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Show ALMOST H TRAGEDY FHintM BITE God of Fire AYorshippcrs Does Not Save Them From Suffering. CLOTHING CATCHES FIRE AS THEY WALK THROUGH FLAME Only tor Spectators Prompt : Action Result Would Have Reeu Fatal. BERKELEY, Cal., May 21, An exhibition exhibi-tion performance of tho rites of tho famous fa-mous pagan worship of fire, practiced by tho flrc-walkcrs of Tahiti, given in Berkeley this afternoon, nlmost ended to tragedy. Two of tho flrc-walkors, Prieflj Pubis. Aplhauuls and his wife, attompted to walk with baro feet across a pit ot white-hot stones around which wero shcotlng red, suajllng tongues of Home. .Clothing Caught Fire. Chanting g. prayer to tho Goddess of Firo. thperforfners walked deliberately on to whabAeomedtfi. certain funeral pyrp, and when they wcraiHlfwoy across their Tohltlan oostumcs.'i.lrriUkr from? mats of dried grass, caught llrWand had it not been for tho prompt action of Postmaster George Schmidt or- Berkeley and Drs. M. M. Enos and Tv Carpenter of Oakland both tho 'fire-jvalkers would have been burned. to death.' Fanatics Badly Burned. Assisted by some of tho spectators these men caught-both tho prjest, Ptihla, and his wife and throw them to tho ground, rolled thcniiln the tall green gjass and with their cbals beat out the lire. Tho woman was badly burned about tho head and hands and the hair was nearly all singed from her head. Puhla's clothing was burned from his body and ho Buffered Buf-fered painful wounds. Feet Did Not Suffer. Strange to say. the, feet of the two victims of tho lire pit were unburned. Tho soles of their feet showed no evidence evi-dence of tho walk over the blazing pit. The upper portions of tholr bodies alone were burned. |