The Manner of loading Air Ballóóns, with the Number of Stars,
Serpents, Snakes, Rain-falls, &c. contained in Shells of each
Nature.
As ballóóns are held in great esteem, by most admirers of fire works,
I shall here give a full description of them in every particular, in
so clear a manner, that a young practitioner may, by taking a little
pains, be pretty certain of succeeding the first trial.
When you fill your shells, you must first put in the serpents, rains,
stars, &c. or whatever they are composed of; then the blowing powder;
but the shells must not be quite filled; all those things must be put
in at the fuze hole; but marrons, being too large to go in at the fuze
hole, must be put in before the inside shell be joined. When the
shells are loaded, glue and drive in the fuzes very tight. Of these
fuzes we shall say more hereafter; but shall here give the diameter of
the fuze hole in ballóóns of each nature, which are as follows. For a
coehorn ballóón, let the diameter of the fuze hole be seven eighths of
an inch. For a royal ballóón, which is near five inches and a half
diameter, make the fuze hole one inch one eighth diameter. For an
eight inch ballóón, one inch three eighths: and for a ten inch
ballóón, one inch five eighths.
[Illustration: PLATE. 2]
Having proceeded thus far with the directions of loading ballóóns, I
shall in the second place give an account of the quantities and number
of each article, proper for shells of each nature; but it is to be
observed, that air-ballóóns are divided into four sorts, viz. first,
illuminated ballóóns; second, ballóóns of serpents; third, ballóóns of
reports, marrons, and crackers; and fourth, compound ballóóns.
For a Coehorn Ballóón illuminated.
oz.
Meal powder 1½
Corn powder 0½
Powder for the mortar 2
Length of the fuze composition three quarters of an inch; one ounce
drove or rolled stars, as many as will nearly fill the shell.
For a Coehorn Ballóón of Serpents.
oz.
Meal powder 1¼
Corn powder 1
Powder for the mortar 2¼
Length of the fuze composition thirteen sixteenths of an inch; half
ounce cases drove three diameters and bounced three diameters; and
half ounce cases drove two diameters and bounced four; of each an
equal quantity, and as many of them as will fit in easily, placed head
to tail.
For a Coehorn Ballóón of Crackers
and Reports.
oz.
Meal powder 1¼
Corn powder 0¾
Powder for the mortar 2
Length of the fuze composition three quarters of an inch; reports
four, and crackers of six bounces, as many as will fill the shell.
For Compound Coehorn Ballóóns.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 1 4
Corn powder 0 12
Powder for the mortar 2 4
Length of the fuze composition thirteen sixteenths of an inch; half
ounce cases drove three diameters and a half and bounced two, sixteen.
Half ounce cases drove four diameters and not bounced, ten. Blue
strung stars, ten. Rolled stars as many as will compleat the ballóón.
For Royal Ballóóns illuminated.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 1 8
Corn powder 0 12
Powder for the mortar 3 0
Length of the fuze composition fifteen sixteenths of an inch; two
ounce strung stars, thirty-four: Rolled stars as many as the shell
will contain, allowing room for the fuze.
For Royal Ballóóns of Serpents.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 1 0
Corn powder 1 8
Powder for the mortar 3 8
Length of the fuze composition one
inch; one ounce cases drove three and a half and four diameters, and
bounced two, of each an equal quantity, sufficient to load the shell.
Royal Ballóóns of Crackers and Marrons.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 1 8
Corn powder 1 4
Powder for firing the mortar 3 0
Length of the fuze composition fourteen sixteenths of an inch; reports
twelve, and compleated with crackers of eight bounces.
For Compound Royal Ballóóns.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 1 5
Corn powder 1 6
Powder for the mortar 3 12
Length of the fuze composition one inch; half ounce cases drove and
bounced two diameters, eight. Two ounce cases filled three eighths of
an inch with star composition, and bounced two diameters, eight.
Silver rain-falls, ten. Two ounce tailed stars, sixteen. Rolled
brilliant stars, thirty. If this should not be sufficient to load the
shell, you may compleat it with gold rain falls.
For eight inch Ballóóns illuminated.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 2 8
Corn powder 1 4
Powder for the mortar 9 0
Length of the fuze composition one inch one eighth; two ounce drove
stars, forty-eight. Four ounce cases drove with star composition three
eighths of an inch and bounced three diameters, twelve; and the
ballóón compleated with two ounce drove brilliant stars.
For eight inch Ballóóns of Serpents.
oz. dr.
Meal powder 2 0
Corn powder 2 0
Powder for the mortar 9 8
Length of the fuze composition one inch three sixteenths. Two ounce
cases drove one diameter and a half, and bounced two; and one ounce
cases drove two diameters, and bounced two and a half; of each an
equal quantity sufficient for the shell.
N. B. The star composition which is drove in cases that are bounced,
must be managed thus; first the cases must be pinched close at one
end, then the corn powder put in for a report, and the case pinched
again close to the powder, only leaving a small vent for the star
composition, which is drove at top, to communicate to the powder at
the bounce end.