268 



PYBOTECHNY. 



PLATE 

 CCCCLXXIV 

 Fig. 25. 



Pyrotech- lights may first be fired, afterwards the wheels, and 

 nv> last of all the fixed cases. 



Fig. 25. This also is a very splendid firework, 

 but it requires to be made on a very large scale. It 

 may also be a piece of mutation, as the fixed cases may 

 fire when the wheels are partly expended. The wheels 

 should diminish gradually in diameter in ascending, 

 while at the same time they have the same duration. 

 This is very easily managed, by placing the cases in 

 somewhat of a spiral manner. Thus if a hexagon form 

 be used at the bottom, the next may be a pentagon, 

 with a case overlapping, and so on to the top ; and as 

 the same kinds of cases will be used in all, they will 

 burn together. Wheels are easily timed without this, 

 in many ways in which we need not now point out, 

 as all the general principles must by this time be well 

 understood. 



Fig 26. Fig. 26. The nature of this is too obvious to re- 



quire explanation. It might easily become confused 

 if care was not taken to keep all the parts well asunder. 

 It is rather too formal for beauty, unless it were to 

 form a part of some other larger design. 



Fig. 27. Fig. 27. This may be made extremely brilliant, 



but it requires a great deal of room. In constructing 

 it, care must be taken that all the cases should be 

 placed at the various angles indicated in the drawing, 

 that a proper distribution of the brilliant fire may take 

 place. The branches may be illuminated or not, as 

 represented in different parts of the drawing. If il- 

 luminated, it should be made a mutation piece, by not 

 bringing the brilliant cases into action till the wheel is 

 partly expended. 



Fig. 28. Fig. 28. This is a piece to be found in the com- 



mon books, and it is one of the very few good ones 

 which they contain. It explains itself sufficiently; 

 and it will also be seen that it admits of modification, 

 by the introduction or omission of the lights and stars. 

 But the best form of it 'is to fire the lights first, the 

 wheel afterwards, and last of all the diverging cases at 

 the extremity, which may be made of the same length 

 and quality as the last case of the wheel, so that they 

 may commence and terminate with it. 



Fig. 29. Fig. 29. This is a very handsome form of star, 



in any of the two or three shapes that are represented 

 on the same figure. Care must be taken that the wheel 

 do not throw its fires beyond the centre, so as to confuse 

 the illuminations. It should also be managed on the 

 principle of mutation, that the fires at the extremities 

 may not burn till the last case of the wheel. 



Fig. 30. Fig. 30. This is a very handsome, but a compli- 



cated firework ; nor can it be moved without machinery. 

 It is true that the books direct wheels to be placed at 

 the feet of the cases, but the consequence of this is to 

 produce confusion, and spoil the effect. The cones are 

 made to revolve on spindles, in the same direction, so 

 as to produce the appearance of a spiral motion. In 

 the figure, a star is represented in the centre, with 

 brilliant fires in the intervals of the cones ; but these 

 parts may be varied in many different ways, as by the 

 substitution of a wheel in flie centre. The machine 

 that is required for moving this firework is simple 

 enough, as it is only a contrate oblique wheel, moved 

 by a winch or a weight, and acting on the endless 

 screws which carry the cones, and form their axes. 



Fig. 31. Fig. 31. This is a piece of architecture of a Gothic 



design ; and we shall here remark, generally, that the 

 Gothic, Chinese, and Oriental, or Arabic and Indian 

 styles, are best adapted to fireworks, on account of the 

 scope they allow to the fancy. Greek architecture is 

 1 



generally heavy, and dull in fireworks ; while the artist Pyrotech- 

 is at the same time tied down to rules which are diffi- "J- 

 cult to follow in this manner, and which ought not to > '^Y^ 1 " 

 be neglected. We have here represented only one of 

 many ways in which the fires on such a figure as this 

 may be varied ; and here also it is recommended that 

 the cases of brilliant fire which represent the crockets 

 should not be lighted till the last. 



Plate CCCCLXXV. Fig. 27. This is a design on a PLATE 

 very small scale, in a sort of oriental style. It will be CCCCLXXV. 

 sufficient if the dome is represented only in front, or Fi ' 27- 

 that the hinder part be omitted ; but it may also be 

 done with very little difference as to the effect, on a 

 plane. The columns, which are twisted, may, if the 

 artist thinks fit, be moved by machinery so as to repre- 

 sent each a moving spiral. Large lights may be used 

 on the ends of the capitals, with or without a star in 

 the middle. The front admits of many modifications, 

 though we have given only a wheel with four stars. 



Plate CCCCLXXIV. Fig. 32. This is not so much PLATE 

 calculated to stand alone as to form a part of some CCCCLXXIV. 

 other general design. The spiral columns carry the ' ^' 

 sort of illuminated globes formerly described ; and they 

 may be extended to more. When pairs of spiral columns 

 are made to revolve in this way, it has a better effect 

 if the direction of their motions are reversed. This 

 piece is particularly adapted for mutations, but we 

 need not encumber our figure with them. 



Fig. 33. This represents another variety of archi- Fig. 33. 

 tecture, in which the forms of trees are combined with 

 those of a building. The simplest idea is here repre- 

 sented, but it may be multiplied and varied with great 

 ease. The cases which are to form the branches of the 

 palm tree, should not be lighted till the end, so that 

 it will first represent a piece of simple architecture. 



Plate CCCCLXXV. Fig. 28. This is another speci- PLATE 

 men in an oriental style, of which the very simplest CCCCLXXV. 

 idea alone is given. It requires no other explanation F| S- 2 - 

 than such as have been given for the preceding ones. 



Plate CCCCLXXV. Fig. 29. This is intended to p LATE 

 represent a Chinese pagoda, but is only applicable to CCCCLXXV. 

 works on a very large scale. The whole of the archi- Fig- 29. 

 tectural lines must be defined by rows of lights ; and 

 the bells which ornament the extremities of the in- 

 termediate roofs must consist of large ones. Wheels 

 of diminishing sizes upwards may be introduced into 

 the several stories. It may also terminate by discharges 

 of brilliant fire from various parts of the building, and 

 very conveniently by sky rockets ; but we have not 

 thought it necessary to crowd the figure with these. 



Plate CCCCLXXV. Fig. 30. This is intended to PLATE 

 represent the mode in which a light colonnade may be CCCCLXXV. 

 managed ; but we need not describe the variety of **' ^ 0< 

 fires and ornaments which it admits, as our intention 

 has only been to give a general notice of the nature of 

 the design. The lights should appear to hang upon 

 lines, so as to form the catenarian curves. But, as this 

 cannot actually be done upon real lines, on account of 

 their unsteadiness, these curves should be drawn upon 

 the frames ; which is easily done by following with 

 a bit of chalk the line which a heavy rope makes 

 upon them when suspended in the proper places. 



Plate CCCCLXXIII. Fig. 25. This is a complicated PI.ATE 

 figure with wheels, intended to act as a mutation piece. CCCCLXXIII. 

 The lights are succeeded by the wheels, and these by s ' **' 

 the diverging cases. It requires a great deal of room ; 

 and the wheels on the stem should be small, that they 

 may not interfere too much with the illuminations. PLATE 

 Plate CCCCLXXIII. Fig. 26. This is a combina- CCCCLXXIII. 



Fig. 26. 



