The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-14

two kinda, ground displays, and rock
cts. Day fireworks are exclusively
of the latter kind, for obvious reasons.
Effect can only be produced by them
in the air and at q distance, aud as
many Of them consist OF more or less
sombre imagery traced in smoke or
cloud, q clear blue sky is the best
background for their disclosure. The
foil success Of this. again, is depend
ent, not only upon a clear atmos-
phere, but also on perfectly calm
weather or the gentlest Of zephyrs.
The morning Of our visit exemplifed
this the heavens were as lead in
color. and q brisk breeze was blowing
of the led. Notwithstanding this,
the proprietor courieously insisted
upon sending up a couple Of his mag
ic cases, as unlike the foreign rocket
as can well be conceived. Out of
one of these burst clouds of variegst-
ed hue. with fantastic accessories,
but which were blurred and smother
ed BY the murk behind From the
ether emerged q t~ricolor flag, which
was seized by the wind and borne
rapidly far out into the bay, "mere
weftage Of the air" Night and day
rockets-we must use this word for
want Of q better-are neither Of them
self-propelling. They are shot per-
pendicularly into the air from mortsrs
imbedded in the soil ct right angles
to the horizon. Perfect accuracy Of
flight is thus insured, a result hardly
attainGble with the Western stick
and self-propulsion system. The ord
nance is made Of ~wood-very often
mere pine, though campbor wood is
preferred. Every mortar lie composed
Of two pieces, each like half Of one Of
the metal mortars in use among our
armies, supposing the instrument to
be split downward from the mouth to
the breech. A touch hole is bored in
the lower extremity Of q Of these
half tubes, and the two are then SOL
idly and tightly bound together with
bamboo strips, just as buckets and
tubs are coopered, but continuously
from end to end. The engine is then
complete. 1t only remains to plant
the solid portion Of the bntt firmly 10
the ground, and all is ready for &C
ton. These toy mortars are Of var
ious sizes, from a foot or IS inches to
: feet in length, and with q diameter,
within the tube of from II to 6 inch
es. A good one will bear 700 TO 500
discharges. The extreme ordinary
range is 1900 yards, though a higher
elevation can be attained by a~fixing
wings to the missile. This latter is
} sometimes Of spherical bat more gen.
orally Of cylindrical form. In the lat
ter case the bursting charge is con-
tanned in a globe at the bottom of a
cylinder. Suppose one of these about
to be discharged. A mortar of suita-
bic bore is sponged out, a charge oil
powder is dropped into the muzzle, a
Quick fuse is put into he touch-hole
Ii you have looked closely at the pro-
~jectile you have sec at the Hat ex-
Itremity two little loops Of twine, the
object of nhich may have puzzled
you, it is now apparent. The opera
tor passes through them, from side to
side, a piece of stout cord, with the
aid of which be lets the ire-work
carefully down till j, touches the
charge. and then withdraws the cord
A fre-stick is applied to the fuse, and
instantly the contents of the gun are
hurled straight into the air. Now, as
We said above, the bursting charge is
in the globular portion Of the bomb,
and this part is lowest in the gun, so
that its time fuse, communicating
with the detonants, may ignite with
the discharge. But the whole case
is SO weighed that, as soon as it leaves
tie muzzle, top and bottom are re-
yersed, with the result that the fuse
burns, and the explosion or explosions
take place upward, the wisdom Of
which arrangement will be at once
apparent. There Is practically no
end. excepting the period Of descent
Of the case or it's component parts, to
the number Of surprises" which
could be put into one rocket, in which
both for night and day exhibitions
the system followed il the same.
Explosive charge. compartment. dra-
gon or stars explosive charge, flag
or luminous crysenthema; explosive
charge. &c to the end of the chapter.
We will now tell as much as we dare,
or it would be fair to say, of what
Mr.. Hirayama puts inside his mis-
siles. And We frankly confess that,
compared with what we do not know,
what we do know of the matter is
very little indeed. Certain questions
could neither have beer properly ask
ed or wisely answered. Moreover,
if his own artists keep him in the
dark as to many of their operations,
what could be expected of him or
them toward a stranger. The bright
er and more expensive Of tie figures
emitted from smoke or cloud are
made of silk by far the greater num-
Der. however, are formed Of a very
soft, light, but singularly cohesive pa
per. Ia the ease Of dragons, tigers.
ssh, Lirds, ard such like, the materi-
al il cut soyn, aud painted 10 the
form aud eoioFa Of the object intended
to be represented. Eat this is not
enough. 1t Is necessary that the
image shall assume its proper pos
ture 10 the air, when released from
the space 10 which it is folded and
gacbed as lightly as possible that it
shal! Goat lightly and descend but
gradually. TIC insure this requires,
as may be imagined. sscst nicely of
adjustment OF the ilimsy teAtG-e.
Small leaden weights are disposed
here and there about the figure, and
small circular holes are cut 10 care
fully determined spots of the belly,
back, legs, and he&d for the admis-
sion and exit Of the air which keeps
it inflated. Flags and blnnsrs. pic.
lures and screens, are ia one piece |;
their folds are opened, and they
themselves are kept continually 10 q
visible position to the eye in the fight
and descent, by small weights, as
above, but only on that edge which
should be downward. All Of the
simples, and many of the more elab-
orafe, cloud effects are produced by
colorea esrths of fiue consistency,