CHAPTER III

SIMPLE FIREWORKS—MINE CLASS

The next group of fireworks is what may be called the “Mine” class, and has some of its members amongst the earliest firework units.

To-day a mine consists of a quantity of small effects such as stars, crackers, squibs, etc., blown simultaneously from a case, or in display work—from a mortar. In the latter event they are made up into bags with the lifting charge below, and are known technically as “bags.”

The “Mine of Serpents” and “Jack-in-the-Box” as sold in the shops consist of a rolled paper case which acts as the mortar, at the bottom of which is a lifting charge. This case has a light strawboard cover with a central hole, through which passes a case charged with a golden fountain composition, the lower end of which is not—as is generally the case—“clayed.” The space round the central case is filled in with squibs or crackers. When lighted the fountain case functions in the usual way, but when finished ignites the lifting charge, which lights and blows up the contained fireworks.

A very early reference to the “Jack-in-the-Box” is by John Babington (1635). In Chapter XXXVII he says: “Another which I call Jack in a Box. The order of making this is after this manner: provide a box of plate, of what largeness you please—then putting in a quantity of corn powder or powder dust (in the bottom of the box) you shall fill it with fisgigs or serpents, leaving a case in the middle for a cane to go through to the bottom, which cane must be filled with a slow receipt, in which you shall put a quantity of champhire but no oyles, in regard of the narrow passage it has to burn without any other vent.” He then describes fitting the pasteboard top and concludes: “and light your cane, which will appear like a candle, and after a pretty distance of time you shall heare a sudden noyse and see all those fisgigs flying some one way, some another. This toy has given great content to the spectators.”

Frézier calls mines “Pots à feu” or “d’aigrettes,” which, he says, were three, four, or five inches in diameter, and twelve to eighteen inches in length. When fired in batteries they were called “Pots de brins.”

The smaller kind were ignited at a vent formed by choking the case, the vent—when the case was in position—pointing downward. The larger sorts were lighted from above, and were practically the same as the Jack-in-the-Box, with the difference that there was a case similar to a shell fuse instead of the central Roman candle.

Jones’ description of “Pots d’aigrettes” and “Pots de brins” are similar, only that he fires the former with a Roman candle in the centre of the central mortar of a group with a lighter from it to each of the others, so that at the finish of the Roman candle the mortars are discharged simultaneously.

An elaboration of the “Jack” is the “Devil-among-the-Tailors,” which is the same device surrounded by Roman candles.

The next fireworks in this class—the Roman candle—is one whose genesis presents a most interesting study. From the evidence available there seems no doubt that this firework, in spite of its name, originated in this country.

The first mention of anything resembling it is found in Babington’s book. He describes what he calls “a trunck of fire which shall cast forth divers fire balls.” It is one of a class, apparently in favour at this time, intended to be carried on a staff, and known collectively as “fire lances” or “clubs” (the former name is not to be confused with the lances used in set-piece work).

The particular one under consideration, although it is very large, being four inches bore, and only emits two balls or stars, is undoubtedly the prototype of the “Roman.”

Bate describes a somewhat similar lance with the difference that “petards” or single crackers are substituted for stars.

This was in 1635. Over one hundred years later, Frézier describes an almost exactly similar firework under the heading “Artifices Portatifs,” which name he adopts instead of the old name “Lance à feu,” in order to avoid confusion with the lance as known to-day, which was then coming into use.

This is the only mention he makes of anything that can be considered to even remotely resemble a Roman candle, and as he refers to several other writers, a justifiable inference seems to be that neither he or they had any knowledge of such a firework. Had he known of it, such is its popularity he would certainly have mentioned it.

Eighteen years later Jones describes exactly the Roman candle as made to-day, to which he gives the name “Fire Pump.”

“Pumps” and “Pumps with Starrs” occur in the description subjoined to engravings depicting English peace displays in 1697 and 1713; there can be no doubt that the reference is to Roman candles or the earlier development of them.

When, however, the elder Ruggieri came over to this country in 1749 to conduct the Aix-la-Chapelle peace display in Green Park, in conjunction with Sarti, no firework of this nature appears in the programme of the display.

Here we have two pyrotechnists who can be considered to represent the best skill of France and Italy; in fact, it was Ruggieri whose arrival in France from Italy in or about 1735 marked the great advance in pyrotechny in the former country. Yet the “Pump” does not appear in this great display planned and executed by them, although for years it had been a popular item in displays in this country. The obvious reason for this omission is that they did not know of it.

In the early part of the nineteenth century the name “Roman candle” comes into use both here and in France. The “English Encyclopædia” of 1802 still uses the expression “Fire Pump,” but this is probably because their article is copied almost verbatim from Jones’ book. The name Roman candle, however, appears in an advertisement of a display at Ipswich by William Brock in 1818, and Ruggieri the younger uses the words “chandelle romaine” in his book of 1805.

How this firework received the name Roman is obscure; it may have been affixed by one of the many Italian pyrotechnists working here, or it may have had political or religious significance.

A firework functioning in the same way as a Roman candle is the Italian streamer, which has stars of a composition containing lampblack, which burn with a gold fire and leave a tail in their flight.

The Roman candle of the present day is made with an almost endless variety of stars, but those in use when the name was first introduced were of very simple character. Coloured stars, as accepted to-day, were not introduced until about the thirtieth year of the last century.

The compositions given by Jones and Ruggieri would produce approximately the same effect as the Italian streamer star of to-day, but with little or no tail.

Lampblack compositions appear to have been introduced into Europe from the East, and there seems to be no reason why Italy should have had them before this country, or that the introduction of lampblack into Roman candle star composition should be credited to Italy.

It seems more probable that the name Italian streamer was attached to that firework in this country to distinguish it from the Roman candle with tailless stars, and under the mistaken idea that the “Roman” was a foreign importation, or that it would be more acceptable if labelled with a foreign name.

As we have said, the modern Roman candle is made with stars of very many varieties, but whatever kind of star may be used, the method of filling is the same.

The principle on which the Roman candle is constructed is as follows: The case is charged with a series of repetitions of the following—Roman candle fuse, “dark fire,” star, blowing charge. These are repeated as many times as the case will hold, and function thus—the fuse burns with a fountain effect, and upon being exhausted lights the “dark fire,” which lights the star, flashes round it and fires the blowing charge which propels the star from the case. The blowing charge also ignites the next layer of fuse, and the effect is repeated.

In filling the case different sized scoops are used for the blowing charge, which is of fine-grain powder, the smaller scoops being used at the lower portion of the case. This is done so that the stars may rise to approximately the same height; the charge at the bottom acting through a greater distance, naturally acts more effectively and less is required.

Earlier pyrotechnists, in addition, as a means of regulating the height of the stars’ flight, made the stars of differing sizes; this under modern manufacturing conditions would be impossible, and has been abandoned.

Roman candle fuse is composed of sulphur, charcoal, saltpetre in the proportion of 4, 8, 15. The “dark fire” is of mealed powder, with a small admixture of charcoal.

Another firework which is probably a development of the Roman candle is the jewel fountain. This consists of a fountain mixture of saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal, to which is added granules of star composition, which are thrown out by the force of the fire, giving a fountain effect in which appear variously coloured points of fire.