Artificial fire-works

by Robert Jones

Ballóón wheels are made to turn horizontally, they must be made two feet diameter, without any spokes, and very strong, with any number of sides. On the top of a wheel range and fix tin pots, three inches diameter and seven inches in height each, as many of these as there are cases on the wheel; near the bottom of each pot, make a small vent, into each of these vents carry a leader from the tail of each case; some of the pots load with stars, and some with serpents, crackers, &c. As the wheels turn, the pots will successively be fired, and throw into the air a great variety of fires.

Of Fruiloni Wheels.

First have a nave made nine inches in length, and three in diameter, near the bottom of this nave fix eight spokes, with a hole in the end of each large enough to receive a two, or four ounce case. Each of these spokes may be fourteen inches in length from the block; near the top of this block, fix eight more, of the same sort of spokes, exactly over the others, but not so long by two inches; as this wheel is to run horizontally, all the cases in the spokes, at top, must play obliquely upwards, and all them in the spokes at bottom obliquely downwards. This being done, have a small horizontal wheel made with eight spokes, each five inches in length from the block; on the top of this wheel, place a case of brilliant fire; all the cases on this wheel must play in an oblique direction downwards, and burn two at a time, and those on the large wheel, four at a time, that is, two of those in the top set of spokes, and two of them in the bottom set of spokes.

The four first cases on the large wheel, and the two first on the small wheel, must be fired at the same time, and the brilliant fire at top, at the beginning of the last cases. The cases of the wheels may be filled with a grey charge; when these wheels are compleated, you must have a strong iron spindle, made four feet six in length, and fixed perpendicular on the top of a stand; on this put the large wheel, whose nave must have a hole quite through from the bottom to the top. This hole must be large enough to turn easy round the bottom of the spindle, at which place there must be a shoulder, to keep the wheel from touching the stand; at the top of the spindle, put the small wheel, and join it to a large one with a leader, in order to fire them both together.

Of Port fires for Illuminations.

These sort of port fires, have their cases made very thin of paper, and rolled on formers, from two to five eighths of an inch diameter, and are made from two, to six inches in length; they are pinched close at one end, and left open at the other; when you fill them, put in but a little composition at a time, and ram it in lightly, so as not to break the case. Three or four rounds of paper, with the last round pasted, will be strong enough for these sort of cases.

Of Common port fires.

Common port fires are intended purposely to fire the works, their fire being very slow, and the heat of the flame so intense, that, if applyed to rockets, leaders, &c., it will fire them immediately. Port fires may be made of any length, but are seldom made more than twenty one inches in length; the interior diameter of port fire moulds, should be ten sixteenths of an inch, and the diameter of the former, half an inch. The cases must be rolled wet with paste, and one end of them pinched, or folded down. The moulds should be made of brass, and to take in two pieces lengthwise; then when the case is in the two sides, they are held together by brass rings, or hoops, which are made to fit over the outside. The bore of the mould must not be made quite through, so that there will be no occasion for a foot. Those port fires when used, are held in copper sockets, fixed on the end of a long stick; these sockets are made like port crayons, only with a screw, instead of a ring.

Of Cascades of Fire.

Cascades are made of any size, but one made according to the dimensions of that shewn in [plate 4.] fig. 43. will be large enough for eight ounce cases. Let the distance from A to B, be three feet; from B to C, two feet six inches; and from C D, two feet; and let the cross piece, at A, be four feet in length; then from each end of this piece, draw a line to D; then make the other cross pieces of such a length as to come within those lines. The top piece D, may be of any length so as to hold the cases, at a little distance from one another, all the cross pieces are fixed horizontally, and supported by brackets; the bottom cross piece should be about one foot six inches broad in the middle, the second one foot, the third nine inches, and the top piece four inches; the cases may be made of any length, but must be filled with a brilliant charge; on the edges of the cross pieces must be nailed bits of wood, with a groove cut in each piece, large enough, for a case to lie in, These bits of wood are fixed so as to incline downwards, and that the fire from one teer of cases may play over the other; all the cases being tied fast on, carry leaders from one to the other, and let there be a pipe, hang from the mouth of one of the cases, covered at the end with a single paper, which you burn to fire the cascade.