The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-02

Preparations for This Part of the
Entertainment Are on an EIabO-
rate Scale - Eighty Combinations
in ColOrs and Effects to Be Seen
in the ROckets-The Burning of
Manila Feature.
There is a fascination about firew orks,
whether it is the fizz and bang from
bunch of Chinese firecrackers or the boom
from the big mortar that fires II sixty
inch bomb 1000 feet in air, there to ex-
plode like a thunder clap and scatter
thousands of smaller explosives that fill
the sky with veromous looking fire pieces,
or drop a shower of floating stars that
cover the space of three or four city
blocks as they fall. Nor is the interest
confined to small boys. Both the eyes
and ears of grown people are appealed to
by the beauty and brilliancy of the dis
play and the terror of the deafening
crashes of the exploding pieces
1t will surprise most people to know
that, in spite of the ingenuity of invent
ors, fireworks are still made by hand, and
that some of the finest pieces are made
in an urpretentious factory in the city
of Minneapolis. The material used is prin-
cipally good quality of paper, and the
SIMPLER parts are made by boys and girls,
though the filing with explosives and the
parts OF the works requiring great care
are done by skillful women who have
| become experts at their tasks. The mix
| ing of explosives is done by men who
have served a long apprenticeship and
have been found trustworthy. No ma
chinery is used anywhere and there are
only a few simple tooIs but every facilf-
ty and convenience for doing the work
Is furnished and perfect system prevails
Inc factory is now engaged in making
the pieces that are to be used in the
| gorgeous military spectacle, "The Burn
ing OF MANILA at the state fair Many
OF these pieces are the invention of Mr.
Iorter and are entirely new Others are
the finest products of the pyrotechnic art
and will be a surprise to the city people
VINO think they have seen all there is to
be seen in elaborate and brilliant fire.
works.
In the rockets prepared for the fair
there are over eighty combinations in
colors and effects. There are the rockets
loaded with gun cotton or dynamite which
explode with a terrific report, or with
|oiiie'9 thft Hi the air with burning
steamers, parachute rockets that release
parachute to which is attached a little
wire fifty feet long on which are strung
hundreds Of colored stars or two nara
chutes which float out fifty feet anart
carrying loop between them on which
are suspended beads of coIored
IRE or bearing letters like so
A H. or two parachutes with
loop between and a long line of
colored lights dropping from each besides.
IEese are few of the striking combina
tens in rockets that will surprise and
delight visitors at the fair.
Inc possibilities Of comedy in fire.
works are not comprehended by most
people Every night at the fair will
appear Jock, the performing monkey.
who gives some remarkable acrobatic
performances on a horizontal bar all
zone In ire and some of them very fun
ny. Barnums white elephant will per-
form and walk across the, stage like
veteran monster from the Indian iung1es
Ihen there will be see-saw with fun,
| ny, hgure of Uncle Josh on one end and
Aunt Jerusha, with golden hair on the
other No one who has not seen these
figures can imagine the effect when done
IN powder. Then there is the dancing
sailor and an actual boxing match be-
tween tall man and short man.
whose clothes are blazing with fireworks
Following is a bicycle race between
three men, whose wheels are blazing
with cracking fireworks and tight rona
walk and a cock fight, both in fire.
1here are some modern novelties in
fireworks that are as ingenious as the
comedy pieces are funny. One of the
most startling of these is the avine
pigeon, which will fly at the fair every
nlght. 1t Is so arranged that the
pigeon IN IRE flies about 300 feet in a d.
rect line toward the grand stand with
incredlole speed, and just as the ladies
begin to scream and the men to DODGE
1t turns and flies back, and repeats the
trip four times, changing color each
time.
VI course set pieces are always special
features of all great exhibitions of fire.
works and most of these are made for
the occasion and the fact that they are
timely and hit the popular fancy adds
to the interest in them Such pieces as
the Goddess of Liberty" and the God
dess of Germany" and the Dewey Ca
olegram," which have been prepared for
Monday, the opening night of the fair.
are OF this sort, and each night these
will be a taking feature of the pro-
gramme.
The pieces above mentioned have been
prepared for use in the intervals be-
| tween Tie evening races and other per
formances and are entirely outside of
the hundreds of brilliant pieces that
make 'The Burning of Manila" so real
lstic and terrible. The immense can
vas which represents the city OF
Manila and hills which lie in the rear of
it is erected inside the half-mfle track
and directly in front of the grand stand.
In front of the canvas is Manila bay,
which looks under the electric lights,
and with the scenery giving it the per
spective and appearance of distance.
like an immense bay with men-of-war
riding at anchor. This bay gives fine
opportunity for the display Of fire.
works upon the water, and the effect of
the men-of-war, with the smoke pouring
| from the tunnels and the terrific bonn
bardment from their decks, is so perfect
an illusion that for the time one seems
to be transported to the land of the
| Filipinos.
| One of the interesting things about
modern fireworks is the fact that they
are fired by electricity from a central
station by one man. At the fair Mr.
! Porter will occupy the central station
and will direct the entire evening pro-
gramme.