The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-03-20
Ghinas Ahroad.
Japanese Fireworks.

The Toxic, Japan, Times, in an article
on the manufacture Of fireworks in Japan,
says;
japanese night fireworks are of two
kinds, ground displays and rockets, Day
fireworks are exclusively of the latter kind
for obvious reasons. Eject eau only be
produced by them in the air and at a dis
tance, and as many of them consist Of more
or less sombro imagery traced in smoke or
cloud a clear blue sky is the best background |
for their disclosure The full success of
this, again, is dependent, not only upon a
clear atmosphere, but also on perfectly
calm weather or the gentost of zephyrs
The morning Of our visit exemplifod this;
the heavens were as lead in color, and a
brisk breeze was blowing of the land.
Notwithstanding this, the proprietor cour-
teously insisted upon sending up couple
Of his magic cases, as unlike the foreign
rocket as can well be conceived. Out of
one of these burst clouds of variegated hue,
with fantastic accessories, but which were
blurred aud smothered by the murk be-
hind. From the other emerged tricolor
flag which was seized by the wind aud
borne rapidly far out into the bay, "merc
wnftage of the air. Night aud day
rockets--we must use this word for want
Of a better--are neither Of them self-pro-
peling They are shot perpcndcularly
into the air from mortars imbedded in the
soil at right angles to the horizon. Per.
feet accuracy Of fight is thus insured, a
result hardly attaiuable with the Western
stick and seli.propulsion system. The ord
inanco is made of wood-yery often mere
pine, though camphor-wood is preferred
Every mortar is 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 one Of
these half tubes, and the two are solidly
and tightly bound together with bamboo
strips, just as buckets and tubs are coop
cred, but continuously from end to end.
The engine is then complete. IL only re-
mains to plant the solid portion of the butt
firmly in the ground and all is ready for
action These toy mortars are Of various
sizes, from foot or Is inches to Z feet in
length, and with a diameter, within the
tube, Of from to inches. A good one
will bear 700 or 500 discharges The ex-
treme ordinary range is 1900 yards, though
a higher elevation can be attained by aiiix-
ing wings to the missile. The latter is
sometimes Of spherical but more generally
Of cylindrical form. In the latter case
the bursting charge is contained in a globe
at the bottom of the cylinder. Suppose
one Of these about to be discharged. \
mortar Of suitable bore is sponged out, a
charge Of powder is dropped into the
muzzlc, quick fuse is put into the touch
hole. lfyou have looked closely at the pro-
jeetie you have seen at the fiat extremity
two little loops Of twine, the object OF
which may have puzzled you. 1t is now
apparent. The operator passes through
them, from side to side, piece of stout
cord, with the aid Of which he lets the
6rework carefully down till it touches the
charge, and then withdraws the cord \
6re-stick is applied to the fuse, aud in.
stantly the contents Of the gun are hurled
straight into the air. Now, as We said
above, the bursting charge is in the glob-
ular portion Of the bomb, and this part is
lowest in the gun, so that its time fuse
communicating with the dctonants, may
iguite with the discharge. But the whole
case is so weighted that, as soon as il
leaves the muzzlo, top and bottom arc
reversed, with the result that the fuse
burns, and the explosion or explosion:
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 its com
ponent parts, to the number Of Surprises
which could be put into one rocket, il
which both for night and day exhibition,
the system followed is the same. Explo.
siye charge, compartment, dragon or stars
explosive charge, flags or luminous cry.
senthema; explosive charge, &c, to the
end Of the chapter. We will now tell a.
much as as We dare, or il would be fair tc
say, of what Mr.. lIirayama puts inside
his missiles. And We frankly confess that
compared with what We do not know
what we do know Of the matter is very it'll,
indeed. Certain questions could Meth
er have been properly asked or wisely an
swercd. Moreover, If his own artists keeJ
him in the dark as TO many Of their opera
tiODs, what could be expected of him oil
them toward stranger. The brighter
aud more expensive Of the figures en- ittet
from smoke or cloud are made Of silk; b,
far the greater number, however, arc
formed of very soft, light, but singularly
cohesive paper. In the case of dragons
tigers, fish, birds, and such like, the mate
rial is cut, sewn and painted in the foru
and colors Of the object intended to be
represented But this is not enough. l,
is necessary that the image shall assume
its proper posture in the air, when released
from the space in which II is folded aud
packed as tightly as possible; that it shall
float lightly aud descend but gradually
To insure this requires, as may be imag
iued, great nicely Of adjustment Of the
fimsy texture. Small leaden weights arc
disposed here aud there about the figure
and small circular holes are cut in carefully