The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-09-01

And Sc uny well hope that the blood
aud confusion that ciaraclerizes The age
may be The price Of d some great and
glorious advancement ofthe race.
The fact that Charleston has been
shelled with Greek FIRE" by Gen.
Gilmore, may make the following his
tory Of the original Greek fire Of in
ierest. If the appearance Of the Greek
fire thrown in Charleston resembles
in any way the Greek fire used cen
turies ago, this description may ex-
plain the reason Of Beauregard 5 dis
like TO H.
GREEK FIRE, kind of artificial or
Fictitious fire, which is said TO have
been used with wonderful effect ii the
wars Of the Christians and Saracens
10 the seventh century. lts ingrcdi-
ents are not known, the composition
of il having been kept a profound Sc
cret nor do the accounts that have
come down 10 US admit Of anything
but conjecture as 10 IL nature. From
the description Of It's effects, however,
il seems probable lhat the principle
ingredient was naptha, with the addi-
ton Of nitre, and perhaps sulphur
The use Of naptha, from lis great IN
flamibiity and the difficulty ia quench-
ing It's flame, may account for the hay-
DC and di.may which the Greek fire
is said to have occasioncd, and may
have given rise to the stories Of It's
burning with greater violence 10 wa
ter than in air, though a sufficient adj
mixture of nitro, by the oxyscn i
gives out in combustion might render
such a composition for a time almost
unextinguishable even by water. We
are told, too. that il was employed
with equal effect by sea and land, IL
battles or in sieges.
In two sieges," says GiJbon, /" the
deiyerance OF Constantinople may be
chiefly ascribed to the novelty, the
terrors, and the real efficacy Of the
Greek fire. The important secret Of
compromising and directing this artiii-
cial flame was impaired by Callinicus,
nntiye Of Eleliopolis, in Syria, who
deserted from the service of the CAL
iph to that Of the Emperor. 1t was
either poured from the rampant IN
large boilers or launched in red hot
balls of stone and iron, or darled with
arrows aud iayalins, twisted round
with fax and tow which had imbibed
the inhammable oil +; sometimes it was
deposited in fre-ships, and was most
most commonly blown through long
tubes of copper, which were planted
on the brow OF a galley, and fancifully
shaped into the mouths o. savage mon
stens that seemed to vomit stream
Of liquid and consuming fire. This
important art was preserved at Con
ctantinople as the palladium Of the
state the galleys and artillery might
occasionally be lent TO the allies Of
Rome, but the composition Of the
Greek fire was concealed with the
most jealous scruple. The secret was
confined above 400 years TO the Ro-
mans Of the East. 1t was at length
either discovered or stolen by The
Mohommedans, and in the holy wars
Of Syria and Egypt they retoried an
invention, conirived against them
selves, on the heads Of the Christians.
The fen Gregois, as il is styled by
tie more early Of the French writers,
came flying through the air. says
Joiayille, like winged long-iailed
dragon, about the thickness of hogs
head, with tie report Of thunder and
tie velocity Of lightning and Ihe
darkness Of The night was dispeiled
by tile deadly illumination. The use
Of lhe Greek fire Was continued to
The middle Of the fourteenth century,
when the scientific or caused compound
OF nirrr, sulphur and charcoal, effected
q nes revolution n tie art u var ard
10 the history d mankind
II should Be observed thar 10 All