Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-07-24
MAKING FIREWORKS,
Some Pyrotechnic Products Must
Dry In the Open Air.
TRYING FOR NEW DESIGNS.

Color Schemes to Be Worked Out In
Fire--The Construction Of the Set
Pieees-Work Of the Chemists.
The first step in manufacturing fire.
works IL the making Of the cases. or
shells. as the cylinders or other recep.
tacles I'm which the explosives and the
chemicals are placed are called. Prac-
tically all of these are made OF innu-
merablc 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 filled 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 called-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-
turcrs 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. n great deal
OF attention is 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 1t 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 stan chemists Is unending. 1t 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
heated vapors of certain metals. So
dunn, for instance, gives yellow
light, calcium red. strontium crimson
and barium green. The number of
chemicals, common and rare. employed
in the manufacture OF fireworks Is
prodlgious. Take blue stars, for in
stance. These are commonly produced
by a 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 rs 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 II they are large. is a huge
task. First the artist draws the pic
ture. II 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 are
built and laid fat on the ground. and
rectangles foot square are marked
thereon. On the section Is outlined
the picture that the artist has made,
with the different colors indicated In
their proper groupings. Loose over
this Is built checkerboard frame
work OF light lathe. Then come men
with strips Of rattan. They tack these
TO the framework. following exactly
every line that has been indicated on
the boards below. leaving practically a
huge lire drawing In rattan.
Then come men with thousands OF
big pins ordinary pins. but about an
inch long These are set in the rattan
an inch apart. These are followed by
other men. who cut the heads or the
pins. After this comes a gang Of men
with bundles Of little fireworks. two
inches long by one-quarter to three
quarter inches In diameter. In varying
colors or combinations OF color TO cor
respond with the original drawing.
These are called 'gerbes." When ig.
nited they emit sheaves Of fire. These
are stuck on the pins and glued. each
shade Of color In its proper place along
the framework.
After this has been done another
gang comes with hundreds OF feet OF
"quick match" and connects all these
thousands Of "gerbes" together. Loose
ends are left here and there for firing
when the piece Is IN place ready 70 be
set on Then these sections are hoist
ed into their proper positions, and aft
er Infinite labor everything Is ready
for the wonderful delight TO IN, eye.
which may last between one and four
minutes. So swiftly does the Gre run