The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-24
MAKING FIREWORKS.
Some Pyrotechnic Products Must
Dry In the Open Air.
TRYING FOR NEW DESIGNS.

stafss Of Artists Continually Devisina
Color Schemes to Be Worked Out In
Fire-Ths Construction Of the Set
Piecss-Work Of the Chemists.
The first step In manufacturing Ere
works is the making Of the cases. or
shells, as the cylinders or other recep-
tacles in which the explosives and the
chemicals are placed are called. Prac-
ticaiiy all OF these are made Of innu-
merable sheets OF tissue paper pasted
and rolled together until the thickness
required is attained. Most Of these
cases are made by machinery and are
delivered as wanted to the places
where they are to be filed or charged
with the materials that have been pre-
pared. All the charging is done by
machinery except in the big shells that
throw forth sets Of stars OF varying
colors. In these each ''star' has to be
placed in certain position SO as to
explode In just the right way at the
proper instant.
Out Of doors in pleasant weather the
long lines Of fuse-"quick match" they
are ealled-are made. These are wound
on reels six or seven feet across. Their
basis is loose cotton cord covered with
various highly infiammable chemicals.
Quick match" roman candles and a
number Of other pyrotechnic products
cannot be dried by artificial heat. They
must lie in the open air until the mois-
ture used In mixing the chemicals
evaporates.
All the year around the artists on
the staff Of the pyrotechnic manufac-
turers are taxing their brains design
ing color schemes to be worked out in
fire. Outside Of the big set pieces.
which are much in vogue. a great deal
Of attention IL given to rockets.
bombs and rocket bombs. Of which
there are innumerable kinds. When
the artist has evolved some striking
color effect he turns over his painting
to the chemists, whose task it Is to
combine various combustible ingredi-
ents so as to reproduce what the
painter has put on his canvas. The
| race between the art department and
the staff chemists Is unending. It IS
| the boast Of the chemists that they
can duplicate In their burning colors
any combination Of paints that can be
presented to them.
These colors are impaired by the
| dunn. for instance gives a yellow
light, calcium red, strontium crimson
and barium green. The number of
chemicals, common and rare, employed
in the manufacture Of fireworks is
prodigious. Take blue stars, for in
stance. These are commonly produced
by q combination of chlorate Of potash.
calomel. sulphuret of copper. oxychlo-
| ride Of copper, dextrin, stearin. black
oxide Of copper, copper filings and sal
ammoniac
Every fireworks manufacturer has
his carefully guarded trade secrets
Pyrotechnics in its various branches
| and as a whole Is taught In no uni
versity. and there is little printed lit
erature on the subject.
The construction of the set pieces
especially If they are large. is huge
task. First the artist draws the pic
ture. 1t is complete In every detail
Of outline and shade Of color. This Is
marked of into equal squares. each OF
which represents a square foot in the
actual reproduction in fire. Sections
Of light boards. say. 20 by % feet an
built and laid nat on the ground. and
rectangles q foot square are marked
thereon. On the section is outlined
the picture that the artist has made
with the different colors indicated II
their proper groupings. Loose ovel
this is built a checkerboard frame
work Of light lathe. Then come mel
with strips of rattan. They tack thes'
to the framework. following exactl,
every line that has been indicated OF
the boards below, leaving practically 1
huge line drawing in rattan.
Then come men with thousands o
} big pins-ordinary pins. but about al
inch long. These are set in the rattan
an inch apart. These are followed b,
other men, who cut the heads or tn
pins. After this comes q gang of mel
with bundles Of little fireworks, tw'
inches long by one-quarter to three
quarter inches in diameter, in varyin
respond with the original drawing
IneSe are caileQ. &erDeS. "nen IL
nited they emit sheaves Of fire. Thes
are stuck on the pins and glued, eacl
shade Of color In its proper place alon
the framework.
After this has been done anothe
gang comes with hundreds Of feet o
'quick match" and connects all thes
thousands Of 'gerbes" together. Loos
ends are left here and there for FIRM
when the piece is in place ready to b
set OF. Then these sections are hoist
ed into their proper positions, and at
: er infinite labor everything is read
: for the wonderful delight to the eye
which may last between one and fou
minutes So swiftly does the fire m
; from '.gerbe" to 'gerbe'' through thi
4 "quick match" that the biggest pix
z ture" that Is usually shown will
$ af1ame In every part in three seconds.
There Is said to be little or no dar
ger about firing these set pieces Q
even In setting or the bombs that e.
p!ode with such fearsome noise. tn
: ends of the "quick match" where tn