The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14
COSTLY TOYS FOR TIRE FOURTH
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| only few years Fgo the fucNn' ana W"
Roman candle wore tho principal features
~ tho Fourth u July colonization In 'hs
average town Though sill uscd, they
form only VIA, might 10 called side shows
"a the general display
An ordinary oinyeh NJ no r~opls NJ
hcighborhocd will now got up IN entertain.
mont In witch heroes mo'to-s, and other
devices arc TUNED into sparks. aom"'ifnrs
y, The rate ~ s2o and CAS- minute, for N"
doaigning n rrrworh has Progressed
rapidly In America Tho fact is that over
hnf II tho little rcd nerve dis'ufbers which
are rart"d into tho grocer's confooiionet'a,
and oven the corner Druggists. Iis, befor"
tho Fourth. tho boses covered with Chln"ae
lettering are made In ths United states
for tho American workman can press to-
gethet paper powder and clay. and got
more noise out 81 tho combination than any
other artisan In the world
The day whom tho small boy and his big
brother had ~ pay ton ccnis bunch for
crackers has long passed by Machinery
has boon invented to mould the paper
cylinders and load them with powder at n
rate Of thousand and more minute
They can be manufactured a. about two
cents a hundred in large quantities. and
retail nj profit NJ Ave cents
The combination Of powder and various
chemicals which tho fireworks man has suo-
Gee led in mixing, allows a programme 10
be given at night which can bc Kept up for
| three or four hours If desired with some
, thing different almost every minute, Ono
! can get up family celebration on the
curb stone in front Of the house which will
include not only rockets and Roman cam
dies hut pin wheels, mines, bombs. splitting
devils and other things which are apt TO
wrisgle around among the spectators, and
the entire cost will not be over s.
From this figure the prices range all the
way up to Il carload Of set pieces contain
ing a ton of powder and costing $4,000.
In some of the elaborate displays at the re-
sorts near New York and other large cities.
paper, powder and che ni,als are turned into
sparks flame and smoke at the rate Of IS 900
an hour--more than the highest priced
opera singer in the world charges for her
services.
The rocket which whizzes into the air and
breaks into a stream Of pendants or is
turned into single star amid the Obs
| and Abs" of the spectators is still used,
| but it has been wonderfully changed in
recent years. 1t still whirrs upward in It's
aerial flight, leaving trail Of sparks behind :,
but at the end Of the journey may burst
into golden shower resembling some
| familiar flower =,
red, white and blue balls floating gracefully
| downward until they almost touch the
earth. Others form cluster OF long dell
cate lines somewhat similar to rainfall.
on a summer day and thus they are named
| The raj comes down however, at rate Of
! from SIS to $50 a fall-much more costly
than the natural shower
The most interesting feature TO the boy
| u a, .1l.,A H.. T,f -
serpents down among the crowd This year
| number of new ideas in rockets have
been originated, one of which is called tie
jewelled streamer-really very beautiful
| piece.
The column Of sparks burst into golden
spray from which issue three balls of
various colors. each ball discharging what
are called pendants. They remain in
is called the diamond chain which con-
| sists of a dozen or more links each con-
tanning a star The chain Is so light that
| If a breeze is blowing It will be carried a
tinguished before dropping to the earth
| They are, however, expensive jewelry,
costing no less than $50 apiece. ,
A popular form of evening, firewoTk
which has many varieties is the bomb.
1t 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 simple shell
which whirls through the air like a top,
exploding in shower OF sparks, to the one
which separates into double, triple or
ouadruple shell each section ignited by
each producing its own train OF colored
| pendants or stars.
A novelty is a compartment which con,
tains either one large or several small
balloons in the form Of animals, clowns
and other comic features. BY an ingenious
continuance hot air is forced irto the paper
by one of the explosions and the ANIMALS
go floating away. illuminated by far
ing torch beneath similar to the common
fire balloon. This is perhaps the most re-
| markable design which has vet been in
vented in what is called arial fireworks,
| The most costly piece of this set, how
ever, is known as the Japanese night bomb
shell and is the invention Of a. japanese
workman in a large fireworks factory in
| New York State. The bomb itself ranges
| from twelve to thirty riches in diameter.
At the end Of its fight it explodes no less
than seven times, actually producing every
| color of the rainbow In the form Of streaners.
| shooting stars, comets, serpents, golden
rain .farachutes .whirlig,gs and "spreaders'
| One of these bombs forms whole ex-
hibition in itself, as the illumination lasts
fully three minutes before the last design
| fades away.
The large bombs cost 500 apiece. owing
to the rare chemicals which are used ard
|
compartments contain over two hundred
feet Of fuse every inch Of which has to be
| carefully placed in certain position so
that it will not ignite before the proper
time and spoil the effect.
| Fireworks dealers say that mines ard
batteries will be very popular this year
| on account Of their resemblance to vol
| canoes. The recent eruptions have actually
caused boom in this feature Of fireworks,
! as the people desire to see the resemblance
| of a volcano in miniature.
They can be procured in one or half
dozen colors Most Of them produce fiery
scales and balls, but new design combines
stars with the balls. They have taken the
place OF the Roman candle to a large ex.
| tent, and the ordinary piece which is held
| In the hands is gradually going out Of use.
| One reason is that it is 30 dangerous on ac-
count Of the shower of sparks falling over
| the person who holds it.
| The days when the patriotic citizen went
to the fireworks dealer and picked out his
rockets, pinwheels and other pieces are
about over The fireworks man saves him
all this trouble by packing assortments
in cases so that he can buy his celebration
| at so much a box. or, as already stated,
| BY the car load II desired.