Crackers and maroons may be attached to all sorts of cases, such as line rockets and water rockets, by means of leaders properly inserted into them at the periods when it is wished that they should take fire.
Of Compound Crackers.
These are the most amusing of the tribe, but are rather considered vulgar by the great pyrotechnists. They are, however, very convenient for attaching to other fixed fireworks of various kinds, as well as for blowing out of mortars; as they produce a great many reports at less expense and less trouble that can be done in any other way. This firework nevertheless is not very easy to make well.
The cartridge paper intended for it is to be about four inches broad and a foot long, as that is as much as can conveniently he folded at once. Being folded with one fold a quarter of an inch broad, a train of powder is to be laid along the groove thus produced, when the paper is to be folded over until it is entirely enclosed, after which the ends must be turned over, and beat down, to prevent it from running out. The tube must not be too full, or it will crack in the bend ing. When bent, this is done alternately backwards and forwards at distances of about two inches or more. The middle of each bend is then to be secured separately by a strong twine, and a half hitch or two, in the chok ing engine, so that the communication between each joint may be as much cut off as possible, without which two joints might only make one report. Each place where this choke is made, should also be firmly beat down with a hammer, to bruise the powder, and check its velocity, as otherwise the several reports are apt to fol low too quick upon each other. After this, every turn is to be fastened to the next, with the same twine, and the whole finally brought together in the choking en gine, so that it may be as much compressed in the mid dle as possible. As each bend makes one report only, there can only be five or six in a foot of paper, and it is often desirable to have many more. But as it is scarcely possible to fold up more than a foot of paper at a time, it is better to attach two or three, or more, if the operator thinks fit, together. For this purpose, the
cut end of one roust be inserted into the other, together with a bit of quick-match, and the two tubes connected with pasted paper ; after which by means of more twine, the whole are formed into one mass. Lastly, a proper quick-match leader must be tied with •twine into one of the ends, for the purpose of lighting it.
These crackers may also be made, and somewhat. more easily, in tubes pasted up in the usual manner; and in this way they may be made of any length at once by the following process. Care must be taken in the first place, that the tube may be flattened on a flat stick from one end to the other, so as •that it may hold but a given quantity of powder, and that this may be distributed as equally as possible through it. If there is too much powder, it will crack in the bind ing ; but the artist %,.• ill soon discover how much a case like this will bear. To bend it without disturbing the charge, it must next be tied down to a stick, in a hori zontal position, by bits of twine at each place where there is to be a turn. Thus it may be bent and secured in succession as often as is necessary, without the risk of displacing the contents; a string being passed round it separately from the stick, so as to choke each joint completely, before any attempt is made to bend up the different turns.
We remarked formerly, that these crackers may be attached to any kind of fixed or moving cases, such as a line rocket or a Roman candle. But as the princi pal amusement which it affords arises from its breaking loose among the spectators, it must be attached so lightly by its leader, that it may easily disengage itself at the first explosion. We may add, that the break ing loose of these in this way, while it is amusing, is attended with no danger ; whereas serpents, which ex cite less alarm, are exceedingly dangerous, as they are apt to set fire to women's dresses. They ought never, therefore, to be allowed to fly among a promiscuous crowd.