The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1912-11-30
COLORN FIREWORKS
NOW THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAZZLING
hues ARE PRODUCED.

| NO" HE BEAU " NV
hUES ARE PRODUCED.
.. =. Al a Matter OF Chemistry, the
Result Of the csmbustion OF tAe
Salt. Of Certain Metals = The Mo
eharics Of Rotating Fireworks.
The chief beauty Of fireworks u
their range Of respondent colors-ru-
BIZ. sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst,
aouamarine and scores Of tints and
| shades between. How is all this evan
escent glory Of color obtained? The se-
cret lies in directed chemical combus-
ton by means of cases and compost
lions. the results Of marvellous caicula-
| ton and skill.
The matter L. simple enough to those
who know. It is attained by the COM
bustion of the salts Of certain metals.
In other words, the burning metals
| have each their characteristic color
Sodium gives OF yellow fame; cal
eium, orange; barium. green: stronti-
I'm, red; copper, green or blue. accord
ing to circumstances, and so on. Other
familiar metals, iron, steel and zinc,
dive their tribute Of colors. Iron filings
give bright red and white sparks; cop
Der filings, q green tint; zinc, a fine
blue; steel filings and cast iron borings,
a brilliant fire with wavy radiations.
Every one is familiar with the color
Cd fires, but who would suppose that
lycopodium, the delicate pollen OF Ger
tain MOSES, so fine that 1t Is used to
powder baby's skin, furnishes rose
colored fire with a magnificent fiame2
These colored fires are called In tech
nical language fixed fires" and con-
sist Of slow compositions that may be
piled in little cones on f1agstone and
lighted at the top. They burn slowly
and there is no explosion. These COM
positions are made in many colors.
Roman candles belong to the fixed
dre class and are also called fusees.
We all know the straight, slender CYL
inder or cartridge Of the ordinary ro-
man candle. 1t is packed as follows:
First there Is put in 1t a charge Of fine
gunpowder, and above this is placed
"star" These are simply balls OF some
special composition containing metallic
filings according to the color desired.
made up with gum and spirits of wine.
Stars and charges alternate until the
cylinder is full. Each star ball is dried
and busted with gunpowder before
packing. The first charge Of gunpow
;v, cfo rfe he ctn
cession until one after another they
blaze individually and vanish like faA-
Ing stars. Next in order to the fixed
fires come rotating overwhelmingly,
wheels, fire wheels. bisecting wheels,
plural wheels, caprice wheels ard
spiral wheels, all more or less COM
pick. ~
The colors Of fireworks are matterl
OF chemistry: the no less important mo-
lions that display the beauty of these
colors to the best advantage are mat
ter of mechanics. The man who is a
first class pyrotechnist is versed in both
sciences.
The ordinary pinwheel is simple ex-
ample Of rotating fireworks. It is
long case packed with fire compost
ton and wound round disk of wood.
The outer end Of the spiral fs primed |
with an explosive material. When it |
is lighted 1t ''kicks." just as gym does
when the powder explodes In the car
fridge, and round and round flies the
wheel, sending out flashes and showers |
~ onlnrod ~. uOldnn Arc
Some Of the most dazzling and glori-
Gus effects in pyrotechnical displays
are produced by rotating fireworks, for
there seems to be no limit to the va |
riety Of arrangement Of cases and com.
positions to produce multiple motions
and transformation scenes in color in
this class Of fireworks.
A third class comprises the ascending
fireworks. Skyrockets belong to this
class and may be simple or very elab
crate, according to their garniture Of
stars, sparks, spirals, serpents or show
ers Of gold or silver rain.
A skyrocket consists Of two parts-a
body and head made separately and
afterward attached to the body. The
body Is straight cylinder Of heavy
pasted paper closed at the lower end
80 as to leave only very narrow open
ing for the escape Of the fire. A CEN
trail hollow bore extends three-quarters
II the way up the body, and all about
this is packed the special explosive
composition, the downward recoil Of
which sends the rocket rushing swift
y upward, guided and balanced by the
light stick Of willow wood. The head,
! paper cylinder with a conical top,
1olds the special composition which is
% form stars, serpents, spirals or what
lot. A fuse in the top Of the body ex-
'lodes when the rocket reaches its ut
most height and sets of this compost
ion, the varying color, form and mo-
ion Of which excite the "Ohsv' and
Abs" Of the admiring crowds.
The great spectacular displays COM
zine the several classes-dxed, >rotat-
ng and ascending fireworks.
Temples, trees, ships, portraits, fg-
Tres Of men, beasts and birds, flowers,
hields. and SO forth, are represented
y suitable frameworks Of wood either
wound with coarse cotton rovings
bout two inches in diameter, impreg-
lated with certain compositions and
vet with spirits. or else they have at
ached to them lances or cases Of car
ridge paper filed with various COM
the whole placed in commu-
ication BY conduits or small paper
artridges.-Youth's Companion.
A Willing Victim.