Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07

is possible. He says that about $1,000 600
will be spent for fireworks in the United
| States for the coming Fourth of July. A
, trifie less than that sum. he says. was
spent on the anniversary of Independence
day last year.
Displays in the South.
And this 81. 900 900 spent for pyrotechnical
displays in the United States on the Fourth
represents only a portion of the amount
spent for noise and illuminations in the
United States during the year. The peo-
pie who live south of the old Mason and
Dixon's line do not spend much money for
fireworks on the Fourth. Their Fourth is
at Christmas time. when, the same au-
thority estimates, at least S1.o000p is ex-
tions and earnivals and private displays
bring the total amount paid for this pur-
pose to about SS.200.0 900. The same mer-
chant, whose factories and agencies are
scattered in many countries in the new
world and the old. says that rot less than
So, 100000 is burned on this terrestrial
sphere each twelvemonth There are ma
tional events in many lands that must be
celebrated fittingly, and rockets, bombs.
pin-wheels, set devices. crackers and
torpedoes have come to be Indispensable adj
juncts on all the occasions. Other occur
rences swell the demand for fireworks AZ
fairs of state. inaugurations and corona
tons of the heads of governments, visits
of royalty to foreign parts, expositions.
fairs carnivals and house and lawn parties
give ample excuse for burning money, until
| the grand total approximates twenty-five
millions each year.
Pyrotechnists Prosperous.
The past year has been unusually pros
porous for the pyrotechnst. There were
the Pan-American exposition at Buffalo,
the commonwealth celebration at Sydney,
Australia: the tour of the Duke of York.
! Toronto and Ottawa, besides those at Mel
bourne and in New Zealand the Charles
ton exposition and the inauguration of
President Palma of the new Cuban repub-
lie. The coronation of King Edward VII
will give occasion for the display of pyro-
technics that will cost thousands of dollars.
New York firms supply about three
fourths of the fireworks used in the United
States, and one of the local houses has
branches in several eountries-branches
whose orders are flied partly through fac
tories in the locality and partly through the
main office in this city. Large shipments
are on the way to wholesalers and jobbers
in all parts of the country for the Fourth
of July trade. Few sales are to be made to
the consumer, however. until about the
third week in June. The battleship Illinois,
which will represent the United States in
the naval parade at King Edwards corona
ton, when it left New York a few weeks
| ago. carried large stock of fireworks with
which 1t is to be Illuminated during the
| review. The subjects of the set pieces are
to be chosen by President Roosevelt His
selections are to be cabed to London and
! the pieces are to be constructed at the En-
g1ish factory of the New York house A
| large portion of the fireworks for the coro-
nation celebration is to be furnished by a
local concern that has sent out large ship
ments to Canada and other English prov
| inces to be fired when Edward is osten-
tatiously indicted into his high office.
Pretentious Designs.
The general public. having witnessed the
| grand displays at the expositions and in
| the big cities. looks for quality instead of
quantity nowadays, a New York merchant
| said No longer will the celebrants. even
those in the country districts be content
with small assortment of old-fashioned
works, such as ordinary rockets, Roman
candles and pin-wheels. They want more
| pretentious designs, like those exhibited on
| festal occasions in larger places. If they
cannot stand the expense of all they wouId
| like to have, they take the best as far as
| their money will go and are better satisfied
than with raft of fireworks of a COM
monplace kind.
This more fastidious demand has caused
| the introduction of new devices. The inno-
Vatiors have been many, but there are few
radical departures. The most notable is
new electric effect. In this pyrotechnists
have found at last perfectly white. SHIN
mering fire which takes the place Of and
| in many instances is more appropriate
than, the yellow or gold. This is some
! thing practically new. and it comes about
- per cent higher. 1t is now used I'm the
| productions of representations of Niagara
| Falls, and in this set piece, too. there have
been Their beautiful alterations The niece
| Is known as THE Spirit of Niagara In
| the misty background, beneath and vet
part of the falls. is represented the figure
of graceful woman. With. the new white
effect this representation IS said to be beau
| tifui.
The Firecracker.
Firecrackers of the old, staple variety are
not to be SO much in vogue in future. AL
though they were made so as to give a re-
Fort as loud a thrteen-inch cannon the
celebrants demanded some thing new ard
better-and got it. The merchant row Of
fers what is known a mandarin cracker
The cracker" is put up in punches of from
10,CC0 to J0C00 each. These ''ge Off" aInos.
simultaneously, and the effect. 1t is saiG
''begsars description" Formerly the great
ael iai bombs contained cs:y & single charge
Now you can get bomb that is made up
OF as many as eight or ten smaller bomb
a decided and popular Improvement ac-
cording to the dealers. There are also
many novelties in aquatic fireworks this
year.
Daylight Fireworks are growing in popu-
larity. A new wrinkle is a souvenir with
each piece. There floating figures
which when their fire has gone out, drop
a souvenir small flag. a miniature para
sol. or tiny animal This is a recent ar
rival from Japan. japanese lanterns by
the way, are higher this year than usual
About six weeks ago a ship carrying a
whole cargo of these fancy paper shades
considered enough for the Fourth of July
trade in eastern and central United States
went down in the Atlantic a short distance
out of New York. 1t will be impossible to
get another shipment into New York in
time for the trade. and as The supply. Is
very low. merchants say. 1t has been neces-
sary to hoist prices.
Volcanic Eruptions.
The recent volcanic activities in Marti-
nique and St. Vincent. it is believed, will
revive interest in the pyrotechnical repro
duction Of the destruction Of Pompeii by
Vesuvius local concern. that has made
fortune out of the piece. which has been
ION the road" for many years. showing
at expos.tions. fairs and carnivais in many
countries. is making hurried arrangements
for its rehabilitation. 1t was feared that