314. Dr. Cuthush on the Greek Fire. 



If phosphuret of lime be used, would it not add to the 

 combustion when water is thrown on, or the inflamed sub- 

 stance put into water, by decomposing that fluid ; thus pro- 

 ducing phosphureted hjdrogen gas ? 



Not having a suflUcient quantity of naptha, prevents our 

 making such experiments with that substance. As a sub- 

 stitute, we would recommend highly rectified oil of turpen- 

 tine, which might be employed, in many respects like nap- 

 tha, and be susceptible of great inflammability. We know it 

 to have been used in incendiary fire works, especially in 

 the experiment we mentioned to have been made in Phila- 

 delphia during the late war. Nearly of the same charac- 

 ter is the Jire-jiask or Jire-botlle, which is nothing more 

 than a bottle charged with grain-powder mixed with a com- 

 position called fire-stone. The bottle is covered with a 

 cloth and sewed, and then coated -with pitch. The mouth 

 is secured with parchment, and when used, a match is in- 

 serted, and inflamed. It is then thrown by the hand. 



Having mentioned an incendiary preparation invented, 

 or recommended by Casimer Siemienowich, which appears 

 to have been predicated on the effects of a Greek fire, and 

 which is mentioned by him in his work, entitled Arlis Mag- 

 ncB ArtiUeritx, / it may not be improper to add, Siemieno- 

 ivich^s Fire-rain, as the preparation is called, is calculated 

 for firing the houses of a besieged place or city, which are 

 covered with shingles, laths, stubble or reeds. It was na- 

 med fire-rain from its resemblance to a shower of rain. 

 Several formulae are given for this preparation ; but the 

 original appears to have been the following : Take 24 parts 

 of sulphur, and melt it in a copper or iron pot, over live 

 coals without flame, and then throw in 16 parts of nitrate 

 of potash, and mix it with an iron spatula. Remove the 

 vessel from the fire, and when the composition has become 

 rather cold, stir into it 8 parts of grained gun powder. 

 Pour the mixture on a slab, and allow it to cool. Before 

 using it, it is broken into pieces of the size of a walnut, 

 and put into shells along with quick match and gun powder. 

 The shells are discharged from mortars in the usual man- 

 ner, which burst, and thus the composition is dispersed in 

 the state of inflammation. This composition it will be suflS- 

 cient to add, is now disused ; but it gave rise to prepara- 



