Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-30
ALL KINDS OF NEW TOYS.

or the Glorious FOurth-Hire Crackers
 are Cheap Bombs and Rockets High.
 Onlysa few years ago the rocket and the Roman candle were the principal features of the Fourth of July celebra- ton in the average town. Though still used, they form only what might be called side shows to the general dis play.
 An ordinary citizen of the people of a neighborhood will now get up an en- tertainment in which heroes, notices and other devices are turned into sparks, sometimes at the rate of $20 and $25 a minute, for the designing of fireworks has progressed rapidly. in America. The fact is that over half of the little red nerve disturbers which are carried into the grocer's, confec- tioner's, and even the corner druggists, just before the Fourth, the boxes GOV cred with Chinese lettering, are made in the United States, for the American workman can press together paper, powder and clay, and get more noise out of the combination than any other ar tisan in the world.
 The day when the small boy and his big brother had to pay 10 cents a bunch for crackers has long passed by. Machinery has been invented to mould the paper cylinders and load them with powder at rate of a thousand and more minute. They can be manufac- tured at about 2 cents a hundred in large quantities, and retail at profit at cents.
 The combination of powder and vari- ous chemicals which the fireworks man has succeeded in mixing, allows 8 pro- gram to be given at night which can be kept up for three or four hours if de sired with something different almost every minute. One can get up family celebration on the curbstone in front of the house which will include not only rockets and Roman candles. but pinwheels, mines bombs. sitting devils and other things which are apt to wrlg- gle around among the spectators, and the entire cost will not be over s.
 From this figure the prices range all the way up to a carload of set pieces containing ton of powder and costing $1O,OOo. Tn some of the elaborate dis plays at the resorts near New York and other large cities, paper, powder and chemicals are turned into sparks, flame and smoke at the rate of $5ooO an hour more than the highest priced opera
  vices. .e
 The rocket which whizzes into the air breaks into a stream of pendants or is turned into single star amid the "Ohs!' and "Ahsi" of the spectators is. still used, but it has been wonderfully changed in regent years. 1t still whirrs upward in its aerial flight, leaving a trail of sparks behind. but at the end< of the journey may burst into a golden shower resembling some familiar flow CT.
 Perhaps from the center falls a rain or red. white and blue balls floating gracefully downward until they almost touch the earth. Others form a cluster of long delicate lines somewhat similar to a rainfall on summer day, and thus they are named. The rain comes down, however. at a rate of from $15 to $50 fall-much more costly than the natural shower. 1.a
 The most interesting feature to the boy is the rocket which sends a group of fiery. serpents down among the crowd This year number Of new ideas in rockets have been originated, one of which is called the jeWeled streamer really a very beautiful piece.
 The column of sparks bursts into golden stray from which issue three balls of various colors, each ball dis charging what is called pendants. They remain in the air fully minute. An other new idea is called the diamond chain, which consists of a dozen or more links each containing star. The chain is so light that if a breeze is blowing it will be carried long dis tance through the air and be extin- guished before dropping to the earth. They are, however, expensive jewelry, costing no less than $150 apiece.
 A popular form of evening f1rework which has many varieties is the bomb. It is favored because there is no stick to drop on ones head. Consequently it can be discharged from the mortar in the midst of a large crowd with little danger of injury.
 The bombs vary from a simple shell which whirls through the air like a top. exploding in a shower of sparks, to the one which separates into dou ble, triple or quadruple she'll each sec ton ignited by the other causing the series of explosions. each producing it's own train of colored pendants or stars.
 A novelty is a compartment which contains either one large or several 
 clowns and other comic features By an ingenious contrivance hot air is forced into the paper by one of the ex- plosions and the animals go floating away, illuminated by flaming torch beneath similar to the common fire bal loon. This is perhaps the most remark able design which has yet been invent ed in what is called aerial firew works.
 The most costly piece of this set, however, is known as the Japanese night bombshell and is the invention of Japanese workman in large fire works factory in New York state. The bomb itself ranges from 12 to 30 inches in diameter
 At the end of its flight it explodes no less than seven times, actually produc- ing every color of the rainbow in the l form of streamers. shooting stars com cts, serpents, golden rain, parachutes. whirligigs and "spreaders." One of these bombs forms whole exhibition in itself as the illumination lasts fully