Re: Here's something to help you sleep before July 4th..
- From: Delta-S <blanghans@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:43:27 -0700
On Jul 2, 7:44 pm, "hhc...@xxxxxxxxx" <hhc...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
No explanation needed...
Of Artificial Fire-works for Recreation, there are three general
sorts, viz. Those that ascend or mount in the Air. Those that consume
on the Earth: And such as burn on the Water. And these are again
divided into three Particulars, viz. For the Air, the Sky-Rocket, the
flying Saucisson, and Balloon: For the Earth, the Ground-Rocket, the
fiery Lances, and the Saucissons descendent. For the Water-Globes or
Balls, double Rockets, and [Pg 27]single Rockets; and of these in
their particular Orders, to make them, and such other Matters as may
occur relating to Fire-works.
But before I enter particularly on them, it will not be amiss to give
the Unlearned Instructions for making his Moulds for Rockets, &c.
This Mould must be of a substantial piece of Wood, well season'd, and
not subject to split or warp; and first the Caliber or Bore of it,
being an Inch in Diameter; the Mould must be six Inches long, and
Breech an Inch and half; the Broach that enters into the Choaking
part, three Inches and a half long, and in Thickness a quarter of an
Inch. The Rowler on which you wrap the Paper or Paste board, being
three quarters of an Inch Diameter, and the Rammer somewhat less, that
it may easily pass and re-pass, made hollow to receive the Broach; for
the Cartoush Coffin must be filled with the Materials, the Broach
being in.
If the Bore be two Inches Diameter, the Rocket must be twelve Inches
in Length: If an inch and a half in Bore, then nine Inches Long, and
so proportionably to any other Diameter. The Cartoush or Case must be
either strong Paper or fine Paste-board, choaked within an Inch and a
quarter of the Top, rowled on the Rowler with a thin Paste, to keep
the Doublings the higher together, that it may have the greater force
and higher flight. Having thus far considered your Mould and Cartoush
or Case, I proceed to the Composition and filling part, &c.
A Sky-Rocket, how to make it, &c.
In the Composition of your filling Materials be very cautious that you
exceed not the just [Pg 28]Proportion, for which I shall give
Directions to be a Standard in this case, viz. Having beat a Pound of
Powder very fine, and sifted it through a Lawn Sieve that no whole
Corns remain in it; do the like by two Ounces of Charcole; then sift
them together, so that they may mix well, which done, fill a small
Rocket with this Mixture, and if it break in Mounting before it come
to the supposed height, or burns out too fierce, then is there too
much Powder, and more fine sifted Charcole must be added; but if there
be too much Charcole in the Composition, then upon tryal it will not
ascend, or very little.
Observe in charging your Rocket, at every quarter of an ounce of
Ingredients or thereabouts, you ram it down very hard, forcing your
Rammer with a wooden Mallet, or some weighty piece of Wood, but no
Iron or Stone, for fear any Sparkles of Fire fly out and take your
Combustible Matter; so fill it by degrees: If you design neither to
place Stars, Quills, or small Rockets on its Head, you may put in
about an Inch and a half of dry Powder for the Bounce, but if you are
to place the fore-mention'd things on the Head of a great Rocket, you
must close down the Paper or Paste-board very hard, and prick two or
three holes with a Bodkin, that it may give fire to them when it
Expires, placing a large Cartoush or Paste-board on the head of the
Rocket, into which you must put the Stars or small Rockets, Paper-
Serpents, or Quill-Serpents; of which I shall speak more hereafter.
Note further, That if you would have your Rocket sparkle much, you
must put some grosly bruised Salt peter into the Composition; but then
it must not lie long before it be let off, for [Pg 29]fear it give and
damp the Powder. If you would have it leave a blue Stream, as it
ascends, put fine beaten and sifted Sulphur into it, but of neither of
these more than a third part of Charcole; and in this manner greater
and lesser Rockets are made, but the lesser must have more Powder and
less Charcole than the greater, by a fifth part in six.
Golden Rain, and Golden Hair.
For Golden Rain, or streams of fire, that will, when at height,
descend in the Air like Rain: Take large Goose-Quills, take only the
hollow Quill as long as may be, fill it with beaten Powder and
Charcole; as for the Air Rocket only add a little Powder of Sulphur.
Being hard filled to a quarter of an Inch, stop that with wet Powder,
called Wild-fire; place as many as you think convenient on the Head of
a great Rocket, pasted on in a Rowl of Paper, so that it may not fall
off till the Rocket bursts, there being a little dry Powder in it to
force the end when the stream of fire ceases, at which time they
taking, will appear like a shower of Fire of a golden Colour,
spreading themselves in the Air, and then tending directly downwards.
This is to be considered when you stand directly, or something near
under them; but if you are at some distance, then they will appear to
you like the Blazing Tail of a Comet or Golden Hair.
Silver Stars, How to make them.
To make Stars that will expand in Flame, and appear like natural Stars
in the Firmament for a time: Take half a Pound of Salt-peter, the like
quantity of Brimstone, finely beaten together, [Pg 30]sifted and
mingled with a quarter of a Pound of Gunpowder so ordered: Then wrap
up the Composition in Linnen Rags or fine Paper, to the quantity of a
Walnut, bind them with small Thread, and prick holes in the Rag or
Paper with a Bodkin, and place six or ten of them on the Head of a
great Rocket, as you did the Quills, and when the Rocket expires, they
take fire and spread into a Flame, hovering in the Air like Stars, and
descend leisurely till the matter is spent that gives them light.
Red fiery Colour'd Stars, How to make them.
Take in this Case half a Pound of Powder, and double the quantity of
Salt-peter; as much fine flower of Brimstone as Powder, wet them with
fair Water and Oyl of Petrolum till they will stick together like
Pellets; then make them up somewhat less than the former, and rowl
them in sifted dry Powder, then let them harden, by drying in the Sun
or Air, and place them on a great Rocket, as you did the other Stars,
and you will perceive them when the Rocket is at the height, fall,
like Bodies or Globes of Fire, in the manner as if real Stars were
shooting or falling from the Sky, for by reason of their wetness or
density they cannot expand into Flame, which occasions them by the
pressure of their weight to descend with greater Impetuosity till they
waste and vanish into Air, &c.
Another sort of Stars that give great Reports in the Air, as if Armies
were fighting.
Here you must observe to place six, seven, or eight small Rockets on
the Head of a great one, filled only with dry Powder, but
indifferently [Pg 31]rammed, and on the ends of them holes being
prick'd through, place any of the sorts of Stars, or a mixture, as
your fancy leads you; and when the small Rockets go off like Thunder
in the Air, the Stars will take fire, so that the Noise will seem to
the Spectators as if it proceeded from them, because they will be seen
on fire before the Sound of the Reports can be heard.
To make Paste-board Mortars for Balloons.
These stately Prospects of Fire are to be carried into the Air by the
force of Powder, by the help of Mortars; and therefore the making of
the Mortars are in the first place to be considered.
Take a Rowler of Wood, about 12 Inches Diameter, and three Foot and a
half in Length, wet strong Paste-board, and rowl upon it as close as
may be, glewing the Paste-board between each Rowling; then being about
five Inches thick, bind over it strong pitch'd Rope, though
indifferent small: Then choak the Breech of it, which must be beyond
the length of the Rowler, with a strong Cord; pitch or glue it over
that the Powder may not force its vent that way, and so when the
Mortar is well dry'd, draw out the Rowler, and make it as even as can
be; bore a Touch-hole two Inches from the Breech, that it may enter
into the hollow of the Mortar, and set it by for use.
To make Balloons, the rarity of Fire-works.
Take strong Paper, or Paste-board, rowl it on a 12 Inch Rowler, near
as thick as 'tis long, then with a strong small Cord choke it at one
end only, leaving a Port-fire, which is a place to put in a Quill of
Wild-fire, that will last till [Pg 32]being shot out of the Mortar it
comes to its height; then next to that put on an Ounce and a half of
loose Powder, and place in it as many small Rockets and Stars as it
will hold; so choak up the other end quite. You may also put into it
little quills of Wild-fire, then being closed up, only a Port-fire
remaining, which made of a Quill of Wild-fire, as is said, or Stopple,
to make which in the close of this Head I shall Instruct you, Charge
the Mortar, being set Sloaping upwards with half a Pound of corn
Powder, and it will by giving fire at the priming holes, send the
Balloon up into the Air a prodigeous height, and when it comes to the
dry Powder, that will break the Balloon; and then the Stars and
Rockets in it taking fire, will scatter abroad in various curious
Figures delightful to the Spectators; and as they are Cunningly
placed, they will represent Crowns, Cyphers, Characters, Dates of the
Year, &c.
The Airy or flying Saucisson, How to make it.
This curious Fire-work must be made in the Composition matter for
filling mostly of corned Powder, putting before it when you fill the
Cartoush or Case as much fine sifted Powder and Charcole as composed
for the Rocket, will carry it to its height; leave a hole for the Port-
fire in the choaking as big as a Goose-Quill will enter filling it
with Dust-Powder and Charcole, and so close up the open end, by
turning in the Paper or Paste-board corner-wise, either glewing or
waxing it down.
Paste-board Guns to cast the Saucissons into the Air, How to make
them.
To make these kind of Guns, Take a [Pg 33]Rowler, some what less than
for the ...
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Huh? What the heck? Is this written in code or something? I can't
quite put my finger on it but it reminds me of some kind of Louisiana
Cajun jargon after a jug of moonshine??!! Someone please call AA for
this guy.
.
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