Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-01-27
COLOR IN FIREWORKS
HOW THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
HusS ARE PRODUCED.

INV ibG ocAO ANU OAZZliN0
HusS ARE PRODUCED.
IL To All q Matter OF Chemistry, the
Result OF the Combustion OF the
chnnics OF Rotating Fireworks.
The chief beauty Of fireworks Is
their range Of resplendent colors-ru.
by. sapphire, emerald, topaz. amethyst,
aQuamSrine and scores of tints and
shades between. How is all this evan
escent glory CT color obtained? The Sc
cret lies I'm 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 CON-
bustion OF the salts of certain metals.
In other words, the burning metals
have each their characteristic color.
Sodium gives or yellow flame; cal
cium, orange; barium, green; stronti-
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, a green tint; zinc, fine
blue; steel filings and cast iron BORN IS,
brilliant fire with wavy radia tons.
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 II Is used to
powder baby's skin, furnishes a rose
colored fire with n 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 a fiagstone and
lighted at the top. They burn slowly
and there is 30 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. It is packed as follows:
First there is put in 1t n charge OF fine
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 gunpow-
der In exploding starts the stellar pro-
cession until one after another they
blaze individually and vanish like fall
ing stars. Next I'm 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
pick
The colors Of fireworks are q matter
Of chemistry; the no 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 n
first class pyrotechnist IS versed In both
sciences.
The ordinary pinwheel is n simple ex-
ample of rotating fireworks. 1t is a
long case packed with fire compost
ton and wound round a disk OF wood.
The outer end OF the spiral is primed
with an explosive material When Il
is lighted IL kicks" just Us n gun does
when the powder explodes In the car
fridge. and 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 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 I'm color I'm
this class or fireworks.
A third class comprises the ascending
fireworks. SlSyrockets 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 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 a 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
ly upward. guided and balanced by the
light stick OF willow wood. The head,
a 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 of this compost
ton, the varying color. form and mo-
ton OF which excite the ''Ohs!" and
"Ahsr' OF the admiring crowds.
The great spectacular displays COM
bine the several classes-fixed, rotat-
Ing and ascending fireworks.
Temples. trees, ships. portraits, iig-
ures> OF men, beasts and birds, flowers,
shields, and so forth. are represented
by suitable framewories Of wood either
wound with coarse cotton rovings
about two inches In diameter, impreg-
hated with certain compositions and
wet with spirits. or else they have at
tached to them lances, or cases or car
fridge paper filed with various com
positions. the whole placed In commu-
hication by conduits, or small paper
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