Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-01

Houi III Vi Juiy celeDrau0n are kept on SAFE ana
where few sparks or matches would cause an
exhibition of pyrotechnics that would be re-
markable both for noise and the mixed char
acter of the elements that would enter into the
show. ALI the signs go to show that more in
terest is being taken in fireworks this year than
ever before and that many thousands and even
millions Of dollars will go up in smoke and q
little puff of fame next Saturday morning, aft
ernoon and evening.
GREATER DEMAND THAN EVER.
One of the largest wholesale and retail deal
ers in fireworks in the city told STAR reporter
this morning that the sales this year are much
greater than last, and that while he had been
dtisposing of the noisy cracker, the festive
homan candle and the ambitious rocket at q
steady rate since last February, he had scarcely
been able to supply the demand, and if the
small boy and his young sister do not get
enough noise and flame this Fourth of July it
Will not be because of any scarcity of fireworks.
IL VIII be because their wants are on too elabor-
ate scale.
The reports come from New York that the
safes there have already reached figure never
heard OF before in the trade: the supply in
most cases has been equal to the demand. 1t
Is estimated that the increased consumption
this year over last will amount to about 40 per
cent, which means that about 5000. 900 will be
sent into the air on the day we celebrate.
ASSIGNMENTS FOR PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS.
A marked feature in the pyrotechnic market
this year is the apparently extravagant prices
that can be paid for single pieces, and when it
comes to exhibitions. private or public, the
sums that can be paid are limited only by ones
desires and the length of his purse. For such
as these the manufacturers have made ample
provision by putting up what is known as
exhlbltIon assortments. These are made to
nj any pocket book, ranging from $40 to 81 900.
FOR the latter figure one may have a show that
includes nearly 800 pieces in which are pic
tured dragons, trees, stars, peacocks, flowers
and everything else under the sun, all in bril-
liant colors of fire. The assortments ranging
from S25 to 800 are the most popular with the
general public and thousands of these have
been sent out to all parts of the country. The
$50 assortment has from sixty to seventy-fve
pieces, all more or less pretentious.
MANY ORDERS FILLED HERE.
There have been any number of orders filled
in Washington that will call for 800 up to $500
to settle with the dealer. People with country
homes are very fond of having private exhibi-
tions in the evening for their friends and it
is evident that if the weather next Saturday
evening Is half way decent the number of such
entertainments in the neighborhood of WASH
inngton will be unusually large. The old-time
theory that southern people do not celebrate
the Fourth of July to any great extent would
seem to be overthrow by the fact that the larg-
est orders that have been filled in this city
this season have been for people south of
the Potomac, one Virginia man having an order
for $500 worth of fireworks and 800 orders
being quite common. A large order has also
been made up for Washington Grove. where
the day is to be celebrated with old-time en-
thusiasm.
GOOD MANY NOVELTIES.
There have been a good many novelties in
troduced this year, but daylight fireworks are
no longer a novelty and but few new designs
nave been introduced. As q matter Of fact
there Is no need for any. as these daylight dis
plays have never achieved any popularity, and
there is far less demand for them at present
than there was when they were first brought
out. They are expensive well unsatisfac
tory, and those who have tried them generally
invest their money in something else the fol-
lowing year. They consist for the most part
OF fancy balloons OF one sort and another and
of bombs that burst in the air at considerable
height and release fancy figures, birds, animals
and articles of that sort that are curious but
not particularly pretty.
NEW AMERICAN FIREcRACKER.
A new American frecracker is out, the re-
suit, so the dealer said, of protective tariff on
fireworks. They are quite different from the
old familiar red ones in appearance. though
they are much more effective from the stand
point of noise and equally fatal. They range
In price from cent apiece up to so cents and
dollar The old reliable Chinese article is
still in the market and selling strong at cents
q pack. There is also tirecracker from the
fOwery kingdom that is about as long as pin
and not much bigger around, though it is put
up like the oId-fashiOned kind and is exploded
III about the came manner. In the old-time
pinwheel, too, several improvements have been
introduced, until one would hardly recognize
1t as the same old thing in new dress. At SIS
there is what is known as the ''double radiator"
wheel on which are fastened six large cases
| filled with fire balls and color effects which
last for fully ten minutes. Occasionally there
comes an explosion, when a myriad of stars
shoot from the rapidly revolving wheel
NATIONAL ROMAN CANDLES.
In the line OF Roman candles is one that
throws up great shower of silver stars which
as they ascend, leave behind them a great
trail of minor stars of every color of the rain
bow. The national candle is a UNIQUE ar
rangement which throws out red, white and
blue stars with srch rapidity that the air seems
''the devil among the tailors." This is to be
placed Oh the ground to fire. and opens with
| an illumination in colors followed by a stream
of brilliant fire. 1t next shows a fountain of
reporting electric stars, and terminates with a
burst OF fiery dragons, thrown to height of
fifty to sixty feet, and exploding there with
loud reports
DRAGONS NESTS.
Dragons nests are rather startling in their
own peculiar little way. They commence with
discharges OF electric stars, each star in its
| fight separating and making number of
smaller stars or flashes. There is also a shower
of brilliant cOlored fires eight to ten feet high,
As final, grand outburst of Kissing, fiery
dragons takes place; they fill the air with loud
kissing noises and leave trails of brilliant fire
behind them as they shoot through the air,
A willow tree rocket, on reaching height of
400 feet, displays gorgeous weeping willow
tree whose branches, slowly lengthening down
| ward, do not vanish Immediately, but hang
waving in the air and finally reach almost to
the ground.
AQUATIC FIREWORKS.
People who live near the water have splen-
did opportunity for firework shows that are
much more effective than the dry land variety.
no matter how much the latter may cost All
| the factories have this year made up large
variety of what are technically termed aquatic
| fireworks" destined for use on the surface of
| the water. Such articles driving devils,
| flying fish and goldfish are lighted in the hand
| and then thrown out on the water as far as
| possible, where they will squirm around on the
surface in fiery circles. The others are set in
| the water on wooden blocks, on which they
| float while exploding into cascades of beautiful
color, which are sent up In the air only to fall
| back again, and after resting for moment on
| the bosom of the lake or river they are swal-
| lowed up by the water. Fifty or a hundred
| dollars spent on an aquatic pyrotechnic exhi-
bition'' will 90 much farther than similar ANNA