The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
CRACKERS FOR THE FOUR7H.
China Exports 10000 900 Pounds a Yenr
and This Country Takes Nearly1An.

and This Country Takes Nearly1All.
Nowadays the cost Of ordinary fireworks is
so triiinE that it is difficult for thc American
consumer to realize that the great bulk Of them
are imported from China-half way round the
terrestrial sphere" said the dealer in pyro-
techairs. whose establishment in Park plncr is
Just now passing through its season of greatest
activity. Every year nearly 10000. 900 pounds
oI lrecrackers. valued at about Sl.TOO,OOO by
the Chinese imperial customs. are exported.
and of this sh pment by far the largest part Ia
sent by sailing vessels to New York. Much
less than 100000 pounds is sent to England.
and exceedingly small quantities reach other
countries. Thus the United States is second to
China In the use Of fireworks.
THE exports. however represent but a
small fraction Of the amount manufactured in
China. whore. notwithstanding the vastness Of
the industry. there are no large mauu'acto-
res. TIL" crackers are made in small houses
by the coolies and in the shops where they are
sold In the latter places the proprietor of the
SHOP his wife TOR wives. more often and chill
drcn 90 the work. No record Of the number
annually made and let off is 10 be found among
Chinese statistics. so It is impossible to cor
rectly estimate the value Of the output. II
must b.. though, somewhere in the tens Of
millions OF tacIs.
"Only the cheapest kind of straw papor
caty whore the crackers ar" made is u-"l for
the body OF til" articles. and Il p,ec" 81 by 80
inches will max" twenty-one crackers one
and one-haf inches IN length and one fourth
Of an inch in diameter. For the wrapper paper
Of higher grade Is used. The powder is Of tn"
very cheapest grade. costing from 100 to l75
cash ror catty.' or from q to : cents gold per
pound. A certain kind Of paper called leather
in Shanghai lie used for the fuse. This paper is
imported from apan and is made from the inner
lining Of the bamboo. In other places II SUI
perIor rice paper is used. 1t is generally
stifTened with paste made from buckwhcat
-four which according to the belief OF the
Celestias. adds to its intammabiIIty \ strip
OF this paper fourteen inches "a Chinese FOOT
long by one-thrd of an ipfh wid- Is laid on
a table and an infnitesimal quantity OF powder
poured down its m ildle 10y means Of a hollow
bamboo stick. dcHtrnus twist Of the paper
makes the fuse ready for use.
The first work OF the cracker maker IS to roll
tn" coarse stray Larrt around an iron rod
according to the size Of the cracker TO be con-
structed. TO complete tho rolling rude ma
porting an axis. from which is suspcni"d iva
pair OF arms heavy piece OF wood. slightly
convex on the over side. Their" Is Just sum
tn" top OF the table At which The cracker manu-
tacturcr works to place tn" cracker. As each
placed on TIA" tat !" and the suspended weight
Is drawn over the roll. thus pressing tn. layers
hrmly 'ogHther until no mere can be PASSED
I'm making the smallest crackers. known
ers. the workman uses heavy piece Of wood.
fitted with handle Il K" that OF a carpenters
Eans i%r THtpTsSTt OF SIHmhry , n"ad g"
300 to 300 ar" tied together IN Il compact
bunch Red clay is spread over the end Of tho
with punch Of rude design While the clnv
IS being tawpnd ~ ,.ttlG water Is snray"l
is poured in Mt the other end Of the cylinder
With an nwi I'll" edge, q tho paper is
hs fuse IN =" 5 g on Of %fGI nS Sc.
are hraidei together IN such way that the
crackers lie in t,wo parable! rows. The braid is
inserted. md IT." whole IL hound and secured
with Gno threat. The bundle is then wrapped
THE double sounding cracker. which has
just found its way into the United states. ia
chambers separated by n plug Of clay. through
which runs II connecting fuse. There is also Il
Ps" Xtr06pE I1 The IN" M h the %%r
When the cracker Is to be let otiit is set end
SRL fire r2Sed +" III d'nEnE end OF the fuse
throws the cracker high in the mir. wher"
the second charge Is eMpndGI hg fire from
double. saunders the clay is iirst tNmped in with
lower "E chamb" T' then S' WITH poWicr and
closed hy turning over the paper at the end, end
the r " "ay hole IS punched S' in ' the side T' Of
tn" lower chamber with an aw and the fuse
inserted through the opening.
The ordinary sized cracker, one and one
half inches long by 4ne-iourth Of an inch In
diameter costs in the city u Canton tacl.
or ~ cents per 10000 for export At IIankow
the hest quality Of this si2n costs ! tHel for
5000; For tn" second quality hut taol is
ordinary crackers can ho bought for n tae,. At
Shanghai 5000 Of the ordinary size cost n tapl,
while the largest sell for about 81 thousand.
These prices are, in all likelihood. tut a shade
above IN" actual cost OF manufacture, The
small manufacturers sell TO Chinese cOmprn-
durcs, who buy as agents of foreign firms and
shin fhe crackers in bundles to the seacoast.
whore they are packed in boxes which cost
about taels IA hundred and hold 100000
crackers