Endless Amusement: A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments in Various Branches of Science; Including Acoustics, Electricity, Magnetism, Arithmetic, Hydraulics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Hydrostatics, Optics; Wonders of the Air-Pump; All the Popular Tricks and Changes of the Cards, &c., &c. to Which is Added, a Complete System of Pyrotechny; Or, the Art of Making Fire-works.Unknown
Science
Endless Amusement: A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments in Various Branches of Science; Including Acoustics, Electricity, Magnetism, Arithmetic, Hydraulics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Hydrostatics, Optics; Wonders of the Air-Pump; All the Popular Tricks and Changes of the Cards, &c., &c. to Which is Added, a Complete System of Pyrotechny; Or, the Art of Making Fire-works.
Procure a piece of girth from 12 to 18 inches in length. Double it,
and fold it down about 1-1/2 inch, similar to the fold of a letter,
and then turn back one end of the girth, and it will form two
compartments. Then take some gum and dissolve it in water; boil it
till it is quite melted, and very thick; add coarse powdered glass,
sufficient to make it into a very thick paste; place two upright rows
of the glass composition in the inside of one of the folds, about as
wide as the thickness of a lath, and as high as a half-crown laid
flat; and when they are dry, sew the first fold together on the edge,
and then the second at the opposite end, so that one end may be open.
Then, in the centre of the two rows, put about a grain of fulminating
silver, and paste a piece of cotton or silk over it. Make a hole at
each end of the girdle, and hang it to a hook in the door-post, and
the other hook on the door, observing to place the silk part so that
it may come against the edge of the door when opened, which will cause
a report as loud as a small cannon. The fulminating silver may be
purchased at any of the operating chemists.
DETONATING BALLS.
Procure some glass globes, between the size of a pea and a small
marble, in which there must be a small hole; put into it half a grain
of fulminating silver. Paste a piece of paper carefully over the ball
to prevent the silver from escaping. When you wish to explode one put
it on the ground, and tread hard upon it, and it will go off with a
loud noise. These balls may be made productive of much amusement in
company, by placing a chair lightly on them; for whoever sits down
upon them will cause them to explode. These globes may be procured at
the barometer-makers.
THE DETONATING TAPE.
Is made of binding, about three-eighths of an inch in width. Observe
the same directions as given for the girdle; you may either explode it
yourself, by taking hold of each end, and rolling the ends from each
other sharply, or give one end to another, and pull together.
DETONATING CARDS.
Take a piece of card about three-fourths of an inch in breadth and 12
in length; slit it at one end, and place in the opening a quarter of a
grain of fulminating silver; close the edges down with a little paste,
and when dry you may use it by lighting the end in a candle.
Having given the method by which these loud reports are produced, we
shall mention some other effects to be produced by the silver, capable
of affording much amusement. For instance, by placing about a quarter
of a grain of the silver in the midst of some tobacco in a pipe, or
between the leaves of a cigar, and closing the end again, to prevent
the powder from falling out; when lighted, it causes a loud explosion;
for heat, as well as friction, will equally do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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