Firecracker

“ Ten deaths were due to falls or runaways caused by firecrackers.... The limit of tolerance is reached, however, when we know that thirty-one persons were burned to death.... The principal cause of the most mutilating wounds is by far the giant cracker.... This year 1,489 injuries, including thirteen deaths and eight cases of lockjaw, were due to the giant cracker.
It is a reflection scarcely calculated to gratify our national pride that the United States is the only civilized country which observes the greatest of its fête-days in such an uncivilized fashion. ”

“ But this last exploit was considered 200dangerous, and generally was done only on condition that we gave a certain number of fire-crackers to the boy who took the risk. While we were all together, to hear someone else shoot fire-crackers was a very different thing from shooting them yourself. Although you did nothing but touch the string to a piece of lighted punk and throw the fire-cracker in the air, it sounded better when you threw it yourself than when some other boy threw it in your place. ”

“ The two oldest forms of fireworks known are undoubtedly the cracker and the rocket. As we have already noted, both of these—or at least primitive forms—are mentioned by Marcus Graecus, Albertus, and Roger Bacon. The description by the former is sufficiently clear to leave no doubt in our minds that he is describing a rocket; although the description of a cracker is not so explicit as to enable us to say that he is actually describing a jumping cracker, yet his mention of folding and tying would certainly give colour to that belief. ”

“ A man was fixing the curved stick which forms the pivot upon which a tourbillion rotates to one of those fireworks. The wire nail used for the purpose penetrated the composition and fired it. The remaining goods in the shed were ignited, and communicated to the neighbouring buildings, one of which was a magazine containing 3,000 lbs. of partially manufactured fireworks, including a number of rockets. These being without sticks and becoming ignited flew in all directions, setting fire to other buildings. ”

“ You ignite the first cracker and the flash fires the fuse of the second, and so on, until, after a series of crackling detonations, the whole bunch has exploded, and nothing survives but a few torn and scattered bits of paper, blackened with powder. ”

“ A tube of tin must be put on the front of the ship to hurl this from.”
The most interesting reference of an early date is supposed to have been written by Marcus Graecus in his “Liber ignium ad comburendos hostes” (Book of fires for burning up the enemy) , in which he not only gives the exact proportions of the compositions, but describes what is virtually the modern cracker, and also a primitive form of rocket. The 14case of the former was only partially filled, as with the jumping cracker of to-day, and although the wording is not very explicit, it was apparently bent in a similar way. ”

“ You children must have left a log burning on the hearth, and a spark flew out and set the rug on fire. Then the table and one of the chairs caught fire from the rug, and if I hadn't come home just when I did, we might not have had any home by this time."
"It was my fault, Father," spoke up Leland. "Rachel wanted to bury the log in the ashes; but I told her it wouldn't do any harm to leave it burning."
[Pg 198] "I suppose it was partly my fault, too," said Mr. Hawley. "I've always intended to buy a wire screen for this fireplace. It is never safe to go out of the room and leave an open fire. ”

“ Don't be afeared—you won't feel it but a moment. Sit still, keep cool!" says Firelock.
"Cool?" with a hot wire in his tooth! But Bill, being already intensely crucified, and assured of Firelock's skill, took his head out of the mush-plaster, opened his jaws, and Firelock, admonishing him to "keep cool," crowded the hot, sizzling wire on to the tin foil jammed into the hollow by Wangbanger, and gave it a twist clear through the melted tin to the exposed nerve. Bill jumped, bit off the wire, burnt his tongue, and knocked Firelock nearly through the partition of his shop ”

“ Ger. krachen, Dutch kraken, meaning to break with a sharp sound) , that which “cracks”; it is, therefore, applied (1) to a firework so constructed that it explodes with several reports and jumps at each explosion, when placed on the ground (see Fireworks) ; (2) to a roll of coloured and ornamented paper containing sweets, small articles of cheap jewelry, paper caps and other trifles, together with a strip of card with a fulminant which explodes with a “crack” on being pulled ”

“ A firebrick suitable for ordinary purposes should be even and rather open in texture, fairly coarse in grain, free from cracks or warping, strong enough to withstand the pressure to which it may be subjected when in use, and sufficiently fired to ensure practically the full contraction of the material. Very few fireclays meet all these requirements, and it is usual to mix a certain proportion of ground firebrick, ganister, sand or clay with the fireclay before making up. ”

“ Every fire-place should have a hearth of bricks or tiles at least two feet wide, and the fire should be protected by a wire screen. If there are young children in the household, there should also be a fender to keep them at a safe distance from the flames. Some kinds of light wood, especially chestnut and hemlock, will snap and produce many sparks. These sparks fly out in all directions unless the fire is covered with a wire screen. Do not build a roaring fire in the fire-place, as it may carry sparks to the roof. ”

“ Great Firework Display near Stockholm, July, 1669. To celebrate the Investiture of Charles XI, King of Sweden, with the Order of the Garter by King Charles II.
“After this was heard another ratling sound of Cannons, almost covering the ayre with fire and smoke, and forthwith appeared, out of a hill of earth made upon the water, a very strange fire, flaming upright like unto a blazing starre. After which flew forth a number of rockets so high in the ayre, that we could not chose but approve by all reasons that Arte hath exceeded Nature, so artificially were they performed. ”

“ A fire lighted along the entire line of a wall inclosing nearly an acre of area could not be other than a very attenuated, wire-drawn line of fire indeed, and could never possess strength enough to melt the ponderous mass of rampart beneath, as if it had been formed of wax or resin. A thousand loads of wood piled in a ring round the summit of Knock Farril, and set at once into a blaze, would wholly fail to affect the broad rampart below ”

“ The modern, or rather more recent, method of heading 98the rocket with a clay diaphragm evidently suggested that the choking of the case might be dispensed with where the composition was less fierce, the necessary reduction of the orifice being produced by a clay diaphragm with a central hole of sufficient size. This method is followed with the gerb, fountains, and flower pot, and in the firework known to pyrotechnists as “fixt”; this unit is largely used in display work to form the fringe frame or lattice effect of a set piece. “Fixt” are made in 1 oz. ”

“ Phosphorus wrapped in paper, and struck with a hammer on an anvil, will likewise enflame.
THE DANCING FLAME.
Make a very small gas jet, to which fit a minute burner; Sugg’s steatite pinhole burner answers best. Above the burner, at a distance of two inches, fix a seven-inch square piece of wire gauze; ordinary window-blind gauze of thirty-two meshes to the lineal inch acts perfectly. Turn the gas on, and light the flame above the gauze. Keep the room free from draught, and the flame will be steady; but at the least sound the flame is certain to move. ”

“ A curious firework, now almost obsolete, for which it is difficult to find a class, is the five-pointed star. This work consisted of a case having a diaphragm of plaster of paris or clay above the filling, below which five holes are bored equidistant and at right angles to the axis. The case is fired in the unusual position of horizontal with the end towards the spectator, the fire playing all round the case, forming a star. The composition used was mealed powder, sulphur, saltpetre, and sulphuret of antimony. ”

“ Another well-known pyrotechnic sound signal is the fog signal used on the railways, which consists of a tinned iron envelope containing a mixture of chlorate of potash and red phosphorus. It is secured in position on the rail by two lead 179clips provided for the purpose, and is fired by percussion on the impact of the engine wheel. Bird scarers, consisting of a series of single crackers connected by a time fuse, and so arranged as to fire at regular intervals, have been much used for the protection of seed and crops. ”

“ The first group of compositions for consideration is that nearest related to gunpowder, in fact, for the purposes of a work on pyrotechny, gunpowder may be considered a particular case of this class.
The governing principle of this group, and one may say of all firework compositions, is the same. For combustion to take place oxygen must be present. When an inflammable article such as a piece of paper is set on fire it takes up oxygen from the air. A pyrotechnic composition, however, is so arranged that one of the ingredients has a supply of oxygen which it is ready to give up ”

“ It will be seen that the rockets themselves are above the surface, which seems more reasonable than the instructions of some writers, who, to get the effect of a rocket rising from actually beneath the surface, give themselves an infinite amount of trouble to render the case and connections waterproof. The effect seen from a short distance is identical.
103 CHAPTER II
SIMPLE FIREWORKS—SHELL CLASS We now come to a distinct class of fireworks, those whose functioning depends on the propulsion of gunpowder. ”

“ Again, the very slight amount of friction required to light them is another cause of fires; even mice and rats gnawing wax vestas have been known to fire the match by their teeth touching the phosphorus. Accidents to life are continually taking place through ladies treading accidentally on matches carelessly thrown upon the ground.
Lucifer matches are a well-known cause of fires, both accidental and incendiary, in the agricultural districts. The matches which the boy keeping birds always keeps about him, are often used to fire a stack. ”

“ COMPOUND FIREWORKS Compound fireworks are those which are composed of a number of simple fireworks or units fixed to a framework or other device so that they produce a more elaborate effect than do single fireworks.
Probably the earliest form of compound firework was the wheel. After the sky rocket had become an established fact, it was a small step to tie rockets round a wheel, so that when fired they caused it to revolve. ”

“ The flame will be about two feet long, and so sensitive to sound that a slight chirrup or a hiss from any part of the theatre will make the flame shorten itself to seven or eight inches.
FIRE FROM WOOD. Dry rattan, or bamboo, struck together or on steel, will emit sparks, on account of the flint minutely intermingled with its outer coating.
HARMLESS EXPLOSION. Powder four grains of chlorate of potash in a mortar, and add a little flower of sulphur, pulverized very finely. On rubbing the two powders together, a sharp but harmless detonation will result. ”

“ Ruggieri mentions this firework under the name “Etoile fixé,” and it is mentioned by Jones, writing in 1765, but not by Frézier.
It is hard to believe that this unit was successful, so many factors militating against success, which depends upon the exactly similar jet from each of the five holes. But it is possible that in large geometrical pieces it was at least of use to give an additional effect in what, owing to the lack of variety of the fireworks of the time, must have been rather a monotonous repetition of a few effects. ”

“ These unfortunates were carefully put aside for "cat and dog fights."
There were one or two green fire-crackers in every bunch, and occasionally a yellow one. These he herded by themselves, for use at especially important moments. That they make a louder noise than the red ones is a scientific fact well known to all experts.
I had not separated my crackers. It was a joy I decided to defer until the great day. There was a pleasure in seeing the bunches intact, and in observing the red wrappers with their gorgeous gilt dragons. ”

“ Two colours only appear to have been produced—rose and green; these were by the addition of strontia and baryta or copper.
A handbill is in existence advertising a similar display at Hull in 1804, by W. Clarke.
During the early part of the nineteenth century several gardens round London made a feature of pyrotechnic displays. The Mermaid Gardens, Hackney, in “The Morning Chronicle” of June 1st, 1812, announces “the greatest feast for the eye ever exhibited is a superb firework by that unparalleled artist, Mr. Brock, Engineer.” ”

“ If one disabuses one’s mind of the curiously widespread belief that all fireworks are composed chiefly of gunpowder, and that without the invention of gunpowder fireworks could not have been constructed, it seems far more likely that pyrotechny is based on the discovery of the assistance given to combustion by saltpetre, than on the discovery of gunpowder.
6 CHAPTER II
PYROTECHNY IN THE EAST Pyrotechny undoubtedly had its genesis in the East, and for that reason we will deal with its development there first. ”

“ After this, in a most curious manner, an artificiall fire-worke with great wonder was seen flying in the ayre, like unto a fiery Dragon, against which another fierrie vision appeared flaming like to Saint George on Horsebacke, brought in by a burning Inchanter, between which was then fought a most strange battell continuing a quarter of an howre or more ”