The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-16

The CDwNasif jan with (which trr tss.s
are allied varies lt thealTgreut factories.
ANA m cousel ucnco of tho gr.at cauneti-
tioh which exists TODAY. earn hau-. I.aons
the proportion ot the Ingredients Fl uscs
q secret ~ may. however bg generally
SAID that Tire composition maacor gum
powder, charcoal s1lrnotar. to which
meal powder is sometimes added. and
with inns IS mixed the chemiga la give
the nre the desired color, some taup0uui
OF sodium being used for yellow. nitrate
OF oar1um for green, strIutium salts for
crimson, calcium compounds fer red and
Solphlue OF antimOuy for Whl-e
For exhibition work, 81 which is made
specially for an occasion and does not re
qure To be stored, perishable chemicals
ana even metals IN uuncompOuuded form
are used because they give much more
brilliant effect. Iron filings. for example
which produce bright sparks and vivid
sclntIlldtions when fresh, get oAidized I'M
der the influence of the weather in a
comparatively shors time. and then burn
with a dull lusterless red light.
WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF
The stars which form so considerable a
portion of the beauty Of all fveWorll dis
plays are made of saltpcter, gup0Wdcr
finely divided and sulphur made into n
ball with gum and spiritss of wine, and
then dried after the composition which
determines their color has been added.
The huge set pieces, which are perhaps
the chief glory Of the modern pyrotcch-
mic exhibition, necessitates the addition
OF carpenters shop to the outfit of the
factory. Here the framework which car
rles the designs is made in sections. and
on it the design itself is carefully out
lined by thin laths which are colored to
represent the fire which will be displayed
on each portion. The composition is
Falo in Trl
ed with fash fuse, so that the piece, no
matter how large, is lighted at the same
moment. This fuse is peculiar in that it
burns slowly when exposed to the air,
but when concealed in a tube, the fame
rusheS along it with almost the rapidity
OF Lightning fash.
MAKING THE TORPEDoEs.
Perhaps, however, the most interesting
thing to be seen at a fireworks factory is
the making Of torpedoes, which, though
not strictly fireworks, have the power of
exploding with more or less noise, aud for
this reason are very popular with chill
dren whose parents are naturally afraid
to trust them with fire.
These torpedoCs are made by an exceed
lngly ingenious machine, or series Of ma
chimes, which DO the work with exquisite
precision. A sheet of paper is placed
over tray perforated with holes about
half an inch III diameter, and by two
movements of a knife it is divided into a
number of squares corresponding to the
| perforation of the plate. A movement of
wheel forces a pivot into each hole, and
so forms the paper into a sort of d little
bag or receptacle.
The plate is then transferred to the sec
/. ond machine, which has an equal number
of points. These are dipped lightly into
a box containing illuminate of silver. and
| as soon as they are brought Immediately
over the center of the receptacles of pa
per in the perforated plate the machine
| jerks and the silver compound falls into
the paper.
GRAVEL TO CAUSE THE EXPLOSIONS.
The next machine drops into each little
| bag the exact amount of gravel required
| to fill it, and it is passed to the fourth,
which contains circular tubes that are
! dipped into paste and then fall on the rim
! of the paper
! The plate then passes to the next ma
! chine which grips the paper and at the
! same time little pair of nippers grasp
| the free edges and two turns of a wheel
| tightly twist them. Then a lever releases
| them and they fall into a tray of sawdust
| whence they are removed to the packing
room.
| So rapidly are these operations per
| formed that from 5000 to 100000 torpe-
| does can be turned out in a day by a sin
! gle machine, for each plate carries 264
| pcrforations.
The larger sizes are made by hand, but
| exactly the same processes are followed
and the operations furnish q remarkable
object lesson in the rapiditY which it is
possible to acquire and the deXterity and
lightness of touch that constant practice
brings. r. DE CoRDovA.