The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-18
HOW FIREWORKS ARE MADE.
Visit to the Factory that Pro.
duces Fourth of July Enthu-
siasm.

cannot very well be so. 1t is neces-
sary to have almost % many work
shops las there various processes II
the manufacture, and the law re-
ouires that only certain amount OF
explosive material shall be accumu
lated in each shop, that only GER
tain number OF hands shall be en-
ployed in it, the centre Of each shop
shall be at least twenty-five yards
from the centre OF any other shop,
and that finished fireworks Rhall be
stored in quantities strictly limited
and clearly; specified, in magazines
sunk in the ground at least fifty yards
from any other magazine or work
shop. A large frework factory,
Therefore, has the appearance OF a
rather queer-looking industrial viii
lage, tie open space of which may
perhaps be piled up with debris OF
one sort and another, while some OF
the roadwAys about ii are fringed
with display OF iron mortare, which
to any one who sho1ld chance to
come upon the place without any
knowledge If ia character, might
very proGaIl suggest the idea that
heaps Of broken frames, rocket sticks,
barrels, etc we're the outcome OF
ARGENT BoMBARDMENT.
It is not altogether an inviting in
closure for stranger 10 make his
wsy into. There is a big notice OF
danger" in capital letters near the
entrance, and all sorts of notices OF
pains and penalties and warnings to
trespassere. There are some fifty
workshops and magazines dotted over
about tWenty-Gne acres of grass land,
and the rules and regulations posted
I'D here and there about the place
convey the ides-quite an erroneous
one no doubt-thst general blow
up may be expected at sny moment.
Every workshop is foored with
kamptulicon and lined with paper.
Not a scrap OF iron is employed in
their structure, all nails, etc.. being
OF copper. The people employed in
them are compelled to wear "overall'
boots made specially for the purpose
without nails, and garments of wool
len, all pockets in which lucIfsrs or
other mbus!ical articles might be
brought into the place being strictly
forbidden. To insure that this pro-
hibition is adhered to, every person
is searched before commencing work.
II it ia necessary, SIS it sometimes is
at busy times. to carry on work after
dark each workshop must be GIFTED
by g gas lamp shining through the
window from the outside. Perhaps
the most delicate and most interest
ing feature of modern fre-work max
ing is
THE CHARGING OF ROMAN CANDLES
Those coIored balls which sre pulled
out softly into the air one SITTER the
other without any report, and which
always are recognized as such q
pretty feature OF the sydenbsm dis
plays. The public like to see these
balls thrown cut, with exactly an
equal fcrcs, so as to play Just within
the same sphere. In order to secure
this very careful adjustment Is ueces-
sary. The fiery balls of color sre:little
Jumps Of composition, filled into the
ease and separated from each other
by q layer Of dark 6re." a little
charge of gunpoWder being just un-
derneath each. It ia this little charge
Of powder which throws them into the
air, and if all the charges were alike,
every bsll would be thrown out little
further than its predecessor, because
the deeper down in the case an explo
sion takes place the more violent it
is, the resistance being greater. To
obviate this. the charge of powder is
made to increase as the tube is filled
up. The workman Who fills a Re-
man candle, therefore, has before
him series of little scoops of differ
ent sizes for measuring the powder,
and uses them Ia succession, the small
est being used for the first ball put in
and the largest one for the ball at the
mouth of the tube. The dark fire"
therefore, does 60. barn down. to q
second ball until the first has per-
formed its graceful progress through
the air. OF all fireworks
The ROCKET
Is perhaps the most beautiful, and it
certainly is the most curious in its
structure. Some of the best of them
are said to rise to height of more than
q third of q mile, snd this Amazing
power OF flight is secured by running
in very ti!htly into the rocket case
composition which burns fercely,
aud generates gas ve-y rapidly when
once lighted, but which hiss only
very small vent for its fury at the
lower end OF the case. The gas gen.
Grated inside rushes cat With suoh
violence against the air outside that
the rocket is driven upward By it, the
tail OF the comet consisting OF the
sparks et the FIRE burning within.
Rocket-msking of course forms large
part Of the work of any freWork fac
tory. IN one shed the cases are be-
ing made; Ia another building, sticks
are being split up and rounded at the
head so as to e. into the rocket case.
In third, ALI sorts of curious burdens
are being prepared for the fiery mes.