Fire In The Service Of Humanity
English Essay on "Fire In The Service Of Humanity"
It is hard to say how long man has known the use of fire. Greeks and other old civilizations knew of it. According to Greek mythology, it was Prometheus who brought down to earth a torch he had lighted from the sun. The ancients thought fire to be an instrument for purifying things and the atmosphere also. Perhaps it was for this reason that they introduced the custom of keeping a fire or a lamp perpetually burning in their temples.
Many tribes living in dense jungles or in inaccessible mountains have been discovered only recently. There is, however, little evidence that 'any of them were found to be without the knowledge of fire.
Before the invention of matches, fire was produced in two ways. One was by concussion, for example, by striking one stone with another, or by sticking two bamboo-sticks against each other. The other method was by friction, that is, by rubbing on stick against another. Though nowadays we usually produce fire by striking a match, there are still some tribes who prefer the older methods described above.
Our forefather of ancient times lived in caves and ate the raw flesh of wild animals that they killed with stones and sticks. They had to do so, because they did not know how to produce or use fire. But once they were in possession of this knowledge, they were able to make axes and arrows which made hunting faster and much more efficient. The result was that they had more time to think of improving the comforts of their daily lives. Had they never started in this direction, I wonder if our civilization would have been what it is now. It is not wrong to say that the discovery of fire was the first stage of man's advancement towards civilization.
Fire was the first known means of melting metal. All things made form metals, from mighty ships, railway-trains, and heavy machine in factories to small pins and needles of everyday use in our lives, owe their manufacture to fire. Had we been ignorant of the use of fire, we would still have depended upon the sun and stars for time there would have been no watches. Wild flowers and leaves would have decorated the faces and fingers of our women in the absences of the ornaments made by the meeting of gold and silver. We would have been hunting animals and eating raw flesh exactly likes our savage forefathers.
But fire is not always a humble servant of mankind. Once out of control, or in irresponsible hands, it can cause much havoc. Nero burnt Rome, and almost one third of the great city London was destroyed by the great fire of 1666. The fire caused by the only two atom bombs, so far used against mankind, destroyed two cities in Japan in a matter of Seconds. Every day we hear and read of thousands being rendered homeless or dying as a result of accidental fires.
Many tribes living in dense jungles or in inaccessible mountains have been discovered only recently. There is, however, little evidence that 'any of them were found to be without the knowledge of fire.
Before the invention of matches, fire was produced in two ways. One was by concussion, for example, by striking one stone with another, or by sticking two bamboo-sticks against each other. The other method was by friction, that is, by rubbing on stick against another. Though nowadays we usually produce fire by striking a match, there are still some tribes who prefer the older methods described above.
Our forefather of ancient times lived in caves and ate the raw flesh of wild animals that they killed with stones and sticks. They had to do so, because they did not know how to produce or use fire. But once they were in possession of this knowledge, they were able to make axes and arrows which made hunting faster and much more efficient. The result was that they had more time to think of improving the comforts of their daily lives. Had they never started in this direction, I wonder if our civilization would have been what it is now. It is not wrong to say that the discovery of fire was the first stage of man's advancement towards civilization.
Fire was the first known means of melting metal. All things made form metals, from mighty ships, railway-trains, and heavy machine in factories to small pins and needles of everyday use in our lives, owe their manufacture to fire. Had we been ignorant of the use of fire, we would still have depended upon the sun and stars for time there would have been no watches. Wild flowers and leaves would have decorated the faces and fingers of our women in the absences of the ornaments made by the meeting of gold and silver. We would have been hunting animals and eating raw flesh exactly likes our savage forefathers.
But fire is not always a humble servant of mankind. Once out of control, or in irresponsible hands, it can cause much havoc. Nero burnt Rome, and almost one third of the great city London was destroyed by the great fire of 1666. The fire caused by the only two atom bombs, so far used against mankind, destroyed two cities in Japan in a matter of Seconds. Every day we hear and read of thousands being rendered homeless or dying as a result of accidental fires.
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