THE SCIENTISTS' INVESTIGATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8808, 21 December 1906, Page 3

THE SCIENTISTS' INVESTIGATIONS.

THEIR REPORT. Drs Chilton, Benham, Evans and Eniton, and Prafe&'x>r Kirk, the scientists invited to inquire into the firewalking ceremony, have drawn up a report. The Union Steamship Company invited fivo gentlemen, representing certain branches of science in the University Colleges of New Zealand, to see tho ceremony in Christchurch, with a viow to ascertaining the bona fides of the performers and the performance. Although no suggestion was made that a report of any kind should be presented, i either to the company or the public I Press, these gentlemen I)3ve kindly supplied a preliminary notice of their observations. The report deals only with the first performance, on Monday, as the scien- ! tists were not able to get up to tlie edge of the oven yesterday. As soon su Monday's ceremony was completed, a stone was drawn out of the oven, to allow them to ascertain its surface temperature. The physical examination of tho stpne was seriously interfered with by the unexpected rush of spectators, and Mr Duncan did not think it advisable to mako a physiological examination of the natives before and after the walking ovor the stones. As to the preparation of tLe oven, tho scientists have nothing much to • add to the reports in the newspapers, ■ but they say that the timo occupied in walking over the hot stones, as noted by various observers, did not exceed sixteen &scons_\n. li was noted that the men took their steps rather deliberately, choosing those stones that happened to project most above the general level, and planting the forepart of the foot, rather than tlie heel, fairly upon tho stones?. Although the scientists found it practically impossible to count correctly the number of steps that each.-individual took iv walking round tiro pit, from estimates by different observers they conclude, that the time of each step varied from half a second tc three-quarters of a second, and, consequently, the time of contact of the foot with any stone must have been considerably lass than that. I As to the surface temperature of tho stone*?, a. fc-w observations were made of the (gtonc-s in the pit immediately after the walk, ancl before the piling of tho leaves and branches on the stones, and several experiments were made on the stone that ivas afterwards thrown out aftor it had beon covered for a short time by the leaves. Three stones lying side by side in t]>e pit near tlie margin varied considerably in, surface temperature. No part of the surface tested vras sufficiently hof^to melt a small portion of alloy, whose melting point ie 1-J-Sdeg Centigrade. Those granules of alloy wore pressed on to the stones for a sufficient time to allow of their melting if the surface of tho stone had been hot enough to melt tliem —that is. a time considerably longer than the time of foot-contact. Two of the three stones melted sulphur (molting point llodeg Centigrade), and the third just- molted hard parrann (melting point 75dcg Centigrade), thus showing a marked difference in the surface temperature of the different stones. Tlie fourth stone, which was specially removed for the ficie-ntists from beneath the leaves, had the highest surface temperature. It melted sulphur freely, and also ignited it. No portion of the sarface of that stone, however, reached a temperature as high as 240deg Centigrade. The temperature of one of the fractured surfaces was in the neighbourhood of 380deg Centigrade. Exact determinations of this stone were un fortunately prevented by the crowd. They mention, however, that the stone was sufficiently hot to burn the fingers of those who attempted to carry it. "It is a matter of regret," the report concludes, "that further opportunities for detail examination of the stones before they wero covered with the leaves wero not afforded, for it is the surface temperature of the stones actually walked upon, that is of critical importance, while observations of the stones in the oven before they are spread out for the walk are of no importance whatever. , Our object was to ascertain the facts, and not to afford an explanation of the performance."