The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-26
CRACKERS FOR THE FOURTH.
Nearly tic Entire output of Chinese
Fireworks Taken In tmericn

Nearly tic Entire Output of Chinese
Fireworks Taken in America
New York. June 25.-"Nowadays the cost
OF ordinary fireworks is so triiing that 1t
is difficult for the 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-
technics. whose establishment in Park
Place is just now passing through its sea
son of greatest activity. Every year
nearly So.ceoOOo pounds of frecracRers,
valued at about 81, 7O0,O by the Chinese
imperial customs, are exported, and of
this shipment by far the largest part is
sent by sailing vessels to New York Much
less than 1,OG0,000 pounds are sent TO Eng
land, and exceedingly small quantities
reach other countries. Thus the United
States is second to China in the use of
fireworks. s-
THE exports. however, represent but
small fraction OF the amount manufac-
tured in China, where, Notwithstanding the
vastness of the industry, there are no
large manufactures. The crackers are
made in small houses by the coolies and in
the shops where they are sold. In the lat
ter places the proprietor OF the shop, his
4
do the work. No record of the number an
nually made and let of is to be found
among Chinese statistics, so 1t is imposs
Bile TO correctly estimate the value of the
output 1t must be. though, somewhere in
the tens of millions of taels.
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 CT the articles, and
piece 9xS0 inches will make twenty
crackers one and rone-half inches in
length and one-f fourth of an inch in diane
ter. For the wrapper paper of higher
grade is used. The powder is of the very
cheapest grade. costing from $50 TO IT'S czsa
per 'catty.' or from 9 to cents gold per
pound A certain kind of paper called
| leather in Shanghai is used for the fuse.
This paper isimported from Japan, and is
made from the inner lining OF the bamboo.
In other places superior rice paper is
| used. II is generally stiffened with paste
made. -bueiiwheat -four, which. accord
ing to the belief of the Celestials. adds TO
its infianamability. A strip of this paper
fourteen inches "a Chinese FOOT long by
one-third OF an inch wide is laid on a table
and an infnitesimal quantity OF powder
poured down its middle by means OF a
hollow bamboo stick~aA dextrous twist of
! the paper makes the fuse ready for use.
THE first work Of the cracker maker is
! to roll the coarse straw paper around an
| iron rod with his hands. This rod varies
| in thickness according to the size of the
cracker to be constructed. To complete
| the rolling rude machine is used. 1t con-
sists of two uprights supporting an axis,
from which is suspended by pair OF
arms a heavy piece of wood, slightly con-
vex on the lower side There is just suifi-
! cient room between this swinging block
| and the top of the table at which the
| cracker manufacturer works 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 pressing the layers
firmly together until no more can be pass
ed under the block.
In making the smallest crackers known
technically by the appellation OF whip
crackers, the workman uses a heavy piece
of wood, fitted with handle like that
of carpenters plane, for purposes of
compression instead of swinging
block. In filling crackers from 200 to $50
! are tied together in compact bunch. Red
clay is spread over the end of the bunch
and forced into the end OF each cracker
with a punch of rude design. While the
| clay is being tamped in, little water
is sprayed upon it, causing it to pack clos
er. The powder is poured in at the other
end of the cylinder. With an awI the
edge of the paper is turned in at the up
per end of the cracker and the fuse insert
ed. The long ends OF the fuses are braid
ed together in such way that the crack
cry lie in two parellel rows. The braid is
doubled on itself, and large quick-fri
fuse inserted, and the whole is bound anC
secured with a fine thread. The bundle Is
then wrapped in fine paper and sold.
THE 1Ouble- Sounding oh
has just found its way into the United
States, is wonderfully popular in China
1t has two chambers separated 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 crack
er is to be let OFF it is set on end and fire
placed TO the dangling end of the fuse. The
powder exploding in the lower chamber
throws the cracker high In the air, where
the second charge is exploded by fire from
the fuse extending through the plug be-
tween the two chambers. In the manu-
facture of the double saunders the clay is
first tamped in with a punch to form the
separating plug. The lower chamber is
then filled with powder and closed By
turning over the paper at the end This
upper chamber is loaded and closed will
the red clay. A hole is punched in the sid,
l.
fuse inserted through the opening
The ordinary-sized cracker Cne ant
one-halt inches long by one-fourth OF al
inch in diameter. costs in the city of Can
ton tael, or 62 cents per 10000 for export
At Hankow the best quality of this size
costs 1 tael for 5000. For the second quail
ity but l tael is asked for 10000. A
Chungkink $1,000 of the ordinary cracker
can be bought for a tael. At Shangha
! = of ftra Jff,ev e-f.y
the largest sell for about So thousand
These prices are. in all likelihood, but I
shade above the actual cost of manufacture
The small manufacturers sell to Chimes,
compradores. who buy as agents of foreign
firms and ship the crackers in bundles t
the seacoast, where they are packed il
boxes which cost about 4 taels a hundre.
and hold 2500 crackers"