Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branchesJones, Robert
History
Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branches
Jones, Robert
Fireworks -- Early works to 1800
If you would have the swans, or ducks, discharge rockets into the
water, they must be made hollow, and of paper, and filled with small
water rockets, with some blowing powder, to throw them out; but if
this is not done, they may be made of wood, which will last many
times. Having made and painted some swans, fix them on floats, then in
the places where their eyes should be, bore holes, two inches deep,
inclining downwards, and wide enough to receive a small port fire; the
port fire cases for this purpose, must be made of brass, two inches in
length and filled with a slow bright charge; in the middle of one of
these cases, make a little hole, then put the port fire, in the eye
hole of the swan, leaving about half an inch to project out, and in
the other eye put another port fire, with a hole made in it; then in
the neck of the swan, within two inches of one of the eyes, bore a
hole slantways, to meet that in the port fire; in this hole put a
leader, and carry it to a water rocket, that must be fixed under the
tail with its mouth upwards; on the top of the head, place two one
ounce cases, four inches in length each, drove with brilliant fire;
one of these cases must incline forwards, and the other backwards;
these must be lighted at the same time as the water rocket; to do
which, bore a hole between them, in the top of the swans head, down to
the hole in the port fire, to which carry a leader; if the swan be
filled with rockets, they must be fired, by a pipe, from the end of
the water rocket under the tail. When you set the swan a swiming light
the two eyes.
Of fire Fountains for the Water.
To make a fire fountain, you must first have a float made of wood,
three feet diameter, then in the middle of it, fix a round
perpendicular post, four feet in height, and two inches diameter;
round this post, fix three circular wheels, made of thin wood, without
any spokes. The largest of these wheels must be placed, within two, or
three inches of the float, and must be nearly of the same diameter.
The second wheel must be two foot two inches diameter, and fixed at
two feet distance from the first wheel. The third wheel must be one
foot four inches diameter, and fixed within six inches of the top of
the post: the wheels being fixed, take eighteen four, or eight ounce
cases, of brilliant fire, and place them round the first wheel, with
their mouths outwards, and inclining downwards; on the second wheel
place, thirteen cases of the same sort, and in the same manner, as
those on the first wheel; on the third wheel, place eight more of this
sort of cases, in the same manner as before, and on the top of the
post, fix a gerbe, then cloath all the cases, with leaders, so that
both they and the gerbe may take fire at the same time. Before you
fire this work, try it in the water, to see if the float be properly
made, so as to keep the fountain upright.
SECT. VI.
To make Crackers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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