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.

by Unknown

There is another method of placing the small case, which is by letting the stick rise a little above the top of the rocket, and tying the case to it, so as to rest on the rocket: these rockets have no cones.

A third method by which they are managed is this: in the top of a rocket fix a piece of wood, in which drive a small iron spindle; then make a hole in the middle of the small case, through which is put the spindle; then fix on the top of it a nut, to keep the case from falling off; when this is done, the case will turn very fast, without the rocket: but this method does not answer so well as either of the former.

To make a Rocket form an Arch in rising.—Having some rockets made, headed according to fancy, and tied on their sticks, get some sheet tin, and cut it into round pieces about three or four inches diameter; then on the stick of each rocket, under the mouth of the case, fix one of these pieces of tin 16 inches from the rocket's neck, and support it by a wooden bracket, as strong as possible: the use of this is, that when the rocket is ascending, the fire may play with greater force on the tin, which will divide the tail in such a manner that it will form an arch as it mounts, and will have a very good effect when well managed; if there is a short piece of port fire, of a strong charge, tied to the end of the stick, it will make a great addition; but this must be lighted before the rocket is fired.

To make several Rockets rise together.—Take six, or any number of sky-rockets, of any size; then cut some strong packthread into pieces of three or four yards long, and tie each end of these pieces to a rocket in this manner:

Having tied one end of the packthread round the body of one rocket, and the other end to another, take a second piece of packthread, and make one end of it fast to one of the rockets already tied, and the other end to a third rocket, so that all the rockets, except the two on the outside, will be fastened to the two pieces of packthread: the length of thread from one rocket to the other may be what the maker pleases; but the rockets must be all of a size, and their heads filled with the same weight of stars, rains, &c.

Having thus done, fix in the mouth of each rocket a leader of the same length; and when about to fire them, hang them almost close; then tie the ends of the leaders together, and prime them; this prime being fired, all the rockets will mount at the same time, and divide as far as the strings will allow; and this division they keep, provided they are all rammed alike, and well made. They are sometimes called chained rockets.

To fix several Rockets to the same Stick.—Two, three, or six sky-rockets, fixed on one stick, and fired together, make a grand and beautiful appearance; for the tails of all will seem but as one of an immense size, and the breaking of so many heads at once will resemble the bursting of an air-balloon. The management of this device requires a skilful hand; but if the following instructions be well observed, even by those who have not made a great progress in this art, there will be no doubt of the rockets having the desired effect.

Rockets for this purpose must be made with the greatest exactness, all rammed by the same hand, in the same mould, and filled with the same proportion of composition: and after they are filled and headed, must all be of the same weight. The stick must also be well made (and proportioned) to the following directions; first, supposing the rockets to be half-pounders, whose sticks are six feet six inches long, then if two, three, or six of these are to be fixed on one stick, let the length of it be nine feet nine inches; then cut the top of it into as many sides as there are rockets, and let the length of each side be equal to the length of one of the rockets without its head; and in each side cut a groove (as usual;) then from the grooves plane it round, down to the bottom, where its thickness must be equal to half the top of the round part. As their thickness cannot be exactly ascertained, we shall give a rule, which generally answers for any number of rockets above two; the rule is this: that the stick at top must be thick enough, when the grooves are cut, for all the rockets to lie, without pressing each other, though as near as possible.

When only two rockets are to be fixed on one stick, let the length of the stick be the last given proportion, but shaped after the common method, and the breadth and thickness double the usual dimensions. The point of poise must be in the usual place (let the number of rockets be what it will;) if sticks made by the above directions should be too heavy, plane them thinner; and if too light, make them thicker; but always make them of the same length.

When more than two rockets are tied on one stick, there will be some danger of their flying up without the stick, unless the following precaution is taken: For cases being placed on all sides, there can be no notches for the cord which ties on the rockets to lie in: therefore, instead of notches, drive a small nail in each side of the stick, between the necks of the cases, and let the cord, which goes round their necks, be brought close under the nails; by this means the rockets will be as secure as when tied on singly. The rockets being thus fixed, carry a quick-match, without a pipe, from the mouth of one rocket to the other; this match being lighted will give fire to all at once.