The New York herald., 1868-06-20
FIR E w o r K S !.
Where and How They Are Manufactured-A
Peep Within the Laboratories.


The manufacture OF fireworks in the United States
has quadrupled during the past ten years, as has
also their sale, not in New York city, but in the
Eastern and Western States. Before the war the
consumption Of this manufacture in the South was
somewhat more extensive than In any other section
and, in fact the business has only since the war
covered from the semtparalysis Of 1SsO-e5, occa
stoned by the loss Of the Southern market. During
the year 1854, and in the height OF the Lincoln
Mcclellan canvass, the consumption was unusually
heavy and bids fair to be heavier this thar
any preceding. At present New York city (and vi
cinity) includes within its periphery the largest
manufactures in the world; while, in all probability
the consumption OF fireworks in America is larger
than IN all the European States put together.
The three great manufactures whose agencies are
located In New York are those OF ]. w. Hadheld
factory in Williamsburg; the Edge Brothers,. G.
Edge-factory in Green street, Jersey City, and G..
A. Lilliendahl factory at Greenve, N. j. on Newark
Bay and about forty minutes ride from the foot OF
COrtlandt street, New York. Their agencies in this
city are situated respectively as folows-Onice Of
No. 81 Maiden lane, and George Parsons No. IL Park
place sole agent for the mandatory of Mr.. Hadeld
In Williamsburg. In many respects Mr.. Hadfeld has
been the pioneer in American manufacture, having
gained even as long ago as the coronation OF Queen
Victoria celebrity in the business which caused him
to be appointed and employed to supply the fire.
works on that memorable occasion, which marks the
era Of the first valuable shipment Of American
factures abraad. Since that time Mr.. Hadfeld
sions, and many celebrated designs have been
of his orginatiOn. The fire paintings, as large
cason Of the Inauguration OF President Gefrard of
Hayti, were from the Williamsburg mandatory,
and were manufactured to order and shipped at an
expense to the Haytien government Of over 49, 900.
The celebrated fire display the occasion Of the At
lanc cable celebration in 1856 or thereabous also
designed by the same Inventive manufacturer; those
Of the Fort Fisher celebration the last OF which
one OF the finest battle pebes ever constructed,
were from the same source; the fire paintings in
honor Of Governor FentOn the occasion of the re-
ception at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and the cele-
brated ovation In fire colors to General Grant the
occasion OF that great mill tary leaders, reception at
the same hotel, were both productions OF the same
caterer to the imagination Of popular enthusiasm
For the present season the sale Of tOrpedoes by Mr.
Hadfelds agency alone has been equal to seventy
three million, seventy thousand boxes, each
containing one thousand separate pellets. or fire.
crackers the sale has been equal in round numbers
to twenty-one thousand boxes each box con-
tanning forty packages. Torpedoes usually ship
ped by the BARREL barrel containing on the average
seventy thousand torpedoes and as many
us hfty barrels being sometimes shipped to single
order. OF Roman candles rockets, fire showers and
the like no statistics OF sale are attainaDle without
complete sitting OF the details of half dozen day
books and ledgers. The aggregate amount OF sales
Of $4,000 for the present season-the work OF sim
gle mSnufactOry located in the suburbs of Williams
at No. IL Park place. This manufactory is now most.
ly limited to the production Of general fireworks, but
mas one or two speciaties worth mentioning as, for
instance the famous tripod sky r0cket-a vast i'm
provement on the old form of sky rocket-and the
famous torpedo Of COnfutsee which yields a report
equal in volume to that OF three English pistols and
is comparatively harmless except in the deafening
report Of its explosion.
The manufactory Of the Messrs Edge in Jersey
City, Is mostly devoted to the fabrication of heavy
pieces for exhibition displays tour through these
warerooms and visit to the laboratory, where these
prove interesting as illustrating the exceeding sim
plicty OF the principles upon which these novelties
in FIRE are In the laboratory coors
tourist will find himself confronted with seeihing
pots of nitre In solution with coloring matter
OF every conceivable variety - that which
burns ghostly blue, or brilliant orange, or
CHASTITY yellow, or lurid red, OF candescent
white, or all these hues commingied and shaken to-
possible combination. Here seethes a pot, which
when prepared and dried will shoot luminous
showers OF gold at every angle; q second vessel
holds seehing, liquihed and as yet nOn-luminous
blue fire; third contains red lurid and deep, in
solution, which must be dried to powder before IL is
fit for use fourth contains another color, fifth
another, sixth still another and on to the end
of the catalogue: 1t is wonderful-the simplicity OF
manufacture. A few pine ath-lIke Stats securely
pinned together for framework curves and
points and small cross beams being Of ra-
tan, bent to the required shape and the
outline OF the most complicated piece ia Completed
Then holes for the reception of the pasteboard quls
which hold the solution are drilled at intervals in the
framework the quis being set nearly foot apart or
sometimes little less One man fills the aus with
the simple appliances of tunnel, through which
to pack it down to the required sodity. single
man will I'LL forty Of these quilts in minute on the
average, the whole matter being simply a question
OF manual dexterity Having been filed, the quilts
are dried by exposure to the sunlight and are
then ready for insertion. A second hand then
takes hold OF them-tne insertion in their places
being quite as rapidly done Is the filling process.
A single man, with pot OF prepared glue at his
side ana the frame before is sufficient for this work.
Nor Is any great deXterty required, the process
being nothing more than TO dip one end of the quill
IN the Ruepot and put II in its place in the Frame
The sticking OF the qullls completed the frame is left
To dry IN the sunshine long enough for the glue to
sodify, when q second process begins The frame
is now stuck full OF quilts of the length and general
shape OF an ordinary Londres cigar but yet there
Is no connection the one with the other, and the
erecting Of this connection constitutes the
third process OF manufacture. This end is COM
passed by means OF a continuous fuse sheathed in
INN scabbard OF pasteboard or tough, strong paper
The operative begins by liking the fuse to the top Of
one OF these tubes or qus with an ordinary pin,
driven through the fuse aud into the solution. The
fuse Is then extended to the next tube which the
paper sheathng OF II is cut away the under side
and second pin Is driven; and this simple process is
continued until every tube has been connected.
small bits OF strong red paper then pasted
the points OF connection and the piece Is pronounced
completed.
Most OF the more complicated designs are made
IN several pieces which be easily connected and
Joined together-this precaution being taken for
venlence or Transportation. Frames may be used
several times over for the same design or until the
holes for the reception OF the tubes have been SO
burned away as to render the frames useless.
The specially OF this firm is the manufacture OF
complicated pieces. Sales average from Sl25,000 to
Lliendahls specially s the manufacture of stock
exhibition pieces, OF which he presents nearly one
hundred patterns.though all these firms, with the
exception OF the Edges engaged I'm the manufac-
ture OF transparences lanterns Tor professions and
nags and the like for public occasions.