A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires
D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.
Composition |Composition |Composition |Composition |Composition
for a rocket |for a rocket |for a rocket|for a rocket |for a rocket
of two pound.|of one pound.|of half a |of four |of one ounce
| |pound. |ounces. |and a half.
-------------+-------------+------------+-------------+-----------
Corrected by | Corrected, |Corrected, | Corrected, | Corrected,
M. F***, | eleven |seven ounces| six ounces | one ounce
one pound. | ounces. |and a half. | five drams. | five drams.
-------------+-------------+------------+-------------+-----------
lb. oz.| lb. oz. | lb. oz. | oz. | oz.
-------------+-------------+------------+-------------+-----------
Pow. 2 0 | 1 0 | 1 4 | 5 | 8 or 9
Saltp. 1 0 | 12 | 12 | 1 | ⅕
Brimst. 5 | 2 | 1 | ¼ |
Charc. 4 | | 3 | ½ | ½ or 1
Steel-d. 2 | | 2 | |
-------------+-------------+------------+-------------+-----------
Height of the|Height of the|Height of |Height of the|Height of
mould, nine |mould, eight |the mould, |mould seven |the mould,
inches and a |inches and |seven inches|inches. |four inches
half. |a half. |and a half. | |and a half.
-------------+-------------+--------------------------+-----------
Diameter of | Diameter of |Diameter of |Diameter of |Diameter of
the mould, | the mould, |the mould, |the mould, |the mould,
one in. seven| one inch |one inch |one inch |nine lines.
lines. | five lines. |three lin. |two lines. |
French names for Sky Rockets.
Double | Marquise. | Grosse de |De partement.| Fusie de
Marquise. | | partement. | | Caisse.
Remarks on the foregoing Tables.
In table the first, we find that the compositions for all rockets
under one pound are made chiefly of gun-powder and charcoal, which
method has been long proved erroneous in many respects: first, that
rockets made with such charges will not keep long without spoiling;
secondly, that they are very uncertain in performing their proper
effect; thirdly, they will carry but a short tail, with a black and
smoaky fire.
We also find those charges for rockets above one pound, that are
composed of saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal, to be too strong; by
which we should imagine that, at the time when they were used, the
piercers did not bear the same proportion to the rockets, as those
made use of by our present artists; for it is on the size of the
cavity in the composition, that the effect of the rocket and
proportion of the charge depends: which we shall endeavour to shew
hereafter.
Table the second is given, by the author, as an improvement on the
first; wherein he takes notice of the charges being too many in
number; he has therefore reduced them to seven only, which, according
to his opinion, are sufficient for rockets of any size: he also
observes, that the ingredients are expressed in unequal quantities;
which he has likewise laid down in a more regular order. By the same
author’s account, rockets were made in France, not many years since,
with the compositions mentioned in his table. I shall not here pretend
to say, that rockets were not made with the charges given in the
above-mentioned table; yet can affirm, by practice and experience,
that several of them will not agree with our present moulds.
As to the method prescribed in the third and fourth tables, it is
difficult to determine whether we shall praise or condemn it, as they
were wrote when the art of making fireworks was in it’s infancy; as
may be seen by their strange method of determining the proportion of
ingredients, and weight of rockets, by the quantity of composition
contained in each case; which must have required a very nice
calculation, for at that time, they had not fixed upon an exact length
for rockets, but made them from six to nine diameters long: all which
differ so much from our modern practice, that I never thought it worth
the trouble of making a trial: but am of opinion, that very few of the
charges will answer.
In table the fifth, the compositions are in proportion to the weight
of the rocket, with it’s head and stick, all compleat; which head and
stick together are equal to the weight of the rocket, according to the
improvement made by M. F***, as may be seen by the second column from
the top; he also has added the diameters to the moulds, in proportion
to their height, allowing each six diameters, which supposing to be
right, the rockets will be nearly reduced to half their weight given
in the first column. On the charges in this table I have made no
experiment, therefore cannot recommend them as proof.
Having already given a variety of charges for sky-rockets, in the
preceding tables, which are collected from the principal authors on
this subject, together with remarks on the same; I shall, in the next
place, according to my promise of not omitting any thing that may be
of service to the reader, add some compositions for rocket-stars of
several colours, as inserted by former authors.
Compositions for Stars of different Colours.
I. Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre two ounces, brimstone two
ounces, steel dust one ounce and a half, and camphor, white amber,
antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each half an ounce.
II. Rochepetre ten ounces, brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal powder,
and camphor, of each three quarters of an ounce, moistened with oil of
turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to
a paste with aqua vitæ, in which has been dissolved some
gum-tragacanth; and after you have roll’d them in powder, make a hole
through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving
about two inches from one to the other.
III. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, yellow amber one
ounce, antimony one ounce, and powder three ounces.
IV. Brimstone two ounces and a half, saltpetre six ounces, olibanum or
frankincense in drops four ounces; mastick, and mercury-sublimate, of
each four ounces; meal powder five ounces; white amber, yellow amber,
and camphor, of each one ounce; antimony and orpiment half an ounce
each.
V. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and meal powder eight
ounces, moistened with potrolio-oil.