Part 9

The fire ship, may be of any size, and need not be very good, for it is always lost in the action. To prepare a ship for this purpose, make a port fire equal in size, with them in the other ships, and place it at the stern; in every port, place a large port fire, filled with a very strong composition, and painted in imitation of a gun, and let them all be fired at once by a leader from the slow fire, within two, or three diameters of its bottom; all along both sides, on the top of the upper deck, lay star composition about half an inch in thickness, and one in breadth, which must be wetted with thin size, then primed with meal powder, and secured from fire, by pasting paper over it; in the place where you lay this composition, drive some little tacks with flat heads, in order to hold it fast to the deck, this must be fired just after the sham guns, and when burning will shew a flame all round the ship; at the head take up the decks, and put in a tin mortar loaded with crackers, which mortar must be fired by a pipe, from the end of the slow fire; the firing of this mortar will sink the ship, and make a pretty conclusion. The regulating port fire of this ship, must be lighted at the same time, with the first fighting ship.

Having prepared all the ships for fighting; we shall next proceed with the management of them, when on the water. At one end of the pond, just under the surface of the water, fix two running blocks, at what distance you chuse the ships should fight; and at the other end of the pond, opposite to each of these blocks, under the water, fix a double block; then on the land, by each of the double blocks, place two small windlass’s; round one of them, turn one end of a small cord, and the other end, put through one of the blocks; then carry it through the single one, at the opposite end of the pond, and bring it back through the double block, again, and, round the other windlass; to this cord, near the double block, tie as many small strings, as half the number of the ships, at what distance you think proper, but these strings, must not be more than two feet in length each; the loose end of each of these cords, make fast, to a ship, just under her bow-sprit; but if tied to the keel, or too near the water, it will overset the ship. Half the ships, being thus prepared, near the other double block, fix two more windlass’s, to which fasten a cord, and to it tie the other half of the ships, as before directed: when you fire the ships, pull in the cord, with one of the windlass’s, in order to get all the ships together; and when you have set fire to the first, turn that windlass, which draws them out, and so on with the rest, till they are all out, in the middle of the pond; then by turning the other windlass, you will draw them back again, by which method you may make them change sides, and tack about, backwards and forwards, at pleasure. For the fire-ship, fix the blocks and windlass’s, betwixt the others, so that when she sails out, she will be between the other ships: you must not let this ship, advance, till the guns, at her ports take fire.

To fire Sky Rockets under water.

To fire sky rockets, under water, you must have stands made as usual, only the rails must be placed flat, instead of edge ways, and have holes in them for the rocket sticks to go through; for if they were hung upon hooks, the motion of the water, would throw them off; the stands being made, if the pond is deep enough, sink them at the sides, so deep, that when the rockets are in, their heads, may just appear above the surface of the water; to the mouth of each rocket, fix a leader, which put through the hole with the stick; then a little above the water, must be a board, supported by the stand, and placed along one side of the rockets, then the ends of the leaders, are turned up through holes made in this board, exactly opposite the rockets. By this means, you may fire them singly, or all at once. Rockets may be fired by this method, in the middle of a pond, by a Neptune, a swan, a water wheel, or any thing else you chuse.

To represent Neptune in his Chariot.

In order to represent this, to perfection, you must have a Neptune made (of wood, or basket work), as big as life, fixed on a float, large enough to bear his weight; on which must be two horses heads, and necks, so as to seem swiming, as they are shown by Fig. 35. For the wheels of the chariot, there must be two vertical wheels, of black fire, and on Neptune’s head a horizontal wheel, of brilliant fire, with all its cases to play upwards. When this wheel is made, cover it with paper, or, paste board, cut and painted like Neptune’s coronet; then let the trident be made without prongs, but instead of them, fix three cases of a weak grey charge, and on each horse’s head, put an eight ounce case of brilliant fire, and on the mouth of each, fix a short case of the same diameter, filled with the white flame receipt, enough to last out all the cases on the wheels; these short cases must be open at bottom, that they may light the brilliant fires; for the horses eyes, put small port fires, and in each nostril, put a small case filled half with grey charge, and the rest with port fire composition.

If Neptune is to give fire, to any building on the water; at his first setting out, the wheels of the chariot, and that on his head, together with the white flames on the horses head, and the port fires in their eyes and nostrils, must all be lighted at once; then from the bottom of the white flames, carry a leader, to the trident. As Neptune is to advance by the help of a block and cord, you must manage it so as not to let him turn about, till the brilliant fires on the horses, and the trident, begins, for it is by the fire from the horses, (which plays almost upright) that the building, or work, is lighted; which must be thus prepared. From the mouth of the case, which is to be first fired, hang some loose quick match, to receive the fire from the horses. When Neptune, is only to be shewn by himself, without setting fire to any other works; let the white flames on the horses, be very short, and not to last longer than one case of each wheel, and let two cases of each wheel burn at a time.

To represent Swans and Ducks in the water.

If you would have the swans, or ducks, discharge rockets into the water, they must be made hollow, and of paper, and filled with small water rockets, with some blowing powder, to throw them out; but if this is not done, they may be made of wood, which will last many times. Having made and painted some swans, fix them on floats, then in the places where their eyes should be, bore holes, two inches deep, inclining downwards, and wide enough to receive a small port fire; the port fire cases for this purpose, must be made of brass, two inches in length and filled with a slow bright charge; in the middle of one of these cases, make a little hole, then put the port fire, in the eye hole of the swan, leaving about half an inch to project out, and in the other eye put another port fire, with a hole made in it; then in the neck of the swan, within two inches of one of the eyes, bore a hole slantways, to meet that in the port fire; in this hole put a leader, and carry it to a water rocket, that must be fixed under the tail with its mouth upwards; on the top of the head, place two one ounce cases, four inches in length each, drove with brilliant fire; one of these cases must incline forwards, and the other backwards; these must be lighted at the same time as the water rocket; to do which, bore a hole between them, in the top of the swans head, down to the hole in the port fire, to which carry a leader; if the swan be filled with rockets, they must be fired, by a pipe, from the end of the water rocket under the tail. When you set the swan a swiming light the two eyes.

Of fire Fountains for the Water.

To make a fire fountain, you must first have a float made of wood, three feet diameter, then in the middle of it, fix a round perpendicular post, four feet in height, and two inches diameter; round this post, fix three circular wheels, made of thin wood, without any spokes. The largest of these wheels must be placed, within two, or three inches of the float, and must be nearly of the same diameter. The second wheel must be two foot two inches diameter, and fixed at two feet distance from the first wheel. The third wheel must be one foot four inches diameter, and fixed within six inches of the top of the post: the wheels being fixed, take eighteen four, or eight ounce cases, of brilliant fire, and place them round the first wheel, with their mouths outwards, and inclining downwards; on the second wheel place, thirteen cases of the same sort, and in the same manner, as those on the first wheel; on the third wheel, place eight more of this sort of cases, in the same manner as before, and on the top of the post, fix a gerbe, then cloath all the cases, with leaders, so that both they and the gerbe may take fire at the same time. Before you fire this work, try it in the water, to see if the float be properly made, so as to keep the fountain upright.

SECT. VI.

To make Crackers.

Cut some cartridge paper, into pieces, three inches and a half broad, and one foot long; one edge of each of these pieces, fold down lengthwise about three quarters of an inch broad; then fold the double edge down a quarter of an inch, and turn the single edge back half over the double fold; then open it, and lay all along the channel which is formed, by the folding of the paper, some meal powder, then fold it over and over, till all the paper is doubled up, rubbing it down every turn; this being done, bend it backwards and forwards, two inches and a half, or thereabouts, at a time, as often as the paper will allow; then hold all these folds flat and close, and with a small pinching cord, give one turn round the middle of the cracker, and pinch it close, then bind it with pack-thread, as tight as you can then in the place where it was pinched, prime one end of it, and cap it with touch paper. When these crackers are fired they will give a report, at every turn of the paper: if you would have a great number of bounces, you must cut the paper longer, or join them after they are made; but if they are made very long before they are pinched, you must have a piece of wood, with a groove in it, deep enough to let in half the cracker, this will hold it straight, while it is pinching. Fig. 36. represents a cracker compleat.

Of Single Reports.

Cases for reports are generally rolled on one and two ounce formers, and are seldom made larger, but on particular occasions; they are made from two, to four inches long, and very thick of paper; having rolled a case, pinch one end quite close, and drive it down, then fill the case with corn powder, only leaving room to pinch it at top, but before you pinch it, put in a piece of paper at top of the powder: Reports are fired, by a vent, bored in the middle, or at one end, just as required.

Of Marrons.

Formers for marrons, are from three quarters of an inch, to one and a half diameter; cut the paper for the cases, twice the diameter of the former broad, and long enough to go three times round; when you have rolled a case, paste down the edge, and tie one end close, then with the former drive it down to take away the wrinkles and make it flat at bottom, then fill the case with corn powder one diameter and a quarter high, and fold down the rest of the case tight on the powder; the marron being thus made, wax some strong pack-thread, with shoemakers wax; this thread wind up in a ball, then unwind two, or three yards of it, and that part which is near the ball, make fast to a hook; then take a marron, and stand as far from the hook as the pack-thread will reach, and wind it lengthwise round marron, as close as you can, till it will hold no more that way; then turn it, and wind the pack-thread on the short way, then lengthwise again, and so on till the paper is all covered; then make fast the end of the pack-thread, and beat down both ends of the marron, to bring it in shape. The method of firing marrons, is by making a hole at one end with an awl and putting in a piece of quick-match, then take a piece of strong paper, in which wrap up the marron, with two leaders, which must be put down to the vent, and the paper tied tight round them with small twine; these leaders are bent on each side, and their loose ends tied to other marrons, and are nailed in the middle to the rail of the stand, as may be seen by Fig. 37. The use of winding the pack-thread in a ball, is, that you may let it out as you want it, according to the quantity, the marron may require; and that it may not be tied in knots, which would spoil the marron.

Of Marron Batteries.

Those batteries, if well managed, will keep time to a march, or a slow piece of musick. Marron batteries are made of several stands, with a number of cross rails, for the marrons, which are regulated by leaders, by cutting them of different lengths, and nailing them tight, or loose, according to the time of the musick. In marron batteries you must use the large and small sort of marrons, and the nails for the pipes, must have flat heads.

Of Line Rockets.

Line rockets are made and drove in the same manner as sky rockets, but have no heads, and the cases must be cut close to the clay; they are sometmies made with six, or seven changes, but in general not more than four, or five; the method of managing those rockets, is as follows; first have a piece of light wood, the length of one of the rockets, turned round about two inches and a half diameter, with a hole through the middle lengthwise, large enough for the line to go easily through; if you design four changes, have four grooves cut in the swivel, one opposite the other, to lay the rockets in.

The mouths of the rockets being rubbed with wet meal powder, lay them in the grooves, head to tail, and tie them fast; from the tail of the first rocket, carry a leader to the mouth of the second, and from the second to the third, and so on to as many as there are on the swivel, making every leader very secure, but in fixing these pipes take care, that the quick-match does not enter the bores of the rockets; the rockets being fixed on the swivel, and ready to be fired, have a line of a hundred yards in length, stretched and fixed up tight, at any height from the ground, but be sure to place it horizontal; this length of line will do for rockets of half a pound, but if larger, the line must be longer, before you put up the line, put one end of it through the swivel, and when you fire the line rocket, let the mouth of that rocket which you fire first, face that end of the line where you stand, then the first rocket will carry the rest to the other end of the line, and the second will bring them back again, and so they will run out and in according to the number of rockets: at each end of the line, there must be a piece of flat wood, for the rocket to strike against, or its force would cut the line. Let the line be well soaped, and the hole in the swivel very smooth.

Of the different Decorations for Line Rockets.

To line rockets may be fixed many sorts of things, such as flying dragons, mercuries, ships, &c. Or they may be made to run on the line like a wheel, which is done in this manner; have a flat swivel, made very exact, and on it, tie two rockets obliquely, one on each side, which will make it turn round all the way it goes, and form a circle of fire; the charge for these rockets, should be a little weaker than common; if you would shew two dragons fighting, get two swivels made square, and on each tie three rockets together, on the under side; then have two flying dragons made of tin, and fix one of them on the top of each swivel, so as to stand upright; in the mouth of each dragon put a small case of common fire, and another at the end of the tail; you may put two or three port fires of a strong charge, on one side of their bodies, in order to shew them. This being done put them on the line, one at each end; but let there be a swivel in the middle, of the line, to keep the dragons from striking together; before you fire the rockets light the cases on the dragons, and if care be taken in firing both at the same time, they will meet in the middle of the line, and seem to fight. Then they will run back, and return again, with great violence, which will have a very pleasing effect. The line for these rockets must be very long, or they will strike too hard together.

Of Chinese Flyers.

Cases for flyers, may be made of different sizes, from one to eight ounces; they must be made thick of paper, and eight interior diameters long; they are rolled in the same manner as tourbillons, with a straight pasted edge, and pinched close at one end; the method of filling them is thus; the case being put in a mould, whose cylinder, or foot, must be flat at top, without a nipple; fill it within half a diameter of the middle, then ram in half a diameter of clay, and on that as much composition as before, on which drive half a diameter of clay, then pinch the case close, and drive it down flat; after this is done, bore a hole, exactly through the center of the clay in the middle, then in the opposite sides at both ends make a vent, and in that side you intend to fire first make a small hole to the composition near the clay in the middle, from which carry a quick match covered with a single paper, to the vent at the other end; then when the charge is burnt on one side, it will, by means of the quick match communicate to the charge in the other, (which may be of a different sort). The flyers being thus made, put an iron pin, that must be fixed in the work on which they are to be fired, and on which they are to run; through the hole in the middle, on the end of this pin, must be a nut to keep the flyer from running off. If you would have them turn back again after they are burnt; make both the vents at the ends on the same side, which will alter its course, the contrary way.

Of Table Rockets.

Table rockets are designed merely to shew the truth of driving, and the judgment of a fireworker, they having no other effect, when fired, than spinning round in the same place, where they begin; till they are burnt out, and shewing nothing more than an horizontal circle of fire.

The method of making these sort of rockets, is as follows: Have a cone turned out of hard wood, two inches and a half diameter, and as much in height; round the base of it draw a line, on this line fix four spokes, two inches in length each, so as to stand one opposite the other; then fill four nine inch one pound cases, with any strong composition, within two inches of the top, these cases are made like tourbillons, and must be rammed with the greatest exactness.

Your rockets being filled, fix their open ends on the short spokes, then in the side of each case bore a hole near the clay; all these holes, or vents, must be made in such a manner, that the fire of each case may act the same way; from these vents carry leaders to the top of the cone, and tie them together. When you would fire the rockets set them on a smooth table, and light the leaders in the middle, and all the cases will fire together (See fig. 38.) and spin on the point of the cone.

These rockets may be made to rise like tourbillons, by making the cases shorter, and boring four holes in the under side of each at equal distances from one another: this being done they are called double tourbillons.

Note, all the vents in the under side of the cases must be lighted at once; and the sharp point of the cone cut off, at which place make it spherical.

To make Wheels and other Works incombustible.

It being necessary, when your works are new, to paint them of some dark colour; therefore, if instead of which, you make use of the following composition, it will give them a good colour, and in a great measure prevent their taking fire so soon, as if painted. Take brick-dust, coal ashes, and iron filings, of each an equal quantity, and mix them together, with a double size, made hot. With this wash over your works, and when dry wash them over again; this will preserve the wood greatly against fire. Let the brick-dust, and ashes, be beat to a fine powder.

Of Single Vertical Wheels.

There are different sorts of vertical wheels, some having their fells of a circular form, others of an hexagon, octagon, or decagon form, or any number of sides, according to the length of the cases, you design for the wheel: your spokes being fixed in the nave, nail slips of tin, with their edges turned up, so as to form grooves for the cases to ly in, from the end of one spoke to another; then tie your cases in the grooves, head to tail, in the same manner as those on the horizontal water wheel, so that the cases successively taking fire from one another, will keep the wheel in an equal rotation. Two of these wheels are very often fired together, one on each side of a building, and both lighted at the same time, and all the cases filled alike, to make them keep time together, which they will do if made by the following directions. In all the cases of both wheels, except the first, on each wheel, drive two, or three ladles full of slow fire, in any part of the cases, but be carefull to ram the same quantity in each case, and in the end of one of the cases, on each wheel, you may ram one ladle full of dead fire composition, which must be very lightly drove; you may also make many changes of fire, by this method.

Let the hole in the nave of the wheel be lined with brass, and made to turn on a smooth iron spindle. On the end of this spindle let there be a nut, to screw off and on; when you have put the wheel on the spindle, screw on the nut, which will keep the wheel from flying off. Let the mouth of the first case be a little raised. See fig. 39. Vertical wheels are made from ten inches to three feet diameter, and the size of the cases must differ accordingly; four ounce cases, will do for wheels, of fourteen, or sixteen inches diameter, which is the proportion generally used. The best wood for wheels of all sorts, is a light, and dry beech.

Of Horizontal Wheels.

Horizontal wheels are best when their fells are made circular; in the middle of the top of the nave, must be a pintle, turned out of the same piece as the nave, two inches long, and equal in diameter to the bore of one of the cases of the wheel; there must be a hole bored up the center of the nave, within half an inch of the top of the pintle; the wheel being made, nail at the end of each spoke (of which there should be six or eight) a piece of wood, with a groove cut in it to receive the case. These pieces fix in such a manner, that half the cases may incline upwards, and half downwards, and that when they are tied on, their heads and tails may come very near together; from the tail of one case, to the mouth of the other carry a leader, which secure with pasted paper. Besides these pipes, it will be necessary, to put a little meal powder inside the pasted paper, in order to blow off the pipe, that there may be no obstruction to the fire, from the cases. By means of these pipes, the cases, will successively take, burning one upwards, and the other downwards. On the pintle, fix a case of the same sort as those on the wheel; this case must be fired by a leader, from the mouth of the last case on the wheel, which case must play downwards: instead of a common case in the middle, you may put a case of Chinese fire, long enough, to burn as long as two or three of the cases on the wheel.