The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-12-28
COLOR In FIREW )RKS
HOW THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
\ HuEs ARE PRODUCED.
u Ia All n Matter Of chemistry, the
Result of the Combustion of the
salts of Certain Metals - The Me-
chgnlcs OF Rotating Fireworks.

The chief beauty of fireworks Ia
their range of respondent t,lors -ru-
by. sapphire, emerald, topaz, ,methyst.
nquamarlne and scores OF !nts aud
shades between. How Is all this evan
rsccnt glory of color obtninedl The Sc
rrct lies In directed chemical combus-
ton by means of. cases ana compost
lions. the results of marvellous calcula
lion and skill
The matter Is simple enough 10 those
who know. lt IL attained by the com
bustiun of the salts of certain metals.
ln other words, the burning metals
have each their characteristic color.
Sodium gives of yellow llnme; cal
cium, orange; burium, green; stronu-
um, red: copper. green or blue, accord
ing TO circumstances, and so ON. Other
familiar metals. iron. steel and zinc,
give their tribute of Colors Iron filings
give bright red and white sparks; cop
per filings, green tint; zinc, n fine
blue; steel filings aud east iron borlngs,
Il brilliant fire with wavy radatlons.
Every one is familiar with the color
ed fires. but who would suppose that
lycopOdum. the delicate pollen Of Ger
tain mosscs. so fine that II Is used 10
powder baby's skin, furnishes rose
colorcd fire with n magnificent ilame2
These colored fires are called In tech
nical language liked fires" and con
slst of slow compositions that may he
piled In little cones on lngstone and
lighted at the top. They burn slowly
and there IL no explosion. These com
positions are made in many colors
Roman candles belong TO the fl.ed
fire class and are also called fusces.
We all know the straight, slender cyl
lndcr or cartridge OF the ordinary ro-
man candle. II is packed NJ follows:
First there Is put in IL u charge of fine
gunpowder, and above this Is placed II
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 IL dried
and busted with gunpowder before
packing. The first charge Of gunpow-
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 fireworks namely,
wheels, fire wheels, bisecting wheels,
plural wheels, caprice wheels and
spiral wheels, all more or less COM
pleX.
The colors OF fireworks are matter
of chemistry; the no less important mo-
tions that display the beauty Of these
colors TO the best advantage are mat
ter OF mechanics The man who is q
first class pyrotechnist is versed in both
sciences.
The ordinary pinwheel is simple ex-
ample of rotating fireworks. 1t is a
long case packed with fire compost
ton and wound round disk of wood.
The outer end of the spiral Is primed
with an explosive material. When 1t
is lighted 1t kicks" just as n gun does
when the powder explodes ii the car
fridge, and round and rount flies the
wheel, sending out flashes ana showers
of colored or golden fire.
Some of the most dazzling and glori-
Gus effects in pyrotechnical displays
are produced by rotating fireworks. for
there seems TO be no limit TO the va
riety of arrangement of cases and COM
positions to produce multiple motions
and transformation scenes 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, splrals, serpents or show
ers of gold or silver rain.
a skyrocket consists of two parts--a
body and head made separately and
afterward attached to the body. The
body is a straight cylinder of heavy
pasted paper closed at the lower end
so as to leave only very narrow open
ing for the escape of the fire. A cen
trail hollow bore extends three-quarters
of the way up the body, and all about
this is packed the special explosive
composition, the downward recoil of
which sends the rocket rushing swift
~ tPhdiit anu tht
light stick of willow wood. The head,
paper cylinder with conical top,
holds the special composition which is
to form stars, serpents, spirals or what
not A fuse in the top of the body ex-
plodes when the rocket reaches its ut
most height and sets off this compost
tion, the varying color, form and mo-
tion of which excite the "Ohsv' and
"Ahs" of the admiring crowds.
The great spectacular displays COM
bine the several classes-fxed, rotat-
Ing and ascending fireworks.
Temples, trees, ships, portraits, fig
ures of men, beasts and birds, flowers,
shields, and so forth, are represented
by suitable frameworks of wood either
wound with coarse cotton rovings
about two inches in diameter, impreg-
mated with certain compositions and
wet with spirits, or else they have at
tached to them lances or cases of car
fridge paper filed with various COM
hA rhaI al