their approach.
While waiting for a reply, they work
on a lamp, which upon completion be-
comes the property Of some village
bride.
REACON signals are Of tremendous
~ Importance to commerce. There
are lighthouse beacons, observatory bea-
cons and beacons for special occasions
Before telegraph communication, fire
signals were sent at night. Early re-
searches in the speed of light were
made with the flash of lanterns from
distant hills. To this day, the Weather
Bureau uses lanterns for warning of
the approach of storms. Ships, trains
and airplanes have complicated light
signals to safeguard their Journeys.
At some moment in antiquity, all fe-
rocious animals acquired dreadful fear
of fire. The animal trainer walks con-
fidently into a cage with a lion If he
has hot poker in hand. A camp fire
will cause the hungrieSt beast to cringe
from attack.
While insects are attracted by light,
they may be repulSed by smoke. Many
primitive tribes make use of the smoke
smudge. The Chuckchi carry small
heaters attached to their wrists like
watches, and nurse the shoulder with
tiny bits of dry woods. The Lapps
make smudge with tree fungi. The
Creek Indians made fire under their
beds to drive out troublesome flies.
The Chinese kill MOSQUITOES with a
lamp shaped like a pitcher having an
opening on one side. A draft sucks
the insects inside where they are con-
sumed by fire.
In hunting large species, man also
enlists the fire demon. In Spring, the
plains Indians were wont to fire the
prairie. Fresh grass springs up. Across
the river. buffalo herd eyes the green
food and starts to swim an ice-swollen
river. Some of the animals would be-
come marooned on ice cakes and make
easy prey for the hunters.
For the Consumes Tribe in Cali
fornia, the annual grasshop1er hunt
was an important event. With a ring
Of fire, they drew tightening net
about animals in forest. When
brought within narrow confines, the
men and boys would kill the rabbits
and other furry creatures, while the
squaws would find the grasshoppers un-
able to fly with singed wings The in
sects would be gathered into a large
basket thrown over the back.
In Aishanlstsp the hYpters carry
.@t'as ~