COLOURED FIRES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6503, 30 December 1881, Page 5

COLOURED FIRES.

to ran xditob. Sin, —With reference to the above, I may say that ohamists and druggist* generally are perfect!/ aware that caution should be used in mixing chlorate of potash and sulphur, most particularly so for pyrotechnical par* poses, especially when we consider that, sometimes with fireworks, a considerable period of time elapses before they are used. When being olosely can fined, and probably in eon* tact with many others, should the ingredients explode, there would be far more danger likely to ensue than if tbe same had occurred in an isolated open mortar. Coloured fire to be used the same day or the next is, however, often made up with on* washed sulphur, and has kept for weeks, and even when it has ignited, has simply blazed away, without any of the fulminating characteristics noticed in tfae recent explosion. The washed sulphur is, of course, highly prefer* able, bat I only adduce this to show that it is often considered superfluous in preparing Are for immediate use. Since my first communication upon thesubject, I And, upon reading the report of the inquest, that sulphide of antimony was added to the original recipe. This, I think, will still more tend to prove that the accident in question occurred through the formation of fulminating antitnonjjr, and consequent pressure of free potassium, which would produce an instantaneous explosion upon the addition of water.

In the interests of science, a practical proof of the two theories, under doc precautions, would no doubt be very interesting, and tend to dispel any uncertainty on the matter at present existing.—l am, Ac., C. M. BBOOKE. Deo. 29.