Hot Coals facts

While investigating facts about Hot Coals, I found out little known, but curios details like:

Professionals who walk over hot coals and broken glass have confirmed that walking over Lego bricks is more painful

10 Downing Street in the 19th Century was guarded by two men who would sit outside the building in leather chairs, armed with a pistol. Each chair featured a drawer filled with hot coals to keep the guards warm, and a sphere-shaped hood to protect from the weather and improve acoustics.

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 8 of the best facts about Hot Coals I managed to collect.

1. In 1884, mine workers on strike pushed burning carts into the mines in New Straitsville, OH and started a 132 year underground fire that burns to this day. Massive amounts of coal were burned and residents of the area had reportedly used hot water from nearby wells to make instant coffee.

2. Saint Lawrence of Rome while being martyred by being placed on a gridiron with hot coals below it joked with his tormentors saying, "I'm well done. Turn me over!" He is now the patron saint of cooks, chefs & comedians.

3. Many people in Pakistan smoke scorpions to get high. The method is roasting the scorpion on hot coals and inhaling the smoke coming out from it. It lasts for almost ten hours and everything appears to be dancing during it.

4. Fire walking is not achieved through meditation or a higher spiritual state, but that anyone can do it because hot coals are a poor conductor of heat and therefore will not transfer the heat quickly enough to burn you

5. When coal is heated under controlled conditions in the absence of air, coke is produced. This process drives off some of the volatile materials and concentrates on the carbon content. Coke is used for metal processing and for other uses when a hot burning flame is needed.

6. The water in the baths was heated by slaves, who were stuck in the basement adding coal to the ovens to keep the water hot.