The utility of fireworks and the number of purposes to which they have been applied are far greater than most people imagine, both at sea, where possibly their usefulness is most fully exploited, on land, and since the war and its consequent developments of aeronautics, in the air.

Firework signals at sea are used in almost endless variety for the purpose of identifying vessels at night. Each shipping line has its own signal or signals, which are fired on such occasions as when passing Lloyd’s signal stations. These signals consist of hand lights, Roman candles, rockets, or Coston lights. The last-mentioned is a small hand light which is arranged to burn with either one colour or two or more colours in succession. This signal is used by the majority of foreign vessels. The signal used may be either lights burnt singly or together, or a light or lights burnt in combination with Roman candles or rockets. By making use of the various combinations a great number and variety of signals have been arrived at: a few typical examples will illustrate the kind of signals used.

The Zud-Amerika Lyn of Amsterdam burns a white light at stern, green at bridge and blue at bow. The White Star have a green light at bow and green at stern. W. Johnston and Co., a green light followed by a Roman candle, throwing three red and three blue stars, followed by a white light. The Aberdeen have a red light followed by a Roman candle, throwing red, white and blue stars three times successively, shown from aft. J. L. Burnham and Co., a blue light changing to white, then to red, followed by a red star.

The Cunard Line, off the coast of Ireland, fire a blue light followed by two golden star rockets. The Ulster Steamship Co. fire three vertical lights, yellow, blue and red, followed by two Roman candles fired together, each throwing two yellow, two blue and two red stars.

These examples will give some idea of the variety of signals used; they are often followed by another signal, or rather have a suffix which if fired has a particular meaning. For instance, a red light after the signal may mean “All’s well,” or a green may signify a wish to communicate. Some lines bring the whistle into the signal and combine long and short blasts with pyrotechnic signals.

Besides the house signals there are some generally accepted signals used by all vessels. A blue light is the signal for a pilot in all waters, except those of the United States. It is curious, however, that no universal pyrotechnic signal of distress has yet been arranged, although in 1889 Mr. F. Crundall endeavoured to get a standard distress signal recognised by shipping throughout the world. This signal, which consisted of a Roman candle surrounded at the mouth by four lights which burnt simultaneously with it, was demonstrated before the Board of Trade, and was distinguishable across the Channel at Dover, but was, however, not universally adopted.

Another extensive field use of pyrotechnic signals at sea is in the fishing industry. Lights and rockets are used to communicate between vessels of the fishing fleets and with the carriers.

The use of such signals by the coastguard and the Lifeboat Institution and at harbours and ports throughout the world is also very great.

Another pyrotechnic store of the greatest utility is the line-carrying rocket, a device which has been responsible for the saving of thousands of lives.

The credit for suggesting this use of the rocket appears to belong to a Mr. Trengouse, of Cornwall. This was in 1807. The proposal did not, however, make as much headway as it should have done, owing to the fact that Capt. Manley had that year introduced a device with a similar purpose, the line being carried by a shot fired from a mortar. This idea had been previously worked out by a Sergt. Bell of the Royal Artillery and by La Fère, a Frenchman, the two working independently.

The Manley apparatus was officially adopted, and stations established at forty-five positions round the coast.

The rocket method was, however, revived in 1826 by a Mr. Dennett, of Newport, Isle of Wight, and four stations were established on the island for the use of rockets of his pattern. The advantages of the rocket over the shot apparatus are obvious—the lightness and mobility of the rocket trough as compared with a mortar, the fact that the rocket traces its own flight, which can be seen and followed even at night, not to mention greater simplicity in working. However, it was not until 1855, when a rocket of greater range was invented by Col. Boxer, of the Royal Laboratory, that the rocket as a line carrier came into its own.

The Boxer rocket consisted actually of two rocket cases joined head to tail, and so arranged that when the first case had burnt out it was blown off, and the second gave renewed impetus. This rocket is still in use at the Board of Trade rocket stations.

A further development of the line-carrying rocket which is making rapid headway is a compact apparatus designed for use on the wrecked vessel to carry a line to the shore.

This system has two great advantages, namely, the target is so much greater when firing from the ship, consisting as it does of the whole coast line, whereas the ship forms in comparison an insignificant mark from the shore. Again, a vessel is generally wrecked on a lee shore, so that in firing from the ship the rocket travels with the wind.

Both the Brock and Schermuley systems are designed for this purpose, and there is little doubt that in a few years all vessels will carry their own means of establishing communication with the shore.

As a further development of the line-carrying rocket, it is interesting to note that Congreve, in association with Lieut. J. M. Colquhoun, took out a patent for the use of the rocket as a harpoon in whale fishing, which, if it proved satisfactory in use, must have been a marked advance, especially as this was before the advent of the now universally used harpoon gun.

Another pyrotechnic invention responsible for the saving of many lives is the Hale’s Light apparatus. This apparatus is fitted to a lifebuoy, which is arranged for launching from a vessel’s bridge; the act of launching ignites a flare, enabling the person in the water to see the buoy and the rescuing boat to pick them up.

The practical use to which fireworks have been put on land are many. Probably that which comes most readily to the mind is the sound signal or alarm. Many fire brigades whose members are volunteers and therefore scattered use aerial maroons to warn and call them for duty. These maroons became familiar to Londoners during the air raid period in the late war.

The maroon has also been adopted for firing with a trip line as a burglar alarm, or for protecting game preserves or similar purposes.

Another well-known pyrotechnic sound signal is the fog signal used on the railways, which consists of a tinned iron envelope containing a mixture of chlorate of potash and red phosphorus. It is secured in position on the rail by two lead clips provided for the purpose, and is fired by percussion on the impact of the engine wheel. Bird scarers, consisting of a series of single crackers connected by a time fuse, and so arranged as to fire at regular intervals, have been much used for the protection of seed and crops.

The miner’s squib and chieza stick or fuse lighter are to all intents port-fires for lighting the fuse in blasting operations in mines, their form and composition being adapted to the particular circumstances of their use.

The use of pyrotechnic compositions for photographic purposes is well known; those in use at the present generally contain magnesium, which has greater actinic value than any other firework composition.

Magnesium lights fitted up to fire with a trip line have been successfully used for obtaining photographs of big game in their native surroundings at night.

Smoke pyrotechnically produced has for several years been used for the testing of drains, and recently successful experiments have been carried out establishing the value of smoke as a protection for fruit blossom against frost.

It has also been used as an insecticide for use against various kinds of parasites; a poisonous smoke has been found of great use in the dislodging and exterminating of rats.

Another agricultural use of pyrotechnic, or in this case perhaps more correctly explosive composition, is the use of explosive cartridges for ploughing; that is, cartridges are exploded at a certain depth in the ground, the effect being to break up the subsoil. The explosive used is a mild and cheap form of dynamite.

The use of rockets and other explosive fireworks for producing rain has been much discussed recently. Many writers deny the possibility of success by such means. There cannot be the slightest doubt, however, that given clouds in the right condition and altitude it is quite possible to cause rain. The writer has seen it done, not once but many times; generally it must be admitted when the rain was not wanted. Maroons fired in wide-mouthed mortars have been used on the Continent for some years to break up hail clouds and bring them down in the form of rain over the vineyards, where a hail storm is a serious calamity to the wine grower.

The use of pyrotechnic signals in connection with aerial travel is gradually increasing. The stores used are practically those evolved and adopted during the great war, modified in some cases to suit peace time requirements, but substantially they are those described in the chapter on Military Pyrotechny.