The fanaux de mer, or sea lights, are so called, from the particular application of this fire.
It is sometimes required at sea to throw light upon the water, and around the vessel, in order to perceive the approach of an enemy. This is effected by the composition for sea lights.
A tube must be formed of not less than three inches in diameter, and eleven inches in length. A shield is then adapted, of four times the exterior diameter of the tube or case, which shield is to be made of wood, and attached at about the distance of one-fourth of the length of the tube, and near the end of the orifice.
The case or tube is then charged with the following composition:
Composition for Sea Lights.
| Saltpetre, | 16 | parts. |
| Sulphur, | 8 | —— |
| Meal-powder, | 3 | —— |
| Antimony, | 3 | —— |
The tube, which may be made of iron, pasteboard, or wood, by boring it out, after being charged, is primed in the usual manner, inserting in the end, at the same time, a piece of quick-match. When dried, it is wrapped in paper for better preservation.
Sec. XXIV. Of Signal and War-Rockets.
Rockets, we have said, are cylindrical cases, formed generally of pasteboard, and filled with a peculiar composition, made of meal-powder, saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal; or without powder, and sometimes with the addition of pulverized cast iron. In some, as the Congreve rocket, iron cases are substituted for those of paper. The outer diameter is usually from one and a half to two inches, the length of the charge five diameters, and the interior diameter two-thirds as much as the exterior. The tools necessary are, a rod or former of wood, to mould the case upon; an artificer's tool to roll the paper close; a conical spit or piercer, by means of which the rocket when loaded has a hollow through the middle, which piercer should be four and two-thirds times as long as the outer diameter of the rocket, one-third of this diameter at the base, and one-sixth at the small end; three rods for loading, having a conical aperture to receive the piercer, and one massive; and a ladle or measure, whose diameter is equal to that of the inside of the rocket, and its length three times as much. The construction of the cartouch case, or paper cylinder, consists in using pasteboard of three or more thicknesses, which is rolled on the former, until the case becomes sufficiently thick. The choaking of the cylinder is performed by means of a cord, of three lines in diameter, one end of which is firmly fixed into a wall, and the other tied to a stick, against which the artificer who bestrides the cord rests. The rocket is loaded or charged, by introducing at a time, a ladle full of composition, first fixing the case over the piercer, and using the appropriate rammer and mallet, in the manner stated, &c.[35]
Signal rockets are sometimes trimmed with serpents, stars, and petards. The serpents are made of cases in the manner already mentioned; viz. by rolling playing cards in the direction of their length, upon a former, three lines in diameter, and covered with three coats of paper, the last of which is pasted. The cases are choaked at one end, and in the niche is placed a strand of tow, and a priming of meal-powder, moistened with brandy. They are loaded, by means of a rod, three-fourths full of the composition, and again choaked at half their height. The remainder is filled up with powder, to make a report. If a serpent with stars is to be made, only half the case is filled with the serpent-composition, and the rest with that for stars. Serpents are placed upright in the pot, the priming down.