The Helena independent., 1893-07-03
MAKING OF FIREWORKS.
The Yankee Has Developed Into .
Rival for, the Chinese MAN.
ufac!urcr.
An American Improvement on tho
Fire Cracker Is Q Time
Fuse.

= l
Fuse.
Ensots which Can 10 Had In
tho Burning Up OF Powder lnds.
psndsnce Day.
When the present ret Of gray boards were
boys, some Nifty years or more ago. there
vas ono anxiety beside that OF saving pom
MES that was always felt a. Independence
day drew nenr. II was whether or not the
stoEekeeper would have sufficient stock OF
Chinese crackers with which to celsbrats
the great and glorious Fourth. EnRsr!y
were the vapsss scanned for ths latest SHIP
ping nows. and should clipper ship DO do-
tsined. great would be the lamsnthtion OF
the small boy. History does not sell %.
and more tradition 10 silent. that there ever
Vas crackeYless Fourth; but the recent
Yumor OF anticipated retaliato'y measures
by the Chinese government and the possi-
bic non exr ortation OF frscrackers from
tho far east, has Lrought up the possible
copseo uencss TO the small boy OF this de-
privation.
II has como to tho knowledge Of The
writer, however. that hrscrackcrs have be-
come An article Of homo production, ana
these arc used rather extensively, especially
In the south and west. Yankee crackers
are OF recent origin. and good deal OF
skill and ingenuity was used to discover
and improve on tho process Of fabrication.
OF course, it would BE- impossible. even
-sAL 49, $3.50 - =, cb}ravr IN Coyn nNEA With
the poorly paid Chinese on the very small
cracker; but tho larger varieties are made
here in superior manner. and 81 the same
price o. the imported articls. With true
Yankee craft the would-be maker OF crack
srs pulled number of the foreign. ones TO
pieces, to SEQ just what they were made OF.
and how they could be improved. For tho
cheap material that forms the case. he SUBJ
ssitutes good quality OF strawboard. Civ
ing body TO the cracker and thus better
vehicle for carrying she explosives within.
He uses very little powder. pure and
simple but by careful study and number
less experiments, has made up certain
composition, not highly explosive In itself.
bat capable OF powerful detonation when
ionitsd. This material is carefully guarded
in fireworks manufaotoYies. and given ont
In small quantities to tbs men who charge
tho crackers.
A Yankee improvement is the time fuse.
Many accidents happen from various kinds
Of fireworks by premature explosions. TAii
is obviatsd by the Yankee cracker BY the
length and quality OF the fuse. which II
guaranteed to burn certain time without
exploding she oontents OF the cracker. BY
n seoret known only to tho makers. and
which would bs inexplicabls TO one igno.
rant OF the business, the case. which 10 tbs
carefully rolled tube decorated with Qlcw-
ina colors, 10 impreanatea with some pSepa
ration which prevents its combustion. so
tthere IL no burning paper left behind te
cause disastrous conhagrations. People o.
delicate nerves will be sorry to hear tha,
the homo productions are in nhnitely noisle
than the imported article. The largest siz'
makes ~ deafening sound as q small can
non, to the great delight OF the youngsters
The making Of all kinds of eworks ii
attended with some danger. Tho cases ar
often rolled and ornamsnted by girls. VIII
also do other portions Of the work; but th
charging, the technical term for putting II
the explosive, il done by men in small, iso
lated buildings. Each one has good size'
door. with window opposite. ana smAl
bench whore the work Ia done. Somstime
through cnrelessness. or from some othe
cause. loud noise Ia heard, smoke viii
pour out Of the door and window. and sim
ultsneously the workman will leap out. per
haps of tho latte. sometimes with hal
DlnQoQs OF WlFV hliBhb OuSuut WV AASVA0 OAs0
uuscashed. The volunteer brigade put
ont the fire without calling on the depart
ment, and, il unhurs. the mnn general
fixes up his bench and goes to wo seaI
for the pressure Of the alol 1us Fourth
upon him and he must put Ill the work y
ton rarely determines the cause of thsa
hfes, and. unless they are from hakraI
carelessness. the charger keeps his posi-
tion. Such casualties are growing less fra
uuent and painful accidents are rare
though one maker says his experience
grow needless and very bold with owe
dangerous materials. and have to be waEne
oftentimes against fooiishness.
One maker of crackers " using machinsl
in thsir manufacture. and is thus able
turn out vast quantities. Tor which there
works are made in this country which fair
rival, If they do not excel the imports'
They are In all fotms and shapes, from Il
bicycle rider whos performs his evolution
In blaze Of glory. TO the elephant whie
salutes the crowd by waving his trun
Moytoes and emb!smstio figures abound
the pyrotechnisrs stock In trade. and thel
is seldom an event he does not celebrate
fire to the wonder and admiration OF u
multitude. A good deal Ut skill enters I'M
the making Of the framework necessary Il
these startling effects. for. while light ar
not cumbersome. it most be strong.
1t is u mystery to some people how the
pieces can burn 80 long and SO brightly ar
not be consumed. Each bit OF wood whic
forms figure or letter 10 covered vii
what is called ''lance' (hollow tubes file
with composition). fastened together. wi
the fuse for ignition in some oonvepie
place, usually nt the bottom of the fran
work. When touched off, II all burns
brightly, but the fire 10 confined to the
little cylinders. and whom tho colnr ositit
il exhausted, the liGhs dies out, leaving u
blackeusa frame with the empty lance q
taohed. A long handle 10 fastened 10 d
back Of moving figures. and, concealed
the darkness. q man ptopels them, 80 til
they nct in . very lifelike manner. to u
great amazsnent of the beholders. The
pieces. to use tho commercial term, nrc We
expensive. and the large ones are seldom us
except for city exhibitions. They must
very carefully packed for transportati'
and tendorly cared for in ,osss OF rain. fol
sudden shower finding the attondAnt q
prepared, weull quickly ruin the work
weeks, and loss of all profit 10 the max
would snsuo. Very varied and beautlf
coloIs are made by different nixtu'ss
the composition. Each maker has HIS o,
formula and. OF course, claims that his pI
duetions are the best. They are often prl
tical chemists, "a that art entcrs la q
into their work; but after long years Of q
perisnce thSy can generally mix the ing
djepts, az does the old-faehi0ned cook.
guess" and the results are sure to be p
1~nk nua runkar il ia 0aid taafaa hia 70