PY.BOT.ECH.KY. 



275 



Pyrotech 

 ny. 



Speckles 

 or light* 



.llmniiu- 



tion*. 

 fire 

 at 



Speckies or Lights used for Illuminations. 



/,'.,/ Fire uxnl at thf Theatres. 



Take 40 parts of dry nitrate of strontian, 13 parts of 

 finely powdered sulphur, 5 parts of oxy muriate ot pot- 

 ash, and 4 p;irts of sulphuret of antimony. The oxy- 

 muriate of potash, and the sidphurct of antimony, are 

 first to be powdered separately in a mortar, and then 

 the mixed together on paper ; after which they may be 

 added to the other ingredients which have been also 

 previously powdered and mixed. It is not necessary 

 to make the mixture more accurate than it can be ren- 

 dered by rubbing the whole together on paper. Some 

 operators add a little realgar, or red orpiment, to the 

 mixture. If on trial this fire should not burn bright, a 

 small quantity of fine charcoal or lamp-black may be 

 added. 



Purple Speckies. 



M riled Powder . - - 2 oz. 



Sulphur - - - - 2 



Red Lead ... 2 



Nitre - - - 6 



Bright .While Speckies. 



Nitre ... . 8 oz. 



Sulphur - - . - * 4 



Zinc Filings ... - 8 



Another White Spcckic not so bright. 

 Saltpetre - \ . 41b. 



Sulphur - - 2 



Mealed Powder - -1 



Yellow Sjxckies. 



Saltpetre . - - 41b. Ooz. 



Sulphur . - - 2 3 



Black Lead - 1 



These are slow compositions, and are best adapted 

 for the larger illuminations. 



Very Slue Speckiet. * 



Saltpetre ... 4,02. 



Sulphur - - . . .2 



Iteguhis of .Antimony ... 1 



Very Blue, less brig/it. 



Saltpetre - - . 8 oz. 



Sulphur . 3 



Common Antimony ... 2 



Green Speckies. 



Saltpetre . - - - 8oz. 



Sulphur . - - 4 f 



Nitrate of Copper - - - - 4 * 



These are quicker, and better adapted for small 

 cases. 



Saltpetre 

 ^ I titled Powder 

 Sulphur - 



Zinc filings 



White Speckieg? 



Saltpetre 

 M tailed Powder 

 Sulphur . 

 Kegulus of Antimony 



Bright Blue Speckies. 



Goz. 

 2 

 3 

 1 



6oz. 

 2 

 3 

 1 



All these compositions require to be very intimately 

 mixed. 



> Saltpetre 



Mealed Powder 



Sulphur 



Common Antimony 



Common Blue Speckies. 



602. 



2 



2 



I 



Saltpetre 



Suljd.'ir 



wder 



Filing* 



Green Speck in. 



Sulphur 

 il 

 Kcd Orpiment 



- . 



,S'/x 



3 

 2 



I 



801. 

 4 



1 



I 



On Military Fireworks. 



The military branch of pyrotechny u very limited, On 

 though.ifwe were to follow the ancient authors, it might ry 6 ~ 

 in itself make a volume. We have here selected such w 

 parts of it as are now in use, together with some com- 

 positions in use still among our neighbours the French 

 and other nations, which we have rejected for some 

 time. We thought it necessary to admit many thiaHr' 

 throughout this article in both its departments although 

 we think the.n absurd, or useless, or superfluous; be- 

 cause renders are accustomed to see them in books of 

 pyrotechny, where they add to the apparent mystery. 

 Had jve reduced every thing, .as it might easily be, to 

 its simple elements, we should have discarded a good 

 deal of that which we have admitted, and our readers 

 would perhaps ha"ve supposed that nothing was told, 

 from being accustomed to see so much. 



But in this department, as in the ornamental branch, 

 we have exerted the right of criticism ; and in pointing 

 out what we think unnecessary or useless, have ena- 

 bled our readers to judge for themselves, and select 

 what is most useful. Where there are repetitions, they 

 have a/isen from the sarr\e compulsion under which we 

 found ourselves, not to deviate too far from the ordi- 

 nary plans of treatises on this subject. 



In the military branch of this art, th chief article, 

 as far as its extent and the number of its details are con- 

 cerned, is that on iron rockets, or Congreve rockets, as 

 they are called ; for which *e are indebted however 

 to the French, as our own practice on this branch has 

 not been made public. We cannot, therefore, hold 

 ourselves further responsible for it, and must rely on 

 the accuracy of the French experiments and practice. 



Rockets for signals may also be included in the mi- 

 litary branch ; but it was unnecessary to repeat that 

 here, as those used for this purpose are exactly the same 

 as those which are employed for objects of amusement. 



In this department may also be included signal lights 

 of other kinds," of which we have given the receipts/ al- 

 though with some repetition ; as the fires used fofl this 

 purpose are also employed in ornamental works. 



But the principal part in tiiis branch, is that which 

 relates to carcasses and other combustible substances, 

 of which we have collected different receipts, with pro- 

 per directions for compounding and applying them ; 

 distinguishing also the useless or antiquated from those 

 which etfecl the same objects by simpler means. This 

 department nought also have been easily simplified ; but 

 we thought that even to introduce what we did not ap- 

 prove, was necessary for the gratification of general cu- 

 rios i 



We r.m not, however, too strongly recommend sim- 

 plicity and cheapness in all these proceedings; and 

 where we have not in every instance thought it nee 

 sary to criticise minutely the compositions that we have 

 introduced, our readers will be at no loss in doing it for 

 themselves from the various remarks of that nature, 



