The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-12-24
COLOR IN FIREWORKS
HON; THG BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
HUES ARE PRODUCED.

1t Ia All q Matter of Chemistry, thu
Result of the Combustion of the
Salts of Certain Metals - The Me.
chanics of Rotating Fireworks.
The chief beauty of fireworks is
their range of Respondent colors-ru'
by, sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst
aquamarine and scores of tints and
| shades between. How is all this evan
| escent glory of color obtained? The Sc.
! cret lies in directed chemical combus'
| ton by means of cases and compost.
tons, the results Of marvellous calcula.
ton and skill.
The matter is simple enough to those
who know. 1t is attained by the com.
bustion of the salts Of certain metals.
In other words, the burning metals
have each their characteristic color.
Sodium gives OF yellow flame; cal
cium, orange; barium, green; stronti-
um, red; copper. green or blue, accord
ing to circumstances, and &C on. Other
familiar metals. iron. steel and zinc.
give their tribute Of colors. Iron flipgs
give bright red and white sparks;' cop
per filings, a green 4iata xktlEs, al Ar
blue; steel filings and cast Iron Dotff68E..
a brilliant fire with wavy radiations.
Every one is familiar with the color
ed fires, but who would suppose that
lycopodium. the delicate pollen Of GER
tain moses, so fine that it is used to
powder baby's skin, furnishes AROSE
colored fire with a magnificent fame?
These colored fires are called In tech
meal language "fxed fires" and con-
sist of slow compositions that may be
piled in little cones or q flagstone and
lighted at the top. They" burn slowly
and there is no explosion. These COM
positions are made in many colors.
Roman candles belong to the fixed
fire class and are also called fusees.
We all know the straight, slender cyl
Under or cartridge of the; ordinary ro-
man candle. 1t is packed az follows:
First there is put in 1t q charge ofsfne
gunpowder, and above this is placed a
STAR" These are simply balls of some
special composition containing metallic
filings, according to the color desired,
made up with gum and spirits Of wine.
Stars and charges alternate until the
cylinder is full. Each star ball is dried
and busted with gunpowder before
packing. The first charge of gunpow5
der in exploding starts the stellar pro-
cession until one after another they
blaze individually and vanish like fall
ing stars. Next in order to the fixed
fires come rotating overwhelmingly,
wheels. fire wheels, bisecting wheels,
plural wheels, caprice wheels and
spiral wheels, all more or less COM
pick.
The colors Of fireworks are a matter
Of chemistry; the nc less important mo
lions that display the beauty of these
colors to the best advantage are a mat
ter of mechanics. The man who. is a
first class p%yrotechnist is versed in both.
sciences. Hy =. A ..@,.
The ordinary pinwheel is a simple ex-
ample OF rotating fireworks. 1t Is a
long casc packed with a fire compost
ton and wound round a disk of wood.
The outer end Of the spiral is. primed,
with an explosive material. When it
il lighted 1t ''kicks." Just a. a gun does
when the powder explodes In the car
txidass,' and round and round fiasSs., the
ESWshe(d, sending out dashettand showers
81, .colored or golden Fares8 ~ ii e
Some Of the most dazzling and gloFi-
.ous .e6eeta-in-- OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:
are produced by rotating fireworks. for
there seems to be no limit to the va
riety@of
positions to produces multiple motions
and transformation cen in color. in
this class Of fireworks.
A third class comprises the ascending
fireworks. Skyrockets belong to this
class and may be simple or very elab-
crate. according to their garniture Of
stars, sparks, spirals, serpents. or show
ers of gold or silver rain. -.
A skyrocket consists Of ,twJ parts-a
body and a head made separately and
afterward attached to the body, The
body is a straight cylinder OF heavy
pasted paper closed at the lower end
10 as to leave only a very narrow open
ing for the escape Of tho fire., A CEN
tral hollow bore extends three-QuarteFs
Of the way up the body, and all about
this is packed the special explosive:
composition. the downyar1 recoil OF.
whtehT sends thu OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
h upward, guided and balanced BY the
light stick Of willow wood: Tho bead,
Q paper cylinder with d ::ceoonicaf toip.,.
hoads the special composition which1'1s'
TO form stars. serpents. spirals or.what
not 4 fuse In thsstop Of the body:sG'
paodes when the rocket reaches itscut:
NEST height and sets Nd 1a&hts eampo>a-
toa. tho varying cssscr, .foFn sad ~,
ueu Of whtch:-ssaite The 'ohs" "A
':Ahs!" Of the admiring: crowds. ..y.r...
The great spectacular Aisp{ayis cor.
lo4as the seyeesi clasen-Axed,,,, rttat-
ing andtases.d,as asswosks;. ). :.
= Temples. 'tresa. eAtps. ipoistt1ii!liaai. -
wes Of men, ,bssstsaand htses.t aswees.
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