The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-11
DECORATIONS.
WHAT THEY COST AND WHERE THEY
ARE MADE.
FIREWORKS, FLAGS, EyERGlEEys, &C., &C.

ICONS anu nanglngs, WhlcA VIII c0ntlnu
during the Exposition, suggests to tn
observing mind natural train of ideas
which, in themselves, are at ono
Instructive and interesting.
In the first place, taking retrospec
tive view OF the subject, we ind tina
Cincinnati has never before been 0,
handsomely decorated, except, perhaps
on the occasion Of the May Festival
since the close of the late war. Only
within the past four years have people
felt inclined to do their utmost wher
called upon to decorate in making the
ornamentation worthy OF the event which
was celebrated.
This, perhaps, on the national holiday
and anniversary Of our independence
the Fourth of July, has found few ex.
ceptions, but in the celebration OF any
local event the assertion is undoubtedly
correct.
The actual expense. which was in
Cured by the people of Cincinnati in
decorating the city last Wednesday, as
they did, Ia found by careful investiga-
tion to have been from $4,000 to $40, 900.
OF this sum So 900 have been expended in
evergreens and the remainder in flags.
The figures seem large, but are only a
moderate estimate made from an au-
thenticated source. The flags which
have been used are of various sizes and
prices. OF the smallest no less than
twenty thousand were sold. They are
2L by A inches in dimensions and cost ten
cents per dozen. They are printed on
muslin, forty at each impression, by a
machine making fifteen hundred i'm
pressiOns or sixty thousand flags in an
hour.
The largest flag mandatory in this
city, and which supplies the demand of
this State and adjoining ones, employs
over fifty hands, and the machines which
make them are kept constantly running
through the entire season, being over six
months OF each year. OF flags which
measure 81 by 6 inches the next largest
humber are printed. They cost 81 % per
gross or 10 cents per dozen at wholesale
prices. Or the various varieties of flags
which are printed on muslin the follow
Ing are the respective sizes and prices at
Wholesale figures: Flags 5 by 8 inches
are worth 80 cents per dozen; by 10
Inches, 45 cents; by u, go cents; Il by
, 1S, IS cents; 10 by 81, 81 Is; 18 by 80, $2 90;
- Wy rvs pr wi W Wy wv PO3 e Wy Ou JuG
largest), $l5. Any size larger than this
Is made of muslin sewed together, and
bne measuring by feet is worth 50;
pne by 10 feet, $4, and one by Il
Ieet, $6.
The best English bunting flags, of
which the smallest, 3Hx5 feet, is worth
"a 30, and the largest, 20X36 feet, worth
bSO, are those which. are generally sus-
pended in the middle of the streets.
Evergreens, wreaths,- bouquets and
hangings, four years ago, were made up
of hemIock and spruce, but subsequent
ly other varieties, intermingled with
club moss, were substituted, and have
been found far superior. These articles
grow in vast quantities in Wisconsin
and Massachusetts, from where nearly
all are obtained. 1t is shipped in bags
and made up here in wreaths, emblem
attic figures, notices or hanging ever
green's, by mem, women and children,
who are constantly employed at least
three months before the coming Of any
great local event. 1t takes about five |
minutes TO make yard. On last We'd
pesday no less than 40, 900 yards of these |
bangings were sold at twenty cents per |
Jard.
Eight weeks in summer and from two to |
jhree months in winter.
Anothef srticle which takes promi-
Inent place in all celebrations anu te2:dsa !
10 beautify even more SO than decora-
Itons, is fireworks in all its branches.
Roman candles (plain and coiored), sky
rockets, grasshoppers, mines OF stars,
Bengal lights, rec, blue, green, white and
Yellow lights, triangles, table rockets, I
Saxon wheels, pin wheels, ,torpedoes, fire.
crackers, and others too numerous to
mention.
These articles are generally made Of
the finest French chemicals, free from
spontaneous combustion and are mostly /
manufactured by machinery. The old
est pyrOtechnist in this city is Mr.. H.
P. Diehl, of MI. Adams, having been in
The business over 30 years. The cost of
} dozen Roman candles, at wholesale,
with fifteen balls and of an extra large
sIze, is $32 80 for plain ana $46 80 tor
eolored. skyrockets are worth, for the
largest size, $52 90 and S12O per dozen.
Taking these prices into consideration,
the cost OF the usual exhibition on the
Fourth of July amounts to about sic, 900
HON these two articles alone. Then
there are tirecrackers, which are manu-
,actured in Canton, China. Last Fourth
Df July about $4,000 were expended in
This article alone. Many persons sup
pose that frecrackers are made in this
country ana are laDeied as III coming
from China, but this is untrue. as the
difficulty which is experienced in manu-
featuring them at home prevents it.
An attempt of this kind was made some
time ago in California, but proved futile,
as the price (ten cents per package J had
to be increased, and the article was
found by purchasers to be Of an inferior
quality. The manufactory in q snort
lime afterward was abandoned. T0rpe.
ioes are made in this country, however,
md large quantity of them are gener-
lily sold every Fourth OF July. Perhaps
he most beautiful fireworks for illumi-
nating purposes are colored lights, made
ID plain and in different shapes. The
compositions for producing these lights
Ire as follows:
Red-Nitrate of. strontia fused, 40
parts; sulphur, 49,; chlorase of calcium,
parts; sulphurate of antimony, 4parts.
little lampblack added to this mixturef
lenders the ignition quicker.
'Green-Chlorate OF calcium, 8 parish
,ulphuret of antimony, parts; sulphur,
l3 parts; nitrate OF baryta, 80 parts.
Blue Meal Powder, Sparts; inter, A
parts; sulphur, 2X parts.
Bengal Light-NiLer. 28 o.: sulphur.