15. The same plan may be adopted also for the making of _tailed_ stars,
with a slight variation which I now proceed to describe. These stars are
not moistened with plain gum-water, but with a mixture of gum-water and
linseed-oil. The gum-water should be of the strength given above, and
should be made _quite hot_ by placing the bottle which contains it in a
jug of boiling water. When it is sufficiently hot, _to every 8 ounces of
gum-water add 1 ounce of linseed-oil_. Shake the bottle till these are
thoroughly mixed, _and no oil can be seen_. Use the moistening fluid,
_while_ hot, in the same manner as directed above for brilliant stars.
The following is the composition for
TAILED STARS.
Nitre 16 parts.
Meal-powder 12 „
Antimony (sulphuret) 8 „
Fine charcoal 4½ „
Sulphur 4 „
If the above directions are carefully followed out, you will have some
stars which are exceedingly beautiful in their effect, and by no means
difficult to make. At its first appearance the star has nothing
remarkable in it but the rapidity of its combustion. When this, however,
is over, a kind of boiling lava is formed which remains red hot for a
long time, and which, in its descent to the earth, takes the appearance
of a glowing drop of golden fire, followed by a tail of sparks,
remaining visible till it reaches the ground. I think the proportion of
linseed-oil given above will not bear being altered without detriment to
the performance of the stars. _If less oil is used, the stars assume
their tailed form sooner, and disappear sooner; if more_, they will
reach the earth before their principal and characteristic beauty is
seen.
Both “brilliant” and “tailed stars” may be made in cubes whose sides are
about a quarter of an inch. On account of the presence of the oil,
“tailed stars” take a longer time to dry than “brilliant.” An advantage
which they possess, besides that of superior beauty, is that they are
much more sure of ignition than brilliant stars.
I may as well mention here that a tray for forming the stars, such as I
have described above, and of the size given above, will contain about 8
or 9 ounces of composition at a time.