San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-12
USES OF SKY ROCKETS.
Invented by tho Chinese, They Were First
Used In War, Now IN Saving Life.

Invented by tho Chinese, They Were First
Used In War, Now In Saving Life.
indispensable 20 the Fourth OF July cele-
Dratlon ls the sky rocket. But hundreds
OF years before Fourth OF july celebra-
ton was thought OF the sky rocket was
used as a warlike projectile. We are in
depted to tne Chinese tor 1t, though all the
rockets that are now used IN this country
are made mere.
Inc rocket was used Tor purposes OF war
in emma as long ago as the early part OF
the Eighth century. 1t was soon adopted
by the Europeans, who, however, ur TO the
tlrst part OF the present century used it
manly tor signaling ana rs means OF
setting hre to besIeged cities. Many i'm
provements nave been introduced, and
rockets are maze which will carry five
pound snot COCO yards.
The motive power OF a rocket is the pres
sure against the air OF gases generated by
the burning OF the composition which it
contains. Inc gases escape through holes
or vents in the base OF the cylinder con-
tanning the composition, ana give thus
forward or upward motion to the rocket,
as the case may be. The long stick or tail
Is added to keep the proJectlle steady in its
course.
Rockets nave long been used by the life
saving service as signals, ana all ships
carry a dozen Or more on every voyage,
wnicn they send up as signals OF distress
in case disaster OvertaKes them. But they
are now nKely to play still more impor-
tant part in the work of saving lives of
snlpwreckeG mariners, since rocket has
been invented which bids fair to take the
place OF the mortar and shOt at present
USED to carry lines from the shore to dis
treSsau vessels.
with the mortar ana shot line is at
tacned to a heavy metal slug or shot,
wnicn is then fired from the mortar on
shore into or over the rigging Of the ship.
This line is then secured by the people ON
the vessel, who thus establish communi-
cation with the store.
But when this method is adopted at
night the endangered sailors sometimes
have great difficulty in finding the line
when it has been carried through the rig
cling; and if the man on shore fails rightly
TO calculate the velocity of the wind, or
from any cause aims badly, so that the
slug falls into the sea without first going
over the vessel, it sinks, and the line, for
which the shipwrecked mariners are wait
ing with blanclled faces and beating hearts,
is useless. .-." -.r'r
The new fife saving rocket consists of
drawn steel tube, three and one-h half inches |
in diameter and twenty-four inches long,
charged with a composition which expels |
the gases from the tube with pressure |
of siXtyltons to the square inch, and drive |
the rocket with great velocity. Attached
to this tube is a wooden float and a torch. |
The torch is lighted by the burning rocket, |
and should it chance to fall into the water |
instead of upon the ship, the little flame |
of the torch, supported by the float, can |
be seen at once. Very likely the float, |
with its attached line, may be secured by |
the sailors. The torch would also show |
the position Of The rocket should it stop in |
the rig~sg. '
The composition with which the ordi- |
nary exhibition rocket is filled is made of |
inter, charcoal and sulphur, and the brill |
liant sparks and stars of the long, fiery
trail are iron or steel filings or borings,
made red hot by the burning composition,
and expelled with the gases. These form |
what is known in the trade as "Chinese |
brilliant ire."-Edward Marshall in |
Youths Companion.