The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-05
MAKING OF FIRECRACKERS.
CONSUL GooDNow TELLS US
ALL ABOUT IT 81,


ALL ABOUT IT 81!
The Understanding Cracker One
COuntry-An Expert Workman
Can Make as Much as Ten Cents
a Day FashiOning Fireworks In
China.
John Goodnow, consul general of the
United States at Shanghai, has sent to
the department Of state at Washington
an interesting report on the method
used IN the manufacture Of firecrackers
and the extent Of this industry in
China. During the year ended June 80,
1897, there We're exported from China
26,7O5, 733 pounds Of firecrackers, valued
there at $l,5S4, ISL in gold. The largest
part of the total shipment was sent
to New York. to be in turn shipped
throughout the United States, to give
the patriotic American boy the means
by which he can show his appreciation
OF the Fourth Of July
The exports represent only small
fraction of the quantity Of these small
explosives manufactured in China, for
now, is universal in China, and has
been as far back as history records. It
is most probable that in the beginning
they were used to brighten away evil
spirits. Now they are most frequently
an expression of good feeling or of cere-
monious compliment. They are used
at weddings, births, and funerals; at
festivals; religious, civil. and military
ceremonies; at New Year; to salute
persons about to make a journey, and
in fact, on all occasions out of the ordi-
nary routine"
According to Mr.. Goodnow, there are
no large manufactures; the crackers
are made in small houses and in the
shops where they are sold. In the lat
ter places the proprietor Of the shop,
his wife Cor wives), and children do
the work. No record is kept Of the
number made and sold, and no estimate
OF their cost is possible.
HOW CRACKERS ARE MADE.
In making crackers" says Mr.
Goodnow, ''only the cheapest kind Of
straw paper which can be produced in
the immediate locality where the
crackers are made is used for the body
Of the cracker. A little finer paper is
used for the wrapper.
"rhe powder is also Of the cheapest
grade, and is made in the locality
where used. 1t costs ITO cents gold
per pound. For the fuse, a paper call
ed feather" dn ShanghaD is used,
which is imported from Japan, and is
made from the inner lining of the BAN
boo. In other places g. fine rice paper
is used, generally stiffened slightly
with buckwheat flour paste, which, the
Chinese say, adds to its inflammabil-
ity. A strip Of this paper one-third Of
an inch wide by fourteen inches Ca
Chinese ia 1oid
and very little powder put down the
middle of it with hollow bamboo
stick. A quick twist of the paper
makes the fuse ready for USE"
Mr.. Goodnow says that it is not easy
to persuade the Chinese to exhibit
their modes of manufacture to a for
eigner, but Vice Consul Williams saw
the work going on. and thus describes
it:
''The straw paper is first rolled by
hand around an iron rod, which varies
In size, according to the size Of cracker
to DE made. To complete the rolling, a
rude machine is used. This consists of
two uprights supporting an axis, from
which is suspended by two arms a
heavy piece Of wood, slightly convex on
the lower side. There is just room be-
tween this swinging block and the top
OF the table to place the cracker AS
each layer Of paper is put on by hand,
the cracker is placed on the table and
the suspended weight is drawn over
the roll, thus Tightening it until no
more can be passed under the weight.
For the smallest whip" crackers the
workman uses for compression, instead
OF this machine, heavy piece of wood,
fitted with a handle like that of a car
penters plane. In filing crackers 200
to 300 are tied together tightly in a
bunch. Red clay is spread over the end
of the bunch, and forced into the end
of each cracker with a punch. While
the clay is being tamped in, a little
water is sprayed on it, which makes it
pack closer. The powder Is poured in
at the other end of the cracker. With
the aid of an awl the edge of the paper
is turned in at the upper end Of the
cracker and the fuse is inserted, through
this.
The long ends Of the fuses are braid
ed together in such way that the
crackers lie in two parallel rows. The
braid is doubled on itself, and a large,
quick-firing fuse inserted, and the
whole Is bound with a fine thread
The bundle is wrapped in paper and in
this shape sent to the seacoast"
THE Understanding CRACKER.
"a variety Of cracker I do not re-
member to have seen in the United
States continues Mr. Goodnow. "but
which is popular here, is the twice
sounding 1t has two chambers, sep
arated by plug Of clay. through which
runs a connecting fuse. There is also
a fuse extending from the powder in
the lower chamber through the side
Of the cracker. When the cracker is
to be fired, it is set on end and fire
set to the fuse The powder exploding
in the chamber throws the cracker high
in the air. where the second charge
is exploded by fire from the fuse ex-
tending through the plug between the
two chambers. In the manufacture Of
these the clay Is first tamped in with
a punch, to form the separate plug.
powder and closed by turning over
the paper at the end. The upper cham
Der is loaded and closed with clay
A hole is punched in the side of the
lower chamber with an awl, and the
fuse inserted through this opening
AT Canton the ordinary size cracker
G1sinches long by n Of an inch in d.
ameter) costs 1 tael (62 cents for TO-
600 for export. At Hankow the best
quality Of this size costs 1 tael for 5000;
while Of the second quality 10000 can
be bought for 1 tael. At Chunk-king
$4,000 Of the ordinary crackers can be
bought for tael. At Shanghai l tael
will purchase 5000 Of the ordinary size
while the largest sell for S. per LOCO
These prices are probably only a shade
above the actual cost of manufacture
The small manufacturers sell to Chi
nese compradores who buy as agents
of foreign firms and ship the crackers
in bundles to the seacoast, where they
are packed in boxes which cost about
4 taels $3.50 per 100, and hold $4,000