The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1907-07-05
MAKING FIREWORKS
IT HAS DEVELOPED INTO A Blo
AMERICAN INDUSTRY
And II Has Al Been Worked out
from the Ancient Chinese Fire.
cracker 80 How They
Are Made.

The manufacture OF fireworks has
developed from an Imitation Of the
Chinese nrocrackor 10 AN industry oi
vast proportions in the United States
Also from the humble and compare
tive harmless cracker. the product has
been developed along the most com
plox yet scientific lines until the mas.
ter Of ceremonies ut q full nodgcd mod.
cru fireworks exhibit must needs be-
q man with comprehensive knowl'
edge ~ the explosives he ~ handling.
The Chunman. having invented
gunpowdor few thousand years be-.
fore % came into use In the western
world Invented the nrocrackor 80 long
ago that the Incident Of its birth has
been lost In the shuttle Of history. but
curiously enough. the Chinaman In
this respect has stood at the initial
point Of development. az he has In all
else that pertains to his life lie atill
makes good nrccrnckors. but they are
~ the same model and power as he
has used for hundreds Of years The
American, having stolen the idea, pro.
indicative ~ the American character
-.nnmboyanl. pyrotcchnic and loud
The Chinese crhcker ~ % small afair.
considerably more so than tho crack.
or TO buy which the small boy tollcd
In the gray dawn carrying water 10
tho elephant. but 40 Chinese New
Years and other festival times
string Of their nrccrnckors suspended
from the end of bamboo pole will
explodc-cvcry one OF thom-and
there VIII be no "Hlzzlers" nor blanks
found In tho string Which goes TO
show that the handmade Chinese
article IL still honestly made and that
western methods OF cheap machine
manufacture have not Invaded the
cradle OF the flrccncker
Hut nH all things American have de.
volopcd 10 prodiglous proportions.
leaving In the past the memory OF sim,
piclty. NO the nreoraoker OF history
each year tinds a smaller place IN the
demonstrations NJ America Instead
there have come the rocket. the bomb.
the set piece and the appliances for
pouring forth torrents ana volcanoes
of mulu'colorcd firc Il ls the manu-.
facturc Of these goods that has grown
TO such size and commercial conse.
quence.
The preliminary In the manufacture
Of nearly an fireworks ~ the maxine
of the case. The quality of papor
varies from the commonest straw.
board 10 the finest bank motto panor
Cases for skyrockots require fine
GRADE OF paper called ropc board The
pnpor is nrst pasted and then rolled
over mandrol The drying process
takes four or nyc days and tho case
then Is ready Tor for charging. They
vary from two TO 20 Inches In length
aud from oncquartor OF an Inch 10 two
inches ia diameter The loadiag OF
skyrockcts. up 90 the last four or 1--WE
years, has been done by hand. but the
machine now takes the place OF the
hand loader a spindle placed In the
center OF the case causes cavity as
the material n packed In around Il
The materials are Bcoopod in ham.
mered down until II is of rock like
hardness and then tho spindle is with
drawn. Whom the rocket Is fred the
large surface Of material IN tho spin
die cavity catches fire az once caus.
Ing a tremendous pressure OF gas
which pouru out OF the spindle cavity.
causing the rocket 90 shoot skyVard
The colorod stars. which go iu the
head of the rocket or bomb are com.
posed as follows Rcd. nitrate Of ha.
ryta. chloride OF potash and shellac.
green. nitrate Of baryta; yellow, uxll.
ate OF soda Purple aud blue are con-.
posed OF various preparations Of cop
por while the making OF the other
tinta are trade secrets
The Roman candle is charged as
follows; Sets OF cases arc placed on
pins and there is scooped Ia hrst a
quantity of clay which prevents the