, 1905-01-04
COLOR IN FIREWORKS
HOW THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
HUES ARE PRODUCED.


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 ali this evan
escent glory of color obtained? The Sc
cret lies in directed chemical combus-
ton by means of eases 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 off yellow flame; cal
cium, orange; barium, green; stronti-
UNI, 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, Il green tint; zinc, a fine
blue; steel filings and cast iron borings,
n brilliant ire with Wayy ra%diations.
Every one is familiar with the color
ed fires, but who would suppose that
l%ycopodium, the delicate pollen Of GER
tain MOSES, so fine that it is used to
powder baby's skin, furnishes a rose
colored fire with Il magnificent flame?
These colored fires are called in tech
nical language fixed fires" and con-
sist of slow compositions that may be
piled in little cones on Il 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
inder or cartridge of the ordinary ro-
man candle. 1t is packed as follows:
First there is put in it Il charge Of fine
gunpowder, and above this is placed Il
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 sunpoW-
der in exploding starts the stellar pro-
eession 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 Il matter
of chemistry; the no less important mo-
tons that display the beauty of these
colors to the best advantage are a mat
ter of mechanics. The man who is Il
first class pyrotechnist is versed in both
sciences.
The ordinary pinwheel is Il simple eX-
ample of rotating fireworks. 1t is a
long ease packed with a fire compost
ton and wound round a disk of wood.
The outer end of the spiral is primed
with IN explosive material. When it
is lighted it kicks" just rs Il gun does
when the powder eXplodes in the car
fridge, ana round and round flies the
wheel, sending out flashes and showers
of colored or golden fire.
Some of the most dazzling and glori-
GUS effects N py-rotechnical displays
are produced by rotating fireworks, for
there seems to be no limit to the va
riety Of arrangement of cases and conf
positions - produce multiple motions
and transformation scenes in Colo in
this class OF fireworks.
\ third class comprises the ascending
fireworks. Skyrootets belong to this
class and my lie simple or very elab-
crate. according 10 their ga1niture Of
stars, sparks. s9irals, serpents or show
ers Of sod - s..yer rain.
\ skffJcNet consists of two parts-a
body aud a head maze separately and
atterWard attached 10 the body. The
body is u straight cylinder OF heavy
pasted papa closed at the lower end
Sc as 10 leave only Il very narrow open
IL for the escape of the fire. \ cen
tral hollow bore extends thlee-Quarlers
of the way ~ tae body, and all about
this is packed the special explosive
composition. lie downward recoil of
which senls the rocket rushing swift
i upward, Gul-od and balanced hg tie
light sick OF willow wood. Tie head,
Il paper cylinder with Il conical top.
holds 1he special composition which is
to form stars. serpents, spirals or what
not. y fuse in the top Of the body ex-
piOdes when the rocket reaches its ut
most height and sets of this compost
ton, the varying color, form and mo-
ton Of which excite the obs" and
Ais Of The admiring crowds.
The great spectacular displays com