The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-02-27
COLOR IN FIREWORKS
HOW TNE BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
HUES tSE PRODUCED

snIr ot Certain Metals - The Me-
rhnntrs of Rotating Fireworks
I'll, ,lcf beauty Of fireworks is
their riupc Of rrsploud"ut culurS -ru
by, sapphire. emerald. topaz, amethyst
aquHmnriuc aud scores uf tiutS ana
shades h,tveru. How is an this evan
escent glory of color ohtamrdt The Sc
cret lies ia directed chemical cumbus-
tion 10y means ut eases aud compost
tions the results ~ marvellous Calcula-
tion aud skill
The matter is simple enough TO those
who know. II is attained 10y the com.
bustiuu of the salts Of certain metals.
In other words, the burning metals
have ,tyl thcir characteristic color.
Sodium gives of yellow flame; cal
cium. orange, mr,um. green, strOuti.
um, red. copper. green or blue, accord
ing to cirvums stuu,cs aud ~ on. other
familiar metals. iron. steel aud Zin',
give tl,ir tribute ut cOlorS Iron filings
| give bright red aud white sparks, cop.
| per hliugS. Il green tint, zinc, tine
/ blue. steel filings aud east iron boimgs,
/ a brilliant tire with wuNN radiatiUns
| Every one j. CmOliar with the color.
ed fires hut WHO would suppose that
| iycopodiun. the delicate pollen Of cer.
tain mu>scs. 80 fuc that IL is used 10
powder hahN'S skiu furnishes rose
colOr'd fire with q magnificent hamef
These culorcd fires are called In tech.
meal language "tN,d fires ana con
sist uf slow ,oIUpus tiunS that may he
piled in little cones on hagstoue and
lighted at the top They burn slowly
and tier. is uu ,Nplusi0u. These com
positions are made iu many cclors.
Roman candles belong tu the fixed
fire class and are also called tusees.
We All know the straight. sleuder cyl
inder or cartridge of the ordinary ro-
man candle. II j. packed rs follows:
First there is put in il u charge of fine
gunpUwder, uud above this il placed Il
star" These are simply balls ~ some
special composite containing metallic
filings. according TO the color desired.
made up with gum aud spirits of Wine.
Stars and charges alternate Until the
cylinder is fun. Each star ball is dried
and busted with guupowder before
packing The first charge Of gunpow
der i'm 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. biseCing wheels,
3 plural wheels, caprice wheels and
spiral wheels, all more or less com
plex
The colors uf fireworks are II matter
Of chemistry: the no less important mo
tions that display the beauty of these
colOrs 10 the best advantage nre mat
ter of mechanics. The man who is 8
first class pyrOteclnist versed in both
sciences.
The ordinary piuwhecl i a simple -
ample of rotating fireworks. 1t is q
long ease packed with Il fire compost
ton and wound round q disk of wood
I The outer end of the spiral Is prlmed
with an explosive material. When il
is lighted II hicks" Just as n gun does
! when the powder eXplodes In the cEr
fridge. and round and round flee III.
wheel. sending out flashes and showers
Of colored or golden fire.
Some OF the most dazzling and gleri
! ous effects ia pyrotechuical display
are produced 10y rotating fireworks, 70
there seems 10 be no limit to the Va
riety Of arrangement OF cases and com
positions to produce multiple notion
and transformation scenes in color
Ills class OF fireworks
u, A third class comprises the ascendini
= fireworks Skyrockets belong 10 thi
% class and may be- simple or very elab
e crate, according to their garnture o
y stars, sparks, spIrals, serpents or show
X ers Of gold or silver rain.
n A skyrOckct consists Of two parts
i, body and head made separately an'
4, Hfterwurd attached to the body III
body is a straight cylinder of heaV.
," pasted paper closed at the lower en
60 as to leave only a very narrow open
ing for the escape OF the fire. cen
e traI hollow horc extends three quarter
Of the way up the body, aud all abou
D this is packed the special eXploslN
composition, the downward recoH d
which sends the rocket rushing swif'
IL ly upward, guided and balanced by th
light stick of willow wood The hea,
Il, paper cylinder with a cOnical toI
holds the special composition which
n 10 form stars, serpeuts spirals or VIVA
not. 4 fuse in the top Of the body el
plodcs when the rocket reaches its u
Y most height and sets of this compos
tlon the varying color, form and I'M
L ton Of which excite the "Ohs" an
"ALs,' OF the admiring crowds.
The great spectacular displays con
n binc the several classes fixed, rota
,d ing and ascending fireworks.
Temples. trees, ships, portraits, II
ures of men. beasts and birds, flower
y shields. auG 80 forth, are reprcsent'
10y suitable frameworks Of wood eth
nd wound with coarse cotton royinI
about two inches IN diameter, impre
ir mated with certain compositions ai
wet with spirits or else they have 9
taChed To them lanccs or cases Of ca