The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-03
FIREWORKS FOR THE FOURTH.

FIREWORKS FOR THE FOURTH.
Nearly All of the Fireworks Used In
America Are of Native Manufacture.
New York Evening Sun.
The largest fireworks establishment in
the country-1 is right in the heart of New
York city The place is only salesroom
and headquarters for the fireworks bust
ness No explosives are made within the
city limits, as the law forbids that, and the
big factory is on staten Island
The fcur-story building in the city is filled
from cellar TO garrett with fireworks of all
flower pots and bombshells. One tiny
spark would set off the whole lot. To
avoid such catastrophe the fireworks COM
night.
A sign in big letters-"No Smoking"-is
placed at the entrance of the building, and
brass buttons to see that the notice is
carried out TO the letter. He stands by the
doorway and allows no one to enter with
lighted cigar or cigarette.
Visitors to this powder magazine are sur
prised to learn that the Fourth of July
trade was practically over In January and
ting out orders for fireworks to be used
South.
Most persons think" said the manager
of the concern, 'that all we have to do is
to supply the Fourth of July trade, and
then be idle during the next ten or eleven
we depended solely upon the trade for one
day in the year our factories would be idle
half the time.
There is a demand for fireworks all
through the year. Political campaigns, pic
mics, public and private celebrations are
taking place almost every month, and they
South the Fourth of July Is not so gen.
orally observed as it is in the North.
Down South the two big events for the
fireworks trade are Christmas and New
Years.
More money has been spent for fire.
works this year than ever before.
There have been improvements in the
making of fireworks, and with few excep-
lions Americans make their own firecrack-
ers and fireworks. The Chinese no longer
excel in this line. as they did in years gone
by. We now make many kinds of explosives
that the Chinese know nothing about. 1t
is only in one or two things that the Chin
csc have any advantage of us.
''Of course We still import quantities of
fireworks from China, and that is because
of their cheapness. 1T is not because they
are better than those of American manu-
which the japanese excel They make the
best fireworks bombshell that be
found anywhere. The method Of making
The bombshells are fired. from mortars, or
upright guns. and the shells break into
beautiful effects, such as showers of stars,
clusters of grapes, hanging chains, neck
laces. scrolls. rings. trees. flowers or Ian
terms.
''Some six or eight years ago an ingenious
be produced in the day time by what are
known as daylight fireworks They are
expensive and cost from SIS to $50 each,
is an advertisement of Japanese firm
that makes speciality of daylight fire.
works. 1t shows a crowd gazing up at
falling figures. which represent gods. god
desses dragons. birds. fishes, balloons, par
asols and chrysanthemums.
Another kind of modern fireworks are
known as water fireworks. Such objects as
volcanoes. shooting fountains and sea-ser-
penis are placed on a wooden raft, and
then put on the water. The effect is often
beautiful.
Then, there are what are known as
diving devils They skim over the surface
of the water. dive and then explode. An
other ingenious novelty is known the
flying pigeon 1t is set on a wire, and
when lighted revolves more and more rap
idly until it looks like a bird flying through
Quite a number Of fireworks are made
for use in the house. They are harmless
and will not do any damage. Here is a
lighted the snake. suddenly uncoils from the
nest. and the effect is sometimes very
realistic.
There are changes every season in the
displays of Roman candles and skyrockets
One of the newest skyrockets is the hang
ing chain rocket. The largest size Of these
cost $40 dozen When the rocket ex-
the other until eight or ten of them are in
the air suspended from a parachute. The
t TEST ON rocket when It bursts; sets Tree
colored flre hang, thus making a brilliant
effect.
The chief glory of modern pyrotechnics.
however, is the big set piece, which re-
quires great skill and ingenuity. The de-
sign Is first sketched out and then the
frame work is made. in sections. The out
lines are represented on thin laths, which
are colored to show the fire that will be
displayed on each part of the design The
piece is set off by a flash fuse, SO that no
matter how large 1t may be, the whole is
practically lighted at the same moment.
Few set pieces cost less than S100, and some
of the elaborate ones, such as man on
horseback or a steamship, are worth $1,000
each.
1.-The manner of making fireworks is. in
the general way, rather simple, and essen
ton consists in filling cases or tubes with
certain compositions, Of which certain prin-
cipal ingredients are well known, although
The principal items are gunpowder, char
coal, saltpetre and meal powder and these
are mixed with chemicals In order to OBJ
of sodium is used for yellow, calcium COM
pounds for red, strontium salts for GRIM
son. nitrate of barium for green, and so
on. The stars which add so much to the
beauty Of fireworks at night are made of
saltpetre. gunpowder and sulphur with gum
and spirits of wine. rolled into balls. and
then dried after the composition which
gives them color has been added
For example. to make a Roman candle
or rocket, paper is cut into strips by
tubes by girls and boys. who do the work
with great rapidity. They can turn out
from fifteen to twenty gross of tubes day.
They spread the strips out a table and
put paste over the edges and then turn
them over and paste the other side.
"a round former or roller is rolled along
each strip, which becomes tube of cer-
tain diameter. The tubes when thoroughly
dried are filed with the ingredients which
make them Roman candles, or skyrockets,
and so on. Some two dozen are put into
frame and filed by hand. or by a machine.
Only the large-szed rockets are now filled
by hand.
First some sand is put in and then a
plate with many ramrods as there are
tubes Is brought down. The sand is
pressed; next the gunpowder is put in and
pressed tightly: after that, the stars or
balls are pacAed in; again more gunpowder,
and so on until the tube Is filled. Finally.
the case is finished by FASTING colored
paper over the outside. and If IL is in