FIREWORKS THAT FIGURE IN WAR.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 59, 27 July 1906, Page 7

FIREWORKS THAT FIGURE IN WAR.

Among the different varieties of projectiles enumerated in the official artillery handbook are some concerning whose nature and use even well-informed people will _ probably be compelled to plead ignorance. Everybody, for example, has heard of shrapnel, of case, of Palliser even but wdiat is a star shell >? The answer is that it is a lirew'ork —that and something more. Hurled high in the the air above an enemy’s position, it bursts into a brilliant whitish-blue flame, which lig'hts up the area immediately below', revealing everything that is going forward to a reconncoitring party, previously sent up in a captive balloon. A variety of this shell is so arranged as to be hoisted into the air by rocket, and suspended after ignition by a species of parachute arrangement. It will then burn from five to fifteen minutes, according to its size.

Another curious firework takes the form of a species of pyrotechnic wire-entanglement. The sensitised wire is twined and twisted round sharp-pointed stakes, which have been previously driven into ground some distar.ee in advance of the position to bo defended, so that in case of a night attack or a surprise being attempted, the enemy cannot help falling foul of it. Immediately numbers of magnesium stars .T’e burl"-! up towards the darkened sky. rendering the whole country as light as day, and. of course, effectually warning the defending force of the danger which is threatening it. For communicating at night, in districts where neither 'flash-lights nor the ordinary hand-signalling lamps are available or useful, combinations of different parti-coloured stars, rocket-elevated, are used. By this means almost any message can be telegraphed pyrotechnically over Wide expanses of country. To sound an alarm at night, large aerial maroons, similar to those used in many provincial towns to summons the local fire brigade to an outbreak of fire, have lately come into vogue. These are really miniature bombshells charged with dynamite, and the resultant detonation is terrific. Even the sleepiest of Tommies wakes without more ado, and rushes from his tent , when one of them is exploded immediately above his head.