PAIN'S FIREWORKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8112, 22 February 1888, Page 3

PAIN'S FIREWORKS.

Sevc-rnl thousand people assembled on the Caledonian ground ye&terday evening to witness the first exhibition of Pain's fireworks. After two postponements, necessitated by tho unpropitious weather of the last few days, the management were at last fortunate in getting a beautifully fine, moonlight night, which tempted people to the ground in numbers—tho fair sex particularly mustering in great force. The turf was quite firm and dry underfoot, so that the public spread out over all the open space and no inconvenient crushing was experienced. Even before the pyrotechnic display commenced the ground presented a very pretty appearance—the stand, which was well filled, being decorated along the front with rows of Chinese lanterns, which were also strung in numbers arouud tho promenade. In front of the stand upon the lawn a rotunda was erected, and occupied by the Ordnance Baud under Mr C. Coombs, who gave a very enjoyable open-air concert during the evening, Time was allowed them to go through a, set programme of selections before the fireworks were commenced, and it was nearly 9 o'clock when the ascent of a couple of fire balloons indicated that the display had begun. They wero watched with great admiration as they disappeared rapidly in the distance, sending out showers of stars and coloured fires as they went.

It may be said generally that tha exhibition was a wonderfully attractive one from beginning to end, and quite up to the expectations of tho visitors. On the disappearance of the baloous the grove of trees at the western side of tlie ground brilliantly illuminated by a number of coloured fires, whioh produoed a delightful effect among the foliage. Then came flights of towering rockets, which excited equal admiration, and some mest ingeniously devised set pieces wero next displayed, and fairly startled the spectators into applause. It would be impossible to par-

ticularise all the items in an ample programme, but special mention should be made of a few of the most striking spectacles. Nothing was better in point of quality than the flights of mar ions which were sent up from time to time, all the shells bursting in magnificent showers of stars. These, although exceedingly effective, require to be exploded with considerable care in the interests of tho operator and those standing near him, but every attention

was paid to safety, and the exhibition passed off without; ft hitch. In addition to the Catherine wheels and other well-known pyrotechnic combinations, there were one or two novel and highly ingenious devices. One of tln'se represented a fiery monkey swinging upon a horizontal bar, and imitating exactly the motions of a human form; and another depicted Jumbo, or some equally historic elephant, solemnly promenading, clothed in stars. Tha portrait of the Queen in fire was most successful, and was another of the items that provoked applause; while the great set piece with which the exhibition terminated cannot be too highly praised. It represented the bombardment of Alexandria, and showed a couple of full-rigged vessels moving upon 2 fort, a furious cannonade being maintained 'ooth from vessels ami fortificstiou;-. It wonl-i scarcely have been believed that po suggestive an etfecfc could be produced simply by fireworks, but I he spectacle was really very stirring and impressive while it lasted. A tremendous amount of gunpowder seemed to be expended, Rarl the air was full of bombs that exploded momentarily above the cloud of battle. It was as good a piece of mimic warfare as could be desired. It should bo mentioned that the turbU'nn.-i shown during the evening were also remarkably fine.