The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-09-08
MAKING FIREWORKS,
Some Pyrotechnic Products Must
Dry In the Open Air.
TRYING FOR NEW DESIGNS.

Stats Of Artists Continually Devisins
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 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-
tically 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 a 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 v feet across. Their
basis is loose cotton cord covered with
various highly inflammable 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.
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 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 it is to
combine various combustible ingredi-
ents SO as to reproduce what the
painter has put OF his canvas The
race between the art department and
the staff chemists is %unending. 1t is
the boast of the chemists that they
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 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 a combination of chlorate of potash.
calomel, sulphuret Of copper, oXychlo-
ride of copper, dextrin, s~tearin, black
oxide Of copper, copper filings and sal
ammoniac.
Every fireworks manufacturer has
his carefully guarded trade secrets.
Pyrotechnics in it's 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 a huge
task. First the artist draws the pic
ture. 1t is complete in every detail
Of outline and shade of color. This is
marked off into equal squares. each of
which represents a square foot in the
actual reproduction in fire. Sections
Of light boards, say, 20 by 25 feet are
built and laid flat on the ground, and
rectangles a 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 a 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 line 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 of 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, eact
shade Of color in its proper place alons
the framework.
After this has been done another
! gang comes with hundreds Of feet Of
} "quick match" and connects all thes'
thousands of "gerbes" together. Loose
ends are left here and there for firing
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'
-R- g. ---3AxO- 49, A. o. 400