The New York herald., 1870-07-01

OuTtu ILLS BIcdt udtiOudi HOiluoy 10 CiOoc
upon us, ana everywhere throughout the length and
breadth OF country most active preparations
being made to give fitting glory and ecat to the day
we celebrate. Nowhere, however Is 1t more gener-
ally or more enthusiastically observed than In this
City. What with firing OF national sautes and
marching Of soldiers, and beating OF drums and
evoking shrieking melodies from car-piercng flies;
what with national emblem the unfading stripes
and its undimmed stars, proudly n0at-
ing from housetops ana windows and bal
comics and our shipping ana public buildings;
what with extra performances at the theatres, and
steamboat excursions and ptcncs; what with the pa
triotIc but confusing clatter Of pistofring and
plosions OF fire crackers and torpedoes and gre
nades; what with the public pyrotechnic displays at
the various parks in the evening and private pyro-
technics from nearly every private house In the CITY,
giving glorious spendor of dazzling and varIegated
lights TO all the regions Of the upper air. what with
all this and very much that might be added to
give completeness the picture, the coming Fourth
OF July promises to be particularly busy day. and
altogether, its celebration unwontedy animated
and brilliant Chief OF interest In all these, how
ever and giving greatest glory to the day, and
to all classes and preeminenuy TO our juvenile pop
uaton, forming It's most attractive feature, is the
SUBJECT OF FIREWORKS.
The Is scarcely any specially Of modern manufac-
ture in which the resources OF human ingenuity
have been more severely taxed to achieve pleas
ing and, at the same time, wonderful and startling
effects, than In the manufacture Of fireworks. Time
was when national patriotism, finding It's eliminating
expression the anniversary Of our national BIRTH
was content with diminutiye cannon, banging out
''YanKee Doodle" and HAL Columbia" on IN
euphonious drums, reading the Declaration OF lnde-
dence, and bonfire Lluminati9ps IN WHICH tar
barrels took cohsplcu603 part. But this was
anterior to the birth OF Young America, an
terror to the railroad and telegraph and steam
press anterior to the present age Of brilliant inven-
tive genius, anterior to dazzling displays extraordi-
nary effects and sedulous striving IN everything
flor thn Nalu EunrN hirn
must be OF the great guns" Order not only the
non themselves but there must be big drum corps
and big regiments and big orators, whose bold
flights Of 0ratory bear their hearers upward and up
ward till the latter OF feebler piniOns, In the attempt
to follow them, become utterly bewildered and lost
among the misty mazes OF the fur away cerulean
regions and proud empyrean domain OF the re-
motest fixed stars and the hghialutin
this is not ali. Keeping pace with this progress
sve growth, this aspiring after transcendent bewil-
derment and amazing effects, Is the pyrotechnc art;
for art 1t IL, one OF the fine arts indeed ey0king all
the higher powers OF inventive skill. Tar barrels
good enough IN their way, and answer very well
for such grand occasions as the Fourth OF july
when every bosom burns with patriotic ardOr, these
eaping rOckets and magnificent consultations OF fall
ing stars and the minglng hues OF the brightest RAIN
bow colors are stupidy stale and abectly fiat to the
grandy sOnorOus 0utburst Of exploding bombshes,
whose fragments OF gitterng spendor Ill the air with
their brilliantly meteorc showers, revealing every
intensified shade and tint OF the Kaleidoscope are
nothing to the sclntillating brightness OF whiring
wheels, nothing to the tortur0us lwistings OF fiery
serpens, nothing to those masterpieces Of the pyro-
revolutionary scenes, great battles. storming forts.
sinking ships and enguling whole armies In mad
dened whirpOolS Of consuming fre
EXTENT OF THE MANUFACTURE.
Everybody knows that the manufacture OF fire.
works Is comparatively recent art. II Is
true there was the .Greck fire." which the old Greeks
hurled with such destructive effect upon the cities
and feels OF their enemies. which at times must
hav UOttp n grand Illuminating q
night But the present art IN is perfected state end
having its origin simply In desire TO please and
.'Greek frev and not hnf as much as the Fourth OF
July to the Ides OF March or the kaends Of October
As the telegraph followed the prlnt@g press 3
Fourth, FOURTH g our glorious Fourth, our Fourth Fourth
manufacture Of chinese crackers by the people Of
the Celestial empire Is doubtless very ancient; but
up TO thirty years ago the manufacture Of fireworks
in this country was very Slight. The old fgW Of VIM.
the very rst 70 embark in the business and S now
extend @ al the csun thy s raae
ishe sales forthe country beginning about the 1s OF
May and those OF the city nearly six week later and
neither continuing after the Fourth OF July, except
I'm limited quantities for political meetings and other
like demonstra Onsit has now reached large aggre
gate figure, embracing In the manufacture Immense
capital and large number OF wofkmen Maiden
lane Is full OF the larger retailers and there Is hardly
fancy retail store In the city that does not in the
season OF the trade lay In full assortment Of these
pyrotechnic products. Though our city Is the great
centre Of manufacture and trade there is scarcely
Patriotism is strongly defined characteristic OF our
people, and when, In giving expression to this hon
Ing element there IS no resisting its RESERVATIONS,
and the question OF expense Is the last one con-
sidered
THE CHIEF MANUFACTURERS.
One Of the largest manufactures in this country Is
thai OF Mr.. Hadheld, IN East Williamsburg The
the sDpcIaltV this tg "
hibtOn pieces, In the successful manufacture of
which they are without rival, as Is abundanty
rotechnic exhibitions In our pubic parks
given during the past few years under their
nohsr at ase s sse Is has
Light have also large mandatory at East VIII
llamsburg, and so has Mr. Schaerfenberg at Brooklyn
bulk OF the fireworks sold In the United States. A
look through any OF these manufactures Is at once
curious and pleasing g-curious as showing the won
derful chemical skill shown In the combinations Of
the various ingredients employed, the artistic COM
mingng OF colors and ingenious devices and forms;
ness Of the completed fabrics. 1t is vital to insure
this latter point, and hence, though some of the
agents are T tns nons oss arc no OF
such check on these forces as TO hold complete
mastery over them.
SOURCES OF DANGER.
II Ia undeniabe that with all the painstaking there
are however, sources OF danger. The greatest dan
ger is In the combinations used and required in pro-
ducing colOred fires; but even here very rarely,
except through culpabe negligence, do accidents
occur. Recently, however, dangerous toy In the
shape OF q new torpedo has made Its appearance.
These t0rpedoes are Of two kinds, the smaller about
as large as haZelnuts, cOlored red and blue, and
terial employed In both Is the same consisting Of
amorphous, phosphorus and chlorate OF potash.
They are too powerful for toys, the explosive
power Of each being equal to musket charge
OF gunpowder, and IN the hands OF children, there
f0re endangerng life. Fortunately superintendent
same, after chemical analysis having been pro-
nOunced by DR.. Morris, City Sanitary Inspector,
unsafe their sale has been prohibited by the Police
superintendent Still another dangerous toy Is one
Of the torpedo class representing stick or candy,
which, OF course, coming into the hands OF Ignorant
dering themselves liable to accident from Its explo-
sion. A FEW days ago case, 1t will be remembered,
one ol her cheeks blown out by biting Que OF these
torpedoes. Happily Superintendent Jourdan ha
had hia atlautlnn called TO this. and ukeWise has