I'yrotech- 



Serpents 

 for sky- 

 rockets. 



lect the following as that in most general use, and as 



sufHcient for mo-t purposes. 



Hut !>e.M(lr- thcc itars, which are made up naked, 

 ne MimctiiiK", made in paper cases, which must 



I>YU()TEOHN V. 



canes mast be made verjnrtrong at the sides and l>ot- 

 iird covered with a weak cover above, that they 

 t ca-ilv. A little powder is placed in the 

 bottom of the case, into which the open ends of the 



. sometimes made in paper cases, wnicn rnusi *^> >v " 



not Ijowt-vt-r c-otisist of more than two turn, of p.-ipi-r, serpents are plunged, and there is a touch 



a:nl which arc open at both ends. The use of this con- 

 nivance is to protect them from the violence of the ex- 

 plosion, when tired out of pots or mortars. 



Stars may l>c. strung together in chain* by passing a 

 strong piece of twine through the middle of a great 

 number while they are wet, or rolling them upon the 

 twine. By means of this contrivance, they do not at 

 first disperse when exploded; but as this happens al- 

 most immediately afterwards from the burning of the 

 twine, the effect gained in this way is very transitory. 



There is a variety mentioned in the books called 

 tailed stars, and which are said to show a tail of sparks 

 " like a comet." This is one of the fictitious inven- 

 tions in which all these books abound, and which seem 

 often to have been put down by guess. We think it 

 right to mention the names of a tew of these, partly 

 that our readers may not think that we had forgotten 

 them, or were ignorant of them, and partly as a cau- 

 tion to the inexperienced who, in following such direc- 

 tions, can only lose their money and their labour. It 

 is impossible to cause a star to show a tail of sparks, as 

 a case is requisite for that purpose ; aijU if there is to 

 be such a train of fire, it is no longer a' star but a squib. 



Stars for Sky Rockets and Roman Candles. 

 Mealed powder . 5 Ib. 



Sulphur .... 8 



Nitre . . . . 16 



Antimony ... 2 



This composition must be made into a paste, with a 

 solution of gum arabic. It may be rolled into balls 

 about the size of a pistol or musket bullet ; or what is 

 better, it may be forced into metal cylinders formed of 

 two longitudinal pieces. When dry, it can be cut in- 

 to convenient lengths. It must be of a stony hardness 

 when dry, or it will not bear the force of the explo- 

 sion. If there is too much gum, it is apt to miss fire. 

 Isinglass, dissolved in spirit of wine, is recommended in 

 the books; but it will not dissolve in that fluid. 



Serpents for Sky Rocket t. 



Many compositions for this purpose will be found in 

 the table, but the present one answers as well as any : 

 it is as follows : 



Nitre . . . . 3 Ib. oz. 



Sulphur ... 20 



Charcoal . . . 08 



Mealed powder . .* . -16 



This is rammed into paper cases of about three lines 

 in diameter, made with three folds of cartridge paper, 

 the last turn being pasted. In the further end there 

 must be some corned powder for a cracker. But the 

 best way is to choke the case first, as for sky rockets ; 

 then to drive in the composition till it is three quarters 

 full ; after which it is to be choked above the charge 

 still closer, and then filled with loose powder. Af- 

 ter that it is choked quite close, and secured at the top, 

 the serpents are placed in the rocket head with the 

 mouth downwards, upon the requisite priming. The 

 same is done if used for fixed discharges of serpents. 

 In these there is no limit to the number that may be 

 used at once, and as they may easily be placed in any 

 part of a complicated firework, the effect is very lively 

 and ornamental. When used in this manner, the paper 



near it, through which the quick match of the leader it 

 introduced. The lengths should not exceed three 

 for the largest diameter, or else they are apt to 

 overset and fall to the ground. In bky.rockets, how- 

 ever, their lengths may be unlimited. 



Serpents not exceeding two inches in length, and * 

 quarter of an inch in diameter, may also be made of 

 powder alone ; but it must be rammed hard, in a wood- 

 en mould. The case requires no choke in this instance, 

 so that it may be filled at the mouth. The Chinese 

 serpents are made in this manner; and if furnished 

 with a very slender and straight splinter of bamboo, or 

 fir, they will ascend like sky rockets, vertically. A* 

 they occupy very little room, even with the stick*, 

 flights of them may be easily introduced into such or- 

 namental fireworks as are not to be viewed from a great 

 distance. 



But serpents may be made of a much larger size 

 than this -when large sky rockets are used, or when 

 they are to be discharged from powerful mortars, or 

 exploded out of air balloons. They may also be used 

 of large size for the most common purposes, as for 

 small pots on the ground, or for being attached to 

 gerbes, or to line rockets, or to be used as water rock- 

 ets. There is in fact no limit to them, except the 

 comfort and safety of the spectators, among whom they 

 are apt to fall when the crowd is too near the place of 

 exhibition. The operator will of course be guided by 

 this circumstance ; as accidents by which persons may 

 be injured are in every way blamable and discredit- 

 able to the operator. 



For such large sizes the cases may go as far as eight 

 inches in length, or to the size of a quarter of a pound 

 sky rocket. These must be filled with a sky rocket 

 composition, and bored in the same manner, and they 

 must in fact be considered as sky rockets without sticks. 

 When of large size, they are very violent in their mo- 

 tions, and hence the caution which we have just given 

 against using them in crowds, or near to spectators. 



Whenever serpents become large, their flight is very 

 much improved by adding a stick to them. This need 

 not exceed one or two lengths of the rocket, but the 

 longer it is, the more nearly will the serpent become a 

 sky rocket in its flight. The effect of those with sticks 

 is good, when used on the ground, as by this means 

 they ascend to a considerable height before they begin 

 to serpentize. They are not difficult to manage, as the 

 firing case may easily be made long enough to imbed 

 the sticks, as far as to the mouths of the serpents. But 

 in this case a quick match from each must be let down 

 upon the exploding charge ; and the whole of the ser- 

 pents may then be collected above, by means of a slight 

 piece of pasted paper, into a cylinder and cone, so as 

 to protect them from all injury till the time of using 

 them is arrived. 



Having thus finished with the simplest class of fire- 

 works, we shall proceed to wheels, as first in the order 

 of complication. 



Of Wheels. 



These, in nil their varieties, form the most showy Of Wheels, 

 and arr using kind of firework in the whole catalogue, 

 and one which is in many respects much cheaper than 



