SECT.II.Of theSpur-Fire.Thisfire is the most beautiful and curious of any yet known, and was invented by the Chinese, but now is in greater perfection in England, than in China; and as it requires a great deal of trouble to make it to perfection, it will be necessary that young beginners should have full instructions in every particular; therefore care ought to be taken that all the ingredients be of the best sort, that the lamp-black is not damp and clodded, and that the saltpetre and brimstone are thoroughly refined. This composition is generally rammed in one or two ounce cases, about five or six inches long, but not drove very hard; and these cases must have their concave stroke struck very smooth, and the choak or vent not quite so large as the usual proportion; this charge, when drivenand kept a few months, will be much better than when just rammed, but will not spoil, if kept dry, in many years.Now as the beauty of this composition cannot be seen at so great a distance as brilliant fire, it has a better effect in a room than in the open air, and may be fired in a chamber without any danger; for it is of so innocent a nature, that, though with an improper phrase, It may be called a cold fire; and so extraordinary is the fire produced from this composition, that, if well made, the sparks will not burn a handkerchief, when held in the midst of them; you may hold them in your hand while burning, with as much safety as a candle; and if you put your hand within a foot of the mouth of the case, you will feel the sparks like drops of rain. When any of these spur-fires are fired singly, they are called artificial flower pots; but some of them placed round a transparent pyramid of paper, and fired in a large room, make a very pretty appearance.The Composition for theSpur-fire.Saltpetre four pound eight ounces, sulphur two pound, and lamp-black one pound eight ounces.Or, saltpetre one pound, sulphur half a pound, and lamp-black four quarts.As the spur-fire composition is very difficult to mix, and the manner of doing it quite different from any other, I shall here treat of it separately; for example, the saltpetre and the brimstone must be first sifted together, and then put into a marble mortar, and the lamp-black with them, which you work down by degrees, with a wooden pestle, till all the ingredients appear of one colour, which will be something greyish, but very near black; then drive a little into a case for tryal, and fire it in a dark place; and if the sparks, which are called stars, or pinks, come out in clusters, and afterwards spread well without any other sparks, it is a sign of its being good, otherwise not; for if any drossy sparks appear, and the stars notfull, it is then not mixed enough; but if the pinks are very small, and soon break, it is a sign that you have rubbed it too much.N. B. This mixture, when rubbed too much, will be too fierce, and hardly shew any stars at all; and, on the contrary, when not mixed enough, will be too weak, and throw forth an obscure smoke, and lumps of dross, without any stars. The reason of this charge being called the spur-fire, is because the sparks it yields have a great resemblance to the rowel of a spur, from whence it takes it’s name.Characters, or significant Signs, for distinguishing the different Ingredients used in Fireworks.Meal PowderMCorned PowderIllustration: reverse epsilonSaltpetreIllustration: theta symbolBrimstoneZCrude SulphurC ZCharcoalC +Sea CoalC SSaw-dust or Beech-raspingsB RSteel or Iron-filingsS xBrass-dustB xGlass-dustG xTanners-dust of BarkT xCast IronC IAntimony CrudeC ACamphorxYellow AmberA YLapis CalaminarisL SGumIllustration: dot under half-circleLamp BlackB LIsinglassG ISpirit of WineWSpirits of TurpentineS TOil of SpikeP OThe use of the above characters is, that by the help of them, the different receipts may be contracted to so small a compass, that they may all be contained in one leaf of a pocket book, which is much less than any table that has yet been invented. These signs are also very convenient for those who travel.How to mealGun-powder,Brimstone, andCharcoal.There have been many methods used to grind these ingredients to a powder for fireworks, such as large mortars and pestles, made of ebony, and other hard wood; likewise horizontal mills with brass barrels; but none of these methods has proved so effectual and speedy as the last invention, that of the mealing table, which is represented inPlate 1.Fig. 1. This table it made of elm, with a rim round it’s edge, four or five inches high; and at the narrow end, A, is a slider, which runs in a groove and forms part of the rim; so that when you have taken out of the table, as much powder as you conveniently can, with the copper shovelFig. 2.you may sweep all clean out at the slider A. When you are going to meal a quantity of powder, observe not to put too much in the table at once; but when you have put in a good proportion, take the mullerFig. 3.and rub it therewith till all the grains are broke, then fearce it, in a lawn sievethat has a receiver and top to it; and that which does not pass through the sieve, return again to the table and grind it more, till you have brought it all fine enough to go through the sieve. Brimstone and charcoal are ground in the same manner as gun-powder, only the muller must be made of ebony, for these ingredients being harder than powder, would stick in the grain of elm, and be very difficult to grind; and as the brimstone is apt to stick and clod to the table, it would be best to keep one for that purpose only, by which means you will always have your brimstone clean and well ground.To prepareCast-Ironfor Gerbes, White Fountains, and Chinese Fire.Cast-iron being of so hard a nature, as not to be cut by a file, we are obliged to make use of the following method to reduce it into grains, though somewhat difficult to perform; but if we consider what beautiful sparks this sort of iron yields, no pains should be spared to granulate such an essential material, to dowhich you must proceed thus: get at an iron foundry some thin pieces of iron, such as generally runs over the moulds, at the time of casting: then have a square block made of cast iron, and a square hammer of the same metal, about four pound weight; then, having covered the floor with cloth, or something to catch the beatings, lay the thin pieces of iron on the block, and beat them thereon with the hammer, till you have reduced them into small grains, which afterwards searce with a very fine sieve, in order to separate from them the fine dust, which is sometimes used in small cases of brilliant fire, instead of steel dust; and when you have got out all the dust, sift what remains with a sieve a little larger, and so on with sieves of different sizes, till the iron will pass through about the bigness of small bird shot: your iron being thus beat and sifted, put each sort into wooden boxes or oiled paper, to keep it from getting rust. When you use any of this iron, observe that you make a difference in its size, in proportion to the cases for which the charge is intended; for the coarse sortof it is only designed for very large gerbes, of six or eight pound weight.Charges for Sky-Rockets,&c.For Rockets of Four Ounces.Mealed powder one pound four ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and charcoal two ounces.For Rockets of Eight Ounces.I.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre four ounces, brimstone three ounces, and charcoal one ounce and a half.II.Meal powder one pound and a half, and charcoal four ounces and a quarter.For Rockets of One Pound.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, charcoal two ounces, and steel filings one ounce and a half.For Sky Rockets in general.I.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound, and charcoal one pound and a half.II.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound and a half, charcoal one pound twelve ounces, and meal powder two ounces.For large Sky Rockets.Saltpetre four pound, meal powder one pound, and brimstone one pound.The following Compositions may be used for Rockets of a middling size.I.Saltpetre eight pound, sulphur three pound, meal powder three pound.II.Saltpetre three pound, sulphur two pound, meal powder one pound, charcoal one pound.Compositions for Rocket Stars.For White Stars.Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur vivum six ounces, oil of spike two ounces, and camphor five ounces.For Blue Stars.Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, sulphur two, spirits of wine two, and oil of spike two.Coloured, or variegated Stars.Meal powder eight drams, rochpetre four ounces, sulphur vivum two ounces, and camphor two ounces.For Brilliant Stars.Saltpetre three ounces and a half, sulphur an ounce and a half, and meal powder three quarters of an ounce. This composition must be worked up with spirits of wine only.For Common Stars.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, antimony four ounces and three quarters, isinglass half an ounce, camphor half an ounce, and spirits of wine three quarters of an ounce.For Tailed Stars.Meal powder three ounces, brimstone two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, and charcoal (coarsely ground) three quarters of an ounce.For Drove Stars.I.Saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound, brass dust twelve ounces, and antimony three ounces.II.Saltpetre one pound, antimony four ounces, and sulphur eight.For fix’d Pointed Stars.Saltpetre eight ounces and an half, sulphur two ounces, and antimony one ounce and ten drams.Stars of a fine Colour.Sulphur one ounce, meal powder one ounce, saltpetre one ounce, camphor four drams, oil of turpentine four drams.Gold Rain for Sky Rockets.I.Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, sulphur four ounces, brass dust one ounce, saw dust two and a quarter, and glass dust six drams.II.Meal powder twelve ounces, saltpetre two ounces, and charcoal four.III.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, glass dust one ounce, antimony three quarters of an ounce, brass dust a quarter of an ounce, and saw dust twelve drams.Silver Rain.I.Saltpetre four ounces, sulphur, meal powder, and antimony, of each two ounces, and half an ounce of sal prunellae.II.Saltpetre half a pound, brimstone two ounces, and charcoal four.III.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone a quarter of a pound, and antimony six ounces.IV.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, powder two ounces, and steel dust three quarters of an ounce.For Water Rockets.I.Meal powder six pound, saltpetre four pound, brimstone three pound, and charcoal five pound.II.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces and a half, and charcoal six ounces.III.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal twelve ounces.IV.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound eight ounces, and charcoal one pound twelve ounces.V.Brimstone two pound, saltpetre four pound, and meal powder four pound.VI.Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, brimstone eight ounces and a half, and charcoal two ounces.VII.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, seacoal one ounce, charcoal eight ounces and a half, saw dust three quarters ofan ounce, steel dust half an ounce, and coarse charcoal a quarter of an ounce.VIII.Meal powder one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound eight ounces, charcoal twelve ounces, saw dust two ounces.A sinking Charge for Water Rockets.Meal powder eight ounces, charcoal three quarters of an ounce.For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound.I.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre four ounces, and iron filings seven ounces.II.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur four, and steel dust three ounces.III.Meal powder four pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.IV.Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, saw dust one ounce and a half, and sea coal three quarters of an ounce.V.Meal powder one pound four ounces, brimstone four ounces ten drams, saltpetre eight ounces, glass dust two ounces and a half.VI.Meal powder twelve ounces, charcoal one ounce, saw dust half an ounce.VII.Saltpetre one pound nine ounces, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.VIII.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and sea coal two ounces.IX.Saltpetre two pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder four pound, and glass dust four ounces.X.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre two ounces, and steel dust three ounces and a half.XI.Meal powder two pound, and steel dust two ounces and a half, with two ounces and a half of the fine dust of beat iron.XII.Saltpetre eleven pound thirteen ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal six ounces.A slow Fire for Wheels.I.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce and a half.II.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, and antimony one ounce six drams.III.Saltpetre four ounces and a half, brimstone one ounce, and mealed powder one ounce and a half.A dead Fire for Wheels.Saltpetre one ounce and a quarter, brimstone a quarter of an ounce, lapis-calaminaris a quarter of an ounce, and antimony two drams.For standing or fixed Cases.I.Meal powder four pound, saltpetre two pound, brimstone and charcoal one pound.II.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, and steel dust eight ounces.III.Meal powder one pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces.IV.Meal powder one pound, and steel dust four ounces.V.Meal powder two pound and a half, brimstone four ounces, and seacoal six ounces.VI.Meal powder three pound, charcoal five ounces, and saw dust one ounce and a half.For Sun Cases.I.Meal powder eight pound and a half, saltpetre one pound two ounces, steel dust two pound ten ounces and a half, and brimstone four ounces.II.Meal powder three pound, saltpetre six ounces, and steel dust seven ounces and a half.For a Brilliant Fire.Meal powder twelve pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and steel dust one pound and a half.For Gerbes.Meal powder six pound, and beat iron two pound one ounce and a half.Chinese Fire.Saltpetre twelve ouces, meal powder two pound, brimstone one pound two ounces, and beat iron twelve ounces.Charges for Tourbillons.For four ounce Tourbillons.Meal powder two pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.For eight ounce Tourbillons.Meal powder two pound, and charcoal four ounces and three quarters.For large Tourbillons.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and beat iron eight ounces.N. B. Tourbillons may be made very large, and of different colour’d fires, only you are to observe, that the larger they be, the weaker must be the charge; and, on the contrary, the smaller they be, the stronger must be their charge.For Water Ballóóns.I.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone two pound, meal powder two pound, antimony four ounces, saw dust four ounces, and glass dust one ounce and a quarter.II.Saltpetre nine pound, brimstone three pound, meal powder six pound, rosin twelve ounces, and antimony eight ounces.For Water Squibs.I.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one pound.II.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal nine ounces.For Mine-ports or Serpents.I.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one ounce.II.Meal powder nine ounces, and charcoal one ounce.Port-fires for firing Rockets,&c.I.Saltpetre twelve ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.II.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.III.Saltpetre one pound two ounces, meal powder one pound and a half, and brimstone ten ounces. This composion must be moistened with one gill of linseed oil.IV.Meal powder six ounces, saltpetre two pound two ounces, and brimstone ten ounces.V.Saltpetre one pound four ounces, meal powder four ounces, brimstone five ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.VI.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder two ounces.Port-fires for Illuminations.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder six ounces.For Cones or Spiral Wheels.Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone six ounces, meal powder fourteen ounces, and glass dust fourteen ounces.For Crowns or Globes.Saltpetre six ounces, brimstone two pound, antimony four ounces, and camphor two ounces.For Air Ballóón Fuzes.I.Saltpetre one pound ten ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound six ounces.II.Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound eight ounces.Serpents for Pots des Brins.Meal powder one pound eight ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, and charcoal two ounces.For Fire Pumps.I.Saltpetre five pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound and a half, and glass dust one pound.II.Saltpetre five pound eight ounces, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound eight ounces, and glass dust one pound eight ounces.For a Slow White Flame.I.Saltpetre two pound, sulphur three pound, antimony one pound.II.Saltpetre three pound and a half, sulphur two pound and a half, meal powder one pound, antimony half a pound, glass dust four ounces, brass dust one ounce.N. B. These compositions, driven one inch and a quarter in a one ounce case, will burn one minute, which is muchlonger time than an equal quantity of any composition will last, that has yet been made public.For Amber Lights.Meal powder nine ounces, and amber three ounces. This charge may be drove in small cases, for illuminations.For Lights of another Sort.Saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound, antimony ten ounces and a half. All these ingredients must be mixed with the oil of spike.For a Red Fire.Meal powder three pound, charcoal twelve ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.For a Common Fire.Saltpetre three pound, charcoal ten ounces, and brimstone two ounces.To make an Artificial Earthquake.Mix the following ingredients to a paste with water, and then bury it in the ground, and in a few hours the earth will break and open in several places. The composition: Sulphur four pound, and steel dust four pound.Having laid down, under the preceding heads, the different compositions used in fireworks by our modern artists; I shall, in the next place, give some tables of charges that were formerly used, according to the several accounts given by those authors from whom they are collected: but if the reader will consider, he will find the charges in these tables to be very uncertain, by comparing their method of determining the size and weight of rockets, and the proportions of ingredients thereto, with the method taught in this work, which is so plain, easy, and certain, that I have never yet known it fail; and doubt not, but that it will be so allowed by all who chuse to make a tryal thereof.The subsequent table is taken from Siemienowicz, wherein is specified the different charges of sky rockets, from half an ounce to one hundred pound; the charges being calculated in proportion to the weight of a leaden ball of the same diameter as the bore of each mould; which bores are divided into inches and lines[1], and each line into twelve equal parts, according to the French method.TAB. I.Weight of the ball.Diameter of the mould.powder.SaltpetreBrimstonecharcoal.lb.oz.in.1.ptslb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.½063}01500000210782097}012020½01½3011041015110}130120401½61110712781349131110145111501215513160141651617318080204020203}00600201503023740269}006408016050288602109}00350501008032610035400620902001203710}00320801601503114170415}006401201602004422704993004116}0030070180400551600633}003001002001000753TAB.II.The following table is taken from a late French author[2], whose method of regulating the charges is according to the interior diameter of the mould, which he divides into lines.Interior diameter of the mould.Weight of the rocket.Saltpetre.Brimstone.Charcoal.Lines.lb.oz.dr.ounces.ounces.ounces.6004}44416700680119015}40416100221103012037}38416130461406115074}3641616091170110180131}3441619015419¼100211712411513251630400}3061836690725580TAB.III.A table of charges for sky-rockets in which the charges are adapted in proportion to the weight of composition contained in each rocket, after the method of Hanzelet.Weight of composition.Powder.Salt-petre.Brim-stone.Char-coal.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.01½0401or,1001½01½020401or,040½04}10040480or,03010010301003½0103½10100102or,140203½3011477½01160}310481007080}8018212100TAB.IV.A table collected from Henrion, whose method of adjusting the charges is the same as in the preceding table.Weight of composition.Powder.Salt-petre.Brim-stone.Char-coal.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.1}10022or,10100134½01014}40100½048180402or,1004013½01003½8⎫⎧02⎫⎬2500⎨steel dust⎬0610⎭⎩02⎭1217004|03½|0714⎫⎧03⎫⎬2809⎨steel dust⎬0315⎭⎩03⎭101000|01|032002012|01|0330⎫⎧14⎫⎬0080⎨steel dust⎬22100⎭⎩02⎭TAB.V.A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.Composition for a rocket of two pound.Composition for a rocket of one pound.Composition for a rocket of half a pound.Composition for a rocket of four ounces.Composition for a rocket of one ounce and a half.Corrected by M. F***, one pound.Corrected, eleven ounces.Corrected, seven ounces and a half.Corrected, six ounces five drams.Corrected, one ounce five drams.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.oz.oz.Pow.20101458 or 9Saltp.1012121⅕Brimst.521¼Charc.43½½ or 1Steel-d.22Height of the mould, nine inches and a half.Height of the mould, eight inches and a half.Height of the mould, seven inches and a half.Height of the mould seven inches.Height of the mould, four inches and a half.Diameter of the mould, one in. seven lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch five lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch three lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch two lines.Diameter of the mould, nine lines.French names for Sky Rockets.Double Marquise.Marquise.Grosse de partement.De partement.Fusie de Caisse.Remarks on the foregoing Tables.In table the first, we find that the compositions for all rockets under one pound are made chiefly of gun-powder and charcoal, which method has been long proved erroneous in many respects: first, that rockets made with such charges will not keep long without spoiling; secondly, that they are very uncertain in performing their proper effect; thirdly, they will carry but a short tail, with a black and smoaky fire.We also find those charges for rockets above one pound, that are composed of saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal, to be too strong; by which we should imagine that, at the time when they were used, the piercers did not bear the same proportion to the rockets, as those made use of by our present artists; for it is on the size of the cavity in the composition, that the effect of the rocket and proportion of the charge depends: which we shall endeavour to shew hereafter.Table the second is given, by the author, as an improvement on the first; wherein he takes notice of the chargesbeing too many in number; he has therefore reduced them to seven only, which, according to his opinion, are sufficient for rockets of any size: he also observes, that the ingredients are expressed in unequal quantities; which he has likewise laid down in a more regular order. By the same author’s account, rockets were made in France, not many years since, with the compositions mentioned in his table. I shall not here pretend to say, that rockets were not made with the charges given in the above-mentioned table; yet can affirm, by practice and experience, that several of them will not agree with our present moulds.As to the method prescribed in the third and fourth tables, it is difficult to determine whether we shall praise or condemn it, as they were wrote when the art of making fireworks was in it’s infancy; as may be seen by their strange method of determining the proportion of ingredients, and weight of rockets, by the quantity of composition contained in each case; which must have required a very nice calculation, for at that time, they had not fixed upon an exact length for rockets, but made themfrom six to nine diameters long: all which differ so much from our modern practice, that I never thought it worth the trouble of making a trial: but am of opinion, that very few of the charges will answer.In table the fifth, the compositions are in proportion to the weight of the rocket, with it’s head and stick, all compleat; which head and stick together are equal to the weight of the rocket, according to the improvement made by M. F***, as may be seen by the second column from the top; he also has added the diameters to the moulds, in proportion to their height, allowing each six diameters, which supposing to be right, the rockets will be nearly reduced to half their weight given in the first column. On the charges in this table I have made no experiment, therefore cannot recommend them as proof.Having already given a variety of charges for sky-rockets, in the preceding tables, which are collected from the principal authors on this subject, together with remarks on the same; I shall, in the next place, according to my promiseof not omitting any thing that may be of service to the reader, add some compositions for rocket-stars of several colours, as inserted by former authors.Compositions for Stars of different Colours.I.Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre two ounces, brimstone two ounces, steel dust one ounce and a half, and camphor, white amber, antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each half an ounce.II.Rochepetre ten ounces, brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal powder, and camphor, of each three quarters of an ounce, moistened with oil of turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to a paste with aqua vitæ, in which has been dissolved some gum-tragacanth; and after you have roll’d them in powder, make a hole through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving about two inches from one to the other.III.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, yellow amber one ounce, antimony one ounce, and powder three ounces.IV.Brimstone two ounces and a half, saltpetre six ounces, olibanum or frankincense in drops four ounces; mastick, and mercury-sublimate, of each four ounces; meal powder five ounces; white amber, yellow amber, and camphor, of each one ounce; antimony and orpiment half an ounce each.V.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and meal powder eight ounces, moistened with potrolio-oil.VI.Powder half a pound, brimstone and saltpetre, of each four ounces.VII.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce.For Stars that carry Tails of sparks.I.Brimstone six ounces, antimony crude two ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and rosin four ounces.II.Saltpetre, rosin, and charcoal, of each two ounces; brimstone one ounce, and pitch one ounce.These compositions are sometimes melted in an earthen pan, and mixed with chopped cotton match, before theyare rolled into stars, but will do as well if wetted, and worked up in the usual manner.Another Sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks.I.Camphor two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, meal powder one ounce.II.Saltpetre one ounce, ditto melted half an ounce, and camphor two ounces. When you would make stars of either of these compositions, you must wet them with gum water, or spirit of wine, in which has been dissolved some gum-arabick, or gum-tragacanth, that the whole may have the consistence of a pretty thick liquid; having thus done, take one ounce of lint, and stir it about in the composition till it becomes dry enough to roll into stars.For Stars of a yellowish Colour.Take four ounces of gum-tragacanth or gum-arabick, pounded and sifted thro’ a fine sieve, camphor dissolved in brandy two ounces, saltpetre one pound, sulphurhalf a pound, coarse powder of glass four ounces, white amber one ounce and a half, and orpiment two ounces. All these ingredients being well incorporated, make them into stars after the common method.Stars of another Sort.Take a pound of camphor and melt it in a pint of spirit of wine over a slow fire; then add to it a pound of gum-arabick that has been dissolved; with this liquor, mix one pound of saltpetre, six ounces of sulphur, and five ounces of meal powder; and after you have stirred them well together, roll them into stars proportionable to the rockets for which you intend them.Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions.As variety of fires adds greatly to a collection of works, it is necessary that every artist should know the different effect of each ingredient; for which reason, I shall here explain the coloursthey produce of themselves; and likewise how to make them retain the same when mixed with other bodies: as for example, sulphur gives a blue, camphor a white or pale colour, saltpetre a clear white, yellow amber a colour inclining to yellow, sal-armoniac a green, antimony a reddish, rosin a copper colour, and greek-pitch a kind of bronze or between red and yellow. All these ingredients are such as shew themselves in a flame, viz.For a white Flame.Saltpetre, sulphur, meal powder, and camphor, the saltpetre must be the chief part.For a blue Flame.Meal powder, saltpetre, and sulphur vivum, the sulphur must be the chief part: or, meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, spirit of wine, and oil of spike; but let the powder be the principal part.For a Flame inclining to Red.Saltpetre, sulphur, antimony, and greek-pitch, the saltpetre the chief part.By the above method may be made various colours of fire, as the practitioner pleases; for, by making a few trials, he may cause any ingredient to be predominant in colour.Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when rammed in choaked Cases.The set colours of fire produced by sparks are divided into four sorts, viz. the black, white, grey, and red; the black charges are composed of two ingredients, which are meal powder and charcoal; the white of three, viz. saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal; the grey of four, viz. meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal; and the red of three, viz. meal powder, charcoal, and saw dust.There are, besides these four regular or set charges, two others, which are distinguishedby the names of compound and brilliant charges; the compound charge being made of many ingredients, such as meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, charcoal, saw dust, seacoal, antimony, glass dust, brass dust, steel filings, cast iron, tanner’s dust,&c.or any thing that will yield sparks; all which must be managed with discretion. The brilliant fires are composed of meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and steel dust; or with meal powder and steel filings only.How to make Cotton Quick-match.Quick-match is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from one to six threads thick, according to the pipes it is designed for, which pipe must be large enough for the match, when made, to be pushed in easily without breaking it. Having doubled the cotton into as many threads as you think proper, coil it very lightly into a flat-bottomed copper or earthen pan; then put in the saltpetre and the liquor, and boil them together about twenty minutes; after which, coil it again into another pan, as is shewn inFig. 4.andpour on it what liquor remains; then put in some meal powder, and press it down with your hands, till it is quite wet; afterwards place the pan before the wooden frame,Fig. 5, which must be suspended by a point in the center of each end; and place yourself before the pan, tying the upper end of the cotton to the end of one of the sides of the frame.When every thing is thus got ready, you must have one to turn the frame round, while you let the cotton pass through your hands, holding it very lightly, and at the same time keeping your hands full of the wet powder; but if the powder should be too wet to stick to the cotton, put more in the pan, so as to keep a continual supply till the match is all wound up; you may wind it as close on the frame as you please, so that it does not stick together; when the frame is full, take it off the points, and sift dry meal powder on both sides the match, till it appears quite dry: in winter the match will be a fortnight before it is fit for use; when it is thoroughly dry, cut it along the outside of one of the sidesof the frame, and tie it up in skains for use.N. B. The match must be wound tight on the frames.Ingredients for the Match.Cotton one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre one pound, spirit of wine two quarts, water three quarts, isinglass three gills, and meal powder ten pound. To dissolve four ounces of isinglass, take three pints of water.
SECT.II.
Of theSpur-Fire.
Thisfire is the most beautiful and curious of any yet known, and was invented by the Chinese, but now is in greater perfection in England, than in China; and as it requires a great deal of trouble to make it to perfection, it will be necessary that young beginners should have full instructions in every particular; therefore care ought to be taken that all the ingredients be of the best sort, that the lamp-black is not damp and clodded, and that the saltpetre and brimstone are thoroughly refined. This composition is generally rammed in one or two ounce cases, about five or six inches long, but not drove very hard; and these cases must have their concave stroke struck very smooth, and the choak or vent not quite so large as the usual proportion; this charge, when drivenand kept a few months, will be much better than when just rammed, but will not spoil, if kept dry, in many years.
Now as the beauty of this composition cannot be seen at so great a distance as brilliant fire, it has a better effect in a room than in the open air, and may be fired in a chamber without any danger; for it is of so innocent a nature, that, though with an improper phrase, It may be called a cold fire; and so extraordinary is the fire produced from this composition, that, if well made, the sparks will not burn a handkerchief, when held in the midst of them; you may hold them in your hand while burning, with as much safety as a candle; and if you put your hand within a foot of the mouth of the case, you will feel the sparks like drops of rain. When any of these spur-fires are fired singly, they are called artificial flower pots; but some of them placed round a transparent pyramid of paper, and fired in a large room, make a very pretty appearance.
The Composition for theSpur-fire.
Saltpetre four pound eight ounces, sulphur two pound, and lamp-black one pound eight ounces.
Or, saltpetre one pound, sulphur half a pound, and lamp-black four quarts.
As the spur-fire composition is very difficult to mix, and the manner of doing it quite different from any other, I shall here treat of it separately; for example, the saltpetre and the brimstone must be first sifted together, and then put into a marble mortar, and the lamp-black with them, which you work down by degrees, with a wooden pestle, till all the ingredients appear of one colour, which will be something greyish, but very near black; then drive a little into a case for tryal, and fire it in a dark place; and if the sparks, which are called stars, or pinks, come out in clusters, and afterwards spread well without any other sparks, it is a sign of its being good, otherwise not; for if any drossy sparks appear, and the stars notfull, it is then not mixed enough; but if the pinks are very small, and soon break, it is a sign that you have rubbed it too much.
N. B. This mixture, when rubbed too much, will be too fierce, and hardly shew any stars at all; and, on the contrary, when not mixed enough, will be too weak, and throw forth an obscure smoke, and lumps of dross, without any stars. The reason of this charge being called the spur-fire, is because the sparks it yields have a great resemblance to the rowel of a spur, from whence it takes it’s name.
Characters, or significant Signs, for distinguishing the different Ingredients used in Fireworks.
The use of the above characters is, that by the help of them, the different receipts may be contracted to so small a compass, that they may all be contained in one leaf of a pocket book, which is much less than any table that has yet been invented. These signs are also very convenient for those who travel.
How to mealGun-powder,Brimstone, andCharcoal.
There have been many methods used to grind these ingredients to a powder for fireworks, such as large mortars and pestles, made of ebony, and other hard wood; likewise horizontal mills with brass barrels; but none of these methods has proved so effectual and speedy as the last invention, that of the mealing table, which is represented inPlate 1.Fig. 1. This table it made of elm, with a rim round it’s edge, four or five inches high; and at the narrow end, A, is a slider, which runs in a groove and forms part of the rim; so that when you have taken out of the table, as much powder as you conveniently can, with the copper shovelFig. 2.you may sweep all clean out at the slider A. When you are going to meal a quantity of powder, observe not to put too much in the table at once; but when you have put in a good proportion, take the mullerFig. 3.and rub it therewith till all the grains are broke, then fearce it, in a lawn sievethat has a receiver and top to it; and that which does not pass through the sieve, return again to the table and grind it more, till you have brought it all fine enough to go through the sieve. Brimstone and charcoal are ground in the same manner as gun-powder, only the muller must be made of ebony, for these ingredients being harder than powder, would stick in the grain of elm, and be very difficult to grind; and as the brimstone is apt to stick and clod to the table, it would be best to keep one for that purpose only, by which means you will always have your brimstone clean and well ground.
To prepareCast-Ironfor Gerbes, White Fountains, and Chinese Fire.
Cast-iron being of so hard a nature, as not to be cut by a file, we are obliged to make use of the following method to reduce it into grains, though somewhat difficult to perform; but if we consider what beautiful sparks this sort of iron yields, no pains should be spared to granulate such an essential material, to dowhich you must proceed thus: get at an iron foundry some thin pieces of iron, such as generally runs over the moulds, at the time of casting: then have a square block made of cast iron, and a square hammer of the same metal, about four pound weight; then, having covered the floor with cloth, or something to catch the beatings, lay the thin pieces of iron on the block, and beat them thereon with the hammer, till you have reduced them into small grains, which afterwards searce with a very fine sieve, in order to separate from them the fine dust, which is sometimes used in small cases of brilliant fire, instead of steel dust; and when you have got out all the dust, sift what remains with a sieve a little larger, and so on with sieves of different sizes, till the iron will pass through about the bigness of small bird shot: your iron being thus beat and sifted, put each sort into wooden boxes or oiled paper, to keep it from getting rust. When you use any of this iron, observe that you make a difference in its size, in proportion to the cases for which the charge is intended; for the coarse sortof it is only designed for very large gerbes, of six or eight pound weight.
Charges for Sky-Rockets,&c.
For Rockets of Four Ounces.
Mealed powder one pound four ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and charcoal two ounces.
For Rockets of Eight Ounces.
I.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre four ounces, brimstone three ounces, and charcoal one ounce and a half.
II.Meal powder one pound and a half, and charcoal four ounces and a quarter.
For Rockets of One Pound.
Meal powder two pound, saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, charcoal two ounces, and steel filings one ounce and a half.
For Sky Rockets in general.
I.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound, and charcoal one pound and a half.
II.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound and a half, charcoal one pound twelve ounces, and meal powder two ounces.
For large Sky Rockets.
Saltpetre four pound, meal powder one pound, and brimstone one pound.
The following Compositions may be used for Rockets of a middling size.
I.Saltpetre eight pound, sulphur three pound, meal powder three pound.
II.Saltpetre three pound, sulphur two pound, meal powder one pound, charcoal one pound.
Compositions for Rocket Stars.
For White Stars.
Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur vivum six ounces, oil of spike two ounces, and camphor five ounces.
For Blue Stars.
Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, sulphur two, spirits of wine two, and oil of spike two.
Coloured, or variegated Stars.
Meal powder eight drams, rochpetre four ounces, sulphur vivum two ounces, and camphor two ounces.
For Brilliant Stars.
Saltpetre three ounces and a half, sulphur an ounce and a half, and meal powder three quarters of an ounce. This composition must be worked up with spirits of wine only.
For Common Stars.
Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, antimony four ounces and three quarters, isinglass half an ounce, camphor half an ounce, and spirits of wine three quarters of an ounce.
For Tailed Stars.
Meal powder three ounces, brimstone two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, and charcoal (coarsely ground) three quarters of an ounce.
For Drove Stars.
I.Saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound, brass dust twelve ounces, and antimony three ounces.
II.Saltpetre one pound, antimony four ounces, and sulphur eight.
For fix’d Pointed Stars.
Saltpetre eight ounces and an half, sulphur two ounces, and antimony one ounce and ten drams.
Stars of a fine Colour.
Sulphur one ounce, meal powder one ounce, saltpetre one ounce, camphor four drams, oil of turpentine four drams.
Gold Rain for Sky Rockets.
I.Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, sulphur four ounces, brass dust one ounce, saw dust two and a quarter, and glass dust six drams.
II.Meal powder twelve ounces, saltpetre two ounces, and charcoal four.
III.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, glass dust one ounce, antimony three quarters of an ounce, brass dust a quarter of an ounce, and saw dust twelve drams.
Silver Rain.
I.Saltpetre four ounces, sulphur, meal powder, and antimony, of each two ounces, and half an ounce of sal prunellae.
II.Saltpetre half a pound, brimstone two ounces, and charcoal four.
III.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone a quarter of a pound, and antimony six ounces.
IV.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, powder two ounces, and steel dust three quarters of an ounce.
For Water Rockets.
I.Meal powder six pound, saltpetre four pound, brimstone three pound, and charcoal five pound.
II.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces and a half, and charcoal six ounces.
III.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal twelve ounces.
IV.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound eight ounces, and charcoal one pound twelve ounces.
V.Brimstone two pound, saltpetre four pound, and meal powder four pound.
VI.Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, brimstone eight ounces and a half, and charcoal two ounces.
VII.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, seacoal one ounce, charcoal eight ounces and a half, saw dust three quarters ofan ounce, steel dust half an ounce, and coarse charcoal a quarter of an ounce.
VIII.Meal powder one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound eight ounces, charcoal twelve ounces, saw dust two ounces.
A sinking Charge for Water Rockets.
Meal powder eight ounces, charcoal three quarters of an ounce.
For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound.
I.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre four ounces, and iron filings seven ounces.
II.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur four, and steel dust three ounces.
III.Meal powder four pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.
IV.Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, saw dust one ounce and a half, and sea coal three quarters of an ounce.
V.Meal powder one pound four ounces, brimstone four ounces ten drams, saltpetre eight ounces, glass dust two ounces and a half.
VI.Meal powder twelve ounces, charcoal one ounce, saw dust half an ounce.
VII.Saltpetre one pound nine ounces, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.
VIII.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and sea coal two ounces.
IX.Saltpetre two pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder four pound, and glass dust four ounces.
X.Meal powder one pound, saltpetre two ounces, and steel dust three ounces and a half.
XI.Meal powder two pound, and steel dust two ounces and a half, with two ounces and a half of the fine dust of beat iron.
XII.Saltpetre eleven pound thirteen ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal six ounces.
A slow Fire for Wheels.
I.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce and a half.
II.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, and antimony one ounce six drams.
III.Saltpetre four ounces and a half, brimstone one ounce, and mealed powder one ounce and a half.
A dead Fire for Wheels.
Saltpetre one ounce and a quarter, brimstone a quarter of an ounce, lapis-calaminaris a quarter of an ounce, and antimony two drams.
For standing or fixed Cases.
I.Meal powder four pound, saltpetre two pound, brimstone and charcoal one pound.
II.Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, and steel dust eight ounces.
III.Meal powder one pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces.
IV.Meal powder one pound, and steel dust four ounces.
V.Meal powder two pound and a half, brimstone four ounces, and seacoal six ounces.
VI.Meal powder three pound, charcoal five ounces, and saw dust one ounce and a half.
For Sun Cases.
I.Meal powder eight pound and a half, saltpetre one pound two ounces, steel dust two pound ten ounces and a half, and brimstone four ounces.
II.Meal powder three pound, saltpetre six ounces, and steel dust seven ounces and a half.
For a Brilliant Fire.
Meal powder twelve pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and steel dust one pound and a half.
For Gerbes.
Meal powder six pound, and beat iron two pound one ounce and a half.
Chinese Fire.
Saltpetre twelve ouces, meal powder two pound, brimstone one pound two ounces, and beat iron twelve ounces.
Charges for Tourbillons.
For four ounce Tourbillons.
Meal powder two pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.
For eight ounce Tourbillons.
Meal powder two pound, and charcoal four ounces and three quarters.
For large Tourbillons.
Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and beat iron eight ounces.
N. B. Tourbillons may be made very large, and of different colour’d fires, only you are to observe, that the larger they be, the weaker must be the charge; and, on the contrary, the smaller they be, the stronger must be their charge.
For Water Ballóóns.
I.Saltpetre four pound, brimstone two pound, meal powder two pound, antimony four ounces, saw dust four ounces, and glass dust one ounce and a quarter.
II.Saltpetre nine pound, brimstone three pound, meal powder six pound, rosin twelve ounces, and antimony eight ounces.
For Water Squibs.
I.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one pound.
II.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal nine ounces.
For Mine-ports or Serpents.
I.Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one ounce.
II.Meal powder nine ounces, and charcoal one ounce.
Port-fires for firing Rockets,&c.
I.Saltpetre twelve ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.
II.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.
III.Saltpetre one pound two ounces, meal powder one pound and a half, and brimstone ten ounces. This composion must be moistened with one gill of linseed oil.
IV.Meal powder six ounces, saltpetre two pound two ounces, and brimstone ten ounces.
V.Saltpetre one pound four ounces, meal powder four ounces, brimstone five ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.
VI.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder two ounces.
Port-fires for Illuminations.
Saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder six ounces.
For Cones or Spiral Wheels.
Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone six ounces, meal powder fourteen ounces, and glass dust fourteen ounces.
For Crowns or Globes.
Saltpetre six ounces, brimstone two pound, antimony four ounces, and camphor two ounces.
For Air Ballóón Fuzes.
I.Saltpetre one pound ten ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound six ounces.
II.Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound eight ounces.
Serpents for Pots des Brins.
Meal powder one pound eight ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, and charcoal two ounces.
For Fire Pumps.
I.Saltpetre five pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound and a half, and glass dust one pound.
II.Saltpetre five pound eight ounces, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound eight ounces, and glass dust one pound eight ounces.
For a Slow White Flame.
I.Saltpetre two pound, sulphur three pound, antimony one pound.
II.Saltpetre three pound and a half, sulphur two pound and a half, meal powder one pound, antimony half a pound, glass dust four ounces, brass dust one ounce.
N. B. These compositions, driven one inch and a quarter in a one ounce case, will burn one minute, which is muchlonger time than an equal quantity of any composition will last, that has yet been made public.
For Amber Lights.
Meal powder nine ounces, and amber three ounces. This charge may be drove in small cases, for illuminations.
For Lights of another Sort.
Saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound, antimony ten ounces and a half. All these ingredients must be mixed with the oil of spike.
For a Red Fire.
Meal powder three pound, charcoal twelve ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.
For a Common Fire.
Saltpetre three pound, charcoal ten ounces, and brimstone two ounces.
To make an Artificial Earthquake.
Mix the following ingredients to a paste with water, and then bury it in the ground, and in a few hours the earth will break and open in several places. The composition: Sulphur four pound, and steel dust four pound.
Having laid down, under the preceding heads, the different compositions used in fireworks by our modern artists; I shall, in the next place, give some tables of charges that were formerly used, according to the several accounts given by those authors from whom they are collected: but if the reader will consider, he will find the charges in these tables to be very uncertain, by comparing their method of determining the size and weight of rockets, and the proportions of ingredients thereto, with the method taught in this work, which is so plain, easy, and certain, that I have never yet known it fail; and doubt not, but that it will be so allowed by all who chuse to make a tryal thereof.
The subsequent table is taken from Siemienowicz, wherein is specified the different charges of sky rockets, from half an ounce to one hundred pound; the charges being calculated in proportion to the weight of a leaden ball of the same diameter as the bore of each mould; which bores are divided into inches and lines[1], and each line into twelve equal parts, according to the French method.
TAB. I.Weight of the ball.Diameter of the mould.powder.SaltpetreBrimstonecharcoal.lb.oz.in.1.ptslb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.½063}01500000210782097}012020½01½3011041015110}130120401½61110712781349131110145111501215513160141651617318080204020203}00600201503023740269}006408016050288602109}00350501008032610035400620902001203710}00320801601503114170415}006401201602004422704993004116}0030070180400551600633}003001002001000753
TAB. I.
TAB.II.The following table is taken from a late French author[2], whose method of regulating the charges is according to the interior diameter of the mould, which he divides into lines.Interior diameter of the mould.Weight of the rocket.Saltpetre.Brimstone.Charcoal.Lines.lb.oz.dr.ounces.ounces.ounces.6004}44416700680119015}40416100221103012037}38416130461406115074}3641616091170110180131}3441619015419¼100211712411513251630400}3061836690725580
TAB.II.
The following table is taken from a late French author[2], whose method of regulating the charges is according to the interior diameter of the mould, which he divides into lines.
TAB.III.A table of charges for sky-rockets in which the charges are adapted in proportion to the weight of composition contained in each rocket, after the method of Hanzelet.Weight of composition.Powder.Salt-petre.Brim-stone.Char-coal.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.01½0401or,1001½01½020401or,040½04}10040480or,03010010301003½0103½10100102or,140203½3011477½01160}310481007080}8018212100
TAB.III.
A table of charges for sky-rockets in which the charges are adapted in proportion to the weight of composition contained in each rocket, after the method of Hanzelet.
TAB.IV.A table collected from Henrion, whose method of adjusting the charges is the same as in the preceding table.Weight of composition.Powder.Salt-petre.Brim-stone.Char-coal.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.1}10022or,10100134½01014}40100½048180402or,1004013½01003½8⎫⎧02⎫⎬2500⎨steel dust⎬0610⎭⎩02⎭1217004|03½|0714⎫⎧03⎫⎬2809⎨steel dust⎬0315⎭⎩03⎭101000|01|032002012|01|0330⎫⎧14⎫⎬0080⎨steel dust⎬22100⎭⎩02⎭
TAB.IV.
A table collected from Henrion, whose method of adjusting the charges is the same as in the preceding table.
TAB.V.A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.Composition for a rocket of two pound.Composition for a rocket of one pound.Composition for a rocket of half a pound.Composition for a rocket of four ounces.Composition for a rocket of one ounce and a half.Corrected by M. F***, one pound.Corrected, eleven ounces.Corrected, seven ounces and a half.Corrected, six ounces five drams.Corrected, one ounce five drams.lb.oz.lb.oz.lb.oz.oz.oz.Pow.20101458 or 9Saltp.1012121⅕Brimst.521¼Charc.43½½ or 1Steel-d.22Height of the mould, nine inches and a half.Height of the mould, eight inches and a half.Height of the mould, seven inches and a half.Height of the mould seven inches.Height of the mould, four inches and a half.Diameter of the mould, one in. seven lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch five lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch three lines.Diameter of the mould, one inch two lines.Diameter of the mould, nine lines.French names for Sky Rockets.Double Marquise.Marquise.Grosse de partement.De partement.Fusie de Caisse.
TAB.V.
A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.
Remarks on the foregoing Tables.
In table the first, we find that the compositions for all rockets under one pound are made chiefly of gun-powder and charcoal, which method has been long proved erroneous in many respects: first, that rockets made with such charges will not keep long without spoiling; secondly, that they are very uncertain in performing their proper effect; thirdly, they will carry but a short tail, with a black and smoaky fire.
We also find those charges for rockets above one pound, that are composed of saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal, to be too strong; by which we should imagine that, at the time when they were used, the piercers did not bear the same proportion to the rockets, as those made use of by our present artists; for it is on the size of the cavity in the composition, that the effect of the rocket and proportion of the charge depends: which we shall endeavour to shew hereafter.
Table the second is given, by the author, as an improvement on the first; wherein he takes notice of the chargesbeing too many in number; he has therefore reduced them to seven only, which, according to his opinion, are sufficient for rockets of any size: he also observes, that the ingredients are expressed in unequal quantities; which he has likewise laid down in a more regular order. By the same author’s account, rockets were made in France, not many years since, with the compositions mentioned in his table. I shall not here pretend to say, that rockets were not made with the charges given in the above-mentioned table; yet can affirm, by practice and experience, that several of them will not agree with our present moulds.
As to the method prescribed in the third and fourth tables, it is difficult to determine whether we shall praise or condemn it, as they were wrote when the art of making fireworks was in it’s infancy; as may be seen by their strange method of determining the proportion of ingredients, and weight of rockets, by the quantity of composition contained in each case; which must have required a very nice calculation, for at that time, they had not fixed upon an exact length for rockets, but made themfrom six to nine diameters long: all which differ so much from our modern practice, that I never thought it worth the trouble of making a trial: but am of opinion, that very few of the charges will answer.
In table the fifth, the compositions are in proportion to the weight of the rocket, with it’s head and stick, all compleat; which head and stick together are equal to the weight of the rocket, according to the improvement made by M. F***, as may be seen by the second column from the top; he also has added the diameters to the moulds, in proportion to their height, allowing each six diameters, which supposing to be right, the rockets will be nearly reduced to half their weight given in the first column. On the charges in this table I have made no experiment, therefore cannot recommend them as proof.
Having already given a variety of charges for sky-rockets, in the preceding tables, which are collected from the principal authors on this subject, together with remarks on the same; I shall, in the next place, according to my promiseof not omitting any thing that may be of service to the reader, add some compositions for rocket-stars of several colours, as inserted by former authors.
Compositions for Stars of different Colours.
I.Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre two ounces, brimstone two ounces, steel dust one ounce and a half, and camphor, white amber, antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each half an ounce.
II.Rochepetre ten ounces, brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal powder, and camphor, of each three quarters of an ounce, moistened with oil of turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to a paste with aqua vitæ, in which has been dissolved some gum-tragacanth; and after you have roll’d them in powder, make a hole through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving about two inches from one to the other.
III.Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, yellow amber one ounce, antimony one ounce, and powder three ounces.
IV.Brimstone two ounces and a half, saltpetre six ounces, olibanum or frankincense in drops four ounces; mastick, and mercury-sublimate, of each four ounces; meal powder five ounces; white amber, yellow amber, and camphor, of each one ounce; antimony and orpiment half an ounce each.
V.Saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and meal powder eight ounces, moistened with potrolio-oil.
VI.Powder half a pound, brimstone and saltpetre, of each four ounces.
VII.Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce.
For Stars that carry Tails of sparks.
I.Brimstone six ounces, antimony crude two ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and rosin four ounces.
II.Saltpetre, rosin, and charcoal, of each two ounces; brimstone one ounce, and pitch one ounce.
These compositions are sometimes melted in an earthen pan, and mixed with chopped cotton match, before theyare rolled into stars, but will do as well if wetted, and worked up in the usual manner.
Another Sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks.
I.Camphor two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, meal powder one ounce.
II.Saltpetre one ounce, ditto melted half an ounce, and camphor two ounces. When you would make stars of either of these compositions, you must wet them with gum water, or spirit of wine, in which has been dissolved some gum-arabick, or gum-tragacanth, that the whole may have the consistence of a pretty thick liquid; having thus done, take one ounce of lint, and stir it about in the composition till it becomes dry enough to roll into stars.
For Stars of a yellowish Colour.
Take four ounces of gum-tragacanth or gum-arabick, pounded and sifted thro’ a fine sieve, camphor dissolved in brandy two ounces, saltpetre one pound, sulphurhalf a pound, coarse powder of glass four ounces, white amber one ounce and a half, and orpiment two ounces. All these ingredients being well incorporated, make them into stars after the common method.
Stars of another Sort.
Take a pound of camphor and melt it in a pint of spirit of wine over a slow fire; then add to it a pound of gum-arabick that has been dissolved; with this liquor, mix one pound of saltpetre, six ounces of sulphur, and five ounces of meal powder; and after you have stirred them well together, roll them into stars proportionable to the rockets for which you intend them.
Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions.
As variety of fires adds greatly to a collection of works, it is necessary that every artist should know the different effect of each ingredient; for which reason, I shall here explain the coloursthey produce of themselves; and likewise how to make them retain the same when mixed with other bodies: as for example, sulphur gives a blue, camphor a white or pale colour, saltpetre a clear white, yellow amber a colour inclining to yellow, sal-armoniac a green, antimony a reddish, rosin a copper colour, and greek-pitch a kind of bronze or between red and yellow. All these ingredients are such as shew themselves in a flame, viz.
For a white Flame.
Saltpetre, sulphur, meal powder, and camphor, the saltpetre must be the chief part.
For a blue Flame.
Meal powder, saltpetre, and sulphur vivum, the sulphur must be the chief part: or, meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, spirit of wine, and oil of spike; but let the powder be the principal part.
For a Flame inclining to Red.
Saltpetre, sulphur, antimony, and greek-pitch, the saltpetre the chief part.
By the above method may be made various colours of fire, as the practitioner pleases; for, by making a few trials, he may cause any ingredient to be predominant in colour.
Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when rammed in choaked Cases.
The set colours of fire produced by sparks are divided into four sorts, viz. the black, white, grey, and red; the black charges are composed of two ingredients, which are meal powder and charcoal; the white of three, viz. saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal; the grey of four, viz. meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal; and the red of three, viz. meal powder, charcoal, and saw dust.
There are, besides these four regular or set charges, two others, which are distinguishedby the names of compound and brilliant charges; the compound charge being made of many ingredients, such as meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, charcoal, saw dust, seacoal, antimony, glass dust, brass dust, steel filings, cast iron, tanner’s dust,&c.or any thing that will yield sparks; all which must be managed with discretion. The brilliant fires are composed of meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and steel dust; or with meal powder and steel filings only.
How to make Cotton Quick-match.
Quick-match is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from one to six threads thick, according to the pipes it is designed for, which pipe must be large enough for the match, when made, to be pushed in easily without breaking it. Having doubled the cotton into as many threads as you think proper, coil it very lightly into a flat-bottomed copper or earthen pan; then put in the saltpetre and the liquor, and boil them together about twenty minutes; after which, coil it again into another pan, as is shewn inFig. 4.andpour on it what liquor remains; then put in some meal powder, and press it down with your hands, till it is quite wet; afterwards place the pan before the wooden frame,Fig. 5, which must be suspended by a point in the center of each end; and place yourself before the pan, tying the upper end of the cotton to the end of one of the sides of the frame.
When every thing is thus got ready, you must have one to turn the frame round, while you let the cotton pass through your hands, holding it very lightly, and at the same time keeping your hands full of the wet powder; but if the powder should be too wet to stick to the cotton, put more in the pan, so as to keep a continual supply till the match is all wound up; you may wind it as close on the frame as you please, so that it does not stick together; when the frame is full, take it off the points, and sift dry meal powder on both sides the match, till it appears quite dry: in winter the match will be a fortnight before it is fit for use; when it is thoroughly dry, cut it along the outside of one of the sidesof the frame, and tie it up in skains for use.
N. B. The match must be wound tight on the frames.
Ingredients for the Match.
Cotton one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre one pound, spirit of wine two quarts, water three quarts, isinglass three gills, and meal powder ten pound. To dissolve four ounces of isinglass, take three pints of water.