Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-06-30

ment is such that when the paper disk, which Is
the parachute, is thrown out of the receptacle
1t instantly expands and drifts slowly downward,
while the ignted stars, dangling along the strings
beneath, make exceedingly pretty display.
The methods adopted in the case of parachute
rockets is exactly the same, the parachute and
its attachments being packed into the head" OF
the rocket. rocket, of course consists of two
parts the lower portion being pasteboard cyl
inder, made especially thick, containing the ex-
plosive that makes the thing go up, while the
upper compartment is simply receptacle to hold
stars, parachute, golden rain stuff, whatever
is to be liberated when the projectile has reached
its highest point In the air.
What is called mine" is big cylinder of
pasteboard which may be four or five feet high
and which is attached to a square wooden base,
In order that 1t may be stood up. Inside of the
cylinder is put propelling charge Of the slow
explosive and on top of it paper bag filled with
stars At the top is an ordinary roman candle,
which serves as a sort of spout. When the
roman candle is lighted 1t shoots few fiery balls
excessively in the customary manner, and then
the explosive inside having been reached, the
whole affair explodes, throwing a multitude of
stars in all directions
Comparatively new the so-called bat
teries" of roman candles, which, in proportion to
the number Of candles going of simultaneously.
produce brilliant display. "Gerbs" are cylin-
ders filled with iron filings, which are thrown
out In an incandescent state by the wburning
explosive. They are intended to be tackled upon
a fence or to some such place, at height of six
feet.
1t is fact worth mentioning incidentally that
all OF the marine night signals which are carried
on every vessel, made by the fireworks
Germs. The Brooklyn factory supplied those used
on the yachts during the recent race across
the Atlantic. They are made on the same prin.
ciple "bengola" lights a familiar pyrotechnic
toy, but with a wooden handle. Such a contri
vance is a pasteboard tube divided into compart-
ments, usually three in number, containing in
hammable compositions OF different colors. Dc
easionally stars are added. Inasmuoh as the
eolors-green. white and red--may be arranged
in various ways, one talk across the sea by
the help OF these lights the darkest night
In the tiny houses already described all the
filling Of roman candles is done, For this pur-
pose machinery is used and II is always a possi-
bility that a spark might ignite the glnpowder
and composition, OF which considerable quanti-
ties have to be kept Immediately at hand But
these explosives and alko the stars (Which take
the form Of fiery balls they are elected from
the candles) are slowed in cubbyholes protected
by swinging metal shutters. Each time the lone
workman helps himself to stars or powder he is
obliged to push aside the shutter. which falls
again In place the instant that he has obtained
what he wants. The cubbyholes open 10 the out
side by windows. so that If there were an explo-
sion the flame would be thrown outward from
the building and not into It.