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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1889)
E3 :,-! Bs RssSl MAKING FISE-W0RK& FOOD FOE VULTUEE& SEVENTH rrooo Described by am gosByed Correspondent. A, iftfhoeBst Missionary Describe a Strange) Burial Bit. 1! Annual Tournament Nebraska State Firemen's Associ ation, to be held at Red Cloud, July 16th PROGKAM. Ui First Day, Tuesday, July 16. Reception of Firemen, Meeting of Board of Control at 8 p, m. Serenade in evening, Red Cloud Cornet band. Second Day, Wednesday, July 17. Grand parade at 10 company, Silk Banner. 1pm Green hos t inn r i f race, r irst prize. $0, za ou. 2 p m, Green hook and ladder prize 75, 2d prize $50. 3 p m, Chief's race, prize fine 32 comb Firemen's Helmet Hat, valued at $15. 4 p m- --Foremen!s race, prize, fine belt, val ued At $5 Third Day, Thursday, July 18, 10 a m, Hose race, 39 class, first prize $100 2d prize $50. 11a m Hook and ladder race, 44 class, first prize. $100, 2d prize $50. 1.30 p m, Ladder climbing contest, Firs prize handsome tournament ladder, valued at $50, 2d prize Silver Cup. 2.30 p m, Coupling contest, first prize, State Championship Medal and $15, 2d prize $10 3d prize $5 p m, Champion wet run, 1st prize $75 2d prize $50 Fourth Day, Friday, July 19. 10 am Pompier corps, first prize $50. 2d prize $25 11a m Tug of war contest, first prize $10 and State Championship Trophy, 2d $5 1 :30 p m State Championship Hose Race first prize, 150 dollars and State Cart, 2d prize 75 dollars. 3 p m State Champion Hook and Ladder Race, first prize 150 dollars, and Champion belt, 2d prize 75 dollars Reduced railroad fare, special ho tel rates, Liberal premiums. Forfull particulars, address A. J. TomKjason, chm. ex. committee, Red cloud. , to 19th, a. m. Best appearing e 1st race, m Cain At Cat irfYiiletBb Catfcariae Wheels aad Otr Crataaqaa DvtIcm. It would seem to many that the manufacW tiro of flre-worio is a simple and easy mat tcr, writes a correspondent of the Albany ArgvM. Bat as no machinery of any kind is used the manual work necessary makes it much moro laborious than whero all the process is performed by perfected machin ery. A knowledge of the laws of chemistry Is also essential. In order to Rive the reader some idea of the process let us select tho Roman candle as the most ordinary of fire-works, and follow it in its journey from room to room and from building to building'. The first department wo enter is that where the cases are made. This is done in the following manner: Cartridge paper is sot into the length and size required and laid on a marble slab, where paste is sprain erer one side, care being taken that the paste does not get on the ski. toucaiag the teller round which the paper is them wrapped, for if the roller is wet itwflltear the paper a drawing it eat This reUerie ef brass or wood and the case comes esT it lseldag as though it had been made frost paper of one thickness, although every boy wbe has dissected a Bomaa oandle knows to the contrary. After this operation en. end of the esse is dosed. An expert wsrh nun can make nam arisen to three th seised n day of testae. After reJHng the rieeM en shelree aad sentto the drying to he that be thoroughly dried, a this meat Is maohlee far trhsming rengh, ends so that the ponlbUity ef any ao beside being nsei fsrimnf here else tamos other pnrposes, etc While the eandleis progressing thus far on the Jour ney let us peep in at the laboratory door. where chemicals are being mixed. The performance of the principal part of fire works depends much on the composition being very fine end well mixed; therefore great caro is taken in this part of the work and particularly for the composition of sky rockets and also fa all fixed works from which the fire plays regularly. Thechom ieal mixtures are then distributed to the workmen, who in turn tako them to tho moulding room, where, with little manipula tion.thcy are placed in moulds and made into stars" or "balb"as they arc more common lVtermcd. Theso are all colorcd.fcr the pale whito lights have given place of late years to thoso of beautiful tints. The color of the stars seen in this department would deceive one as to that which thoy display when fired. The green produco a blue light and the blue turn to green. Whito is made from red Stars, red from gray, and so on until every eolor of the rainbow is catalogued. It is at this point whero we meet the case again reedy for the reception of the cheat scale thus prepared. This is called the charging department. Before the work man ia a frame capablo of holding twelve cases upright, which he places in position, having first ascertained that tho insides are entirely free by passing n rod through them This precaution is necessary be eause any obstruction would cause the piece to miss fire. On one side of him, in sep arate compartments, are clay, composition, powder an.l stars of various colors, and on the other a mallet of considerable weight and several rammers of different lengths, tho kn:.v.t bcingabout tho same size as tho case he is to fill. Taking in his hand an in strument consisting of twelve small scoop3, connected in a line and exactly the same distanco apart as are the cases on tho frame, he fills them with clay and skillfully empties them into these cases. The same Is done with the powder, the composition '(which is used as a wad) and tho stars. All these he then packs down by means of the longest ramrod. Repeating the same proc ess again and again, except the day ie omitted, he uses a shorter rod eaeh time until the case is fuBy charged, and,pours in at the end more clay, as this material gear. nnteee safe handling and packing and pro tects the explosives inside. The fuse Is then inserted and lastly the outside eolored paper is wrapped around for beautifying the Roman candle thus made. The whole operation described here also applies to rockets. Fire-crackers come from China, where the country people manufacture them as a pastime, as the Germans do toys. They are imported in boxes similar to tea chests. thehierofflvnhicsonthem renresentinp ad. .ertisements of different firms, and they are used as ballast for the ships that bring them over. An idea may bo obtained of the utter impossibility of competition when one wmxormedtbat it costs but two cents to eke a pack of fire-crackers there. The Chinese were acquainted, as we all know. with the uses of gun-powder long before its introduction into Europe in the thirteenth century, and the peasants have been for so many generations adept in toe art of male tag nre-erackers that it has become, we might say, second nature. Of course, in the fire-works, where a thorough under 'standing of tho mysteries of chemical action and artistic skill are required, those manufactured in Brooklyn are a fair .sample of the higner excellence of American auctions. But when neither of these ties is requisite we are entirely out of the field. Balloons of various sixes and shapes are also made here. Passing through this de partment a predominance of the fair sex among the hands is noticeable, which is ao counted for by their superior deftness, quickness and accuracy in cutting and pasting. The devices in use for balloons are very amusing, often grotesque, representing figures of almost every animal, from the elephant to the frog, aad also several fishes, some gigantic in sine. It looks ludicrous to see a huce whale or a mammoth pig rise in the air and gmcenuiy noat away. But tho most strik ing of all seen in this department are the imported Japanese bomb-shells. What , makes them still moro wonderful is their insignificant appearance before being fired, appearing to be about tho aizo of a base. ball, but much lighter ia weight. When thrown from the mortar, however, to a con siderable height, they suddenly burst, and, mid a shower of falling stars, a large, beautiful figure, made of Japanese paper, saDsfaraway. The effect is briHiant aad vniene. Another interesting tiling of this kind is bomb-shell upon which the com puny prides itself. It consists of shells made of different aises, so as to fit one m aide the other and to contain colored stars As the whole affair files upward, one after another of these shells bursts and produces' long train of variegated stars, whish, ia Torn, shoot off and burst until the entire Mtens is illuminated, i Besides those already mentioned, there (hremany other forms of fire-works, such fee Catharine wheels, touroulions, moles, pastiles and a variety of the find ajcendjng kind that produce tea) ajfsmnig scenic tea Parsees Dispose of the Bodies ef Their Dead Flowers for the Earth aad Bea.es tor the Air The Hobs, ef Prayer aad the Priests. There recently returned to this city a tfetbodist missionary who twenty-three years ago sailed from these shores ftfr India, says the Philadelphia Proa. The thcr day be visited Laurel Hill, and there, amohz the monuments and graves, he toll yfbout the sacred burial-place of thcParsco Bead upon the heights of Malabar Hill, some olstanca out of Bombay. " I had heard so much about tho ' Towers 5f Silence,' " he said, " that my curiosity was aroused to know what it was like. But I scan found that it was impossible for one not a follower- of the groat prophet Zo proaster to ever gain admittance insido of these towers. 'This strange sect, the Parsees," he con tinned, "are so scrupulous in their cere monials and customs, and so strict in the ebserraBce of their rites, that yon can resdilyseehow reluctant theywouldbeto outsMer, especially one woe was the doctrines ef Christ, to observe) ritual they practice. T hxf Www flut nMnt nf rtntHmtinm m. pvor to an intelligent and well-educated gentleman living in Bombay, be- whem and myself there sprang ap suite n feeling ef friendship. When I thought I conks safely make my request I known to him my desire to visit the Towers.' He, said h. would see tecoujd obtain permUsionlerme priests wbe guarded the sacred portals. There the matter cropped. I did net hear from him for seme weeks, until one day he to me saying that permission had been granted, sad that we must be reedy to start the next morning. 1 shaU never fetret, continued he, "the pot, cloudless day that we drove m our elosely curtained vehicle, or gharry, out of the dusty, noisy streets of Bombay to the pool and shaded and silent place of Malabar Too whole place seemed a veritable en of the dead. Here jasmine, crimson ybiscus and beautiful roses were spread in enng profusion about the walks ig to the entrance. The heavy, iguid air was filled with the most ;t odors and the sweetest per fumes. I could hardly believe that I was in a burying-ground. After alighting from the gharry wo ascended tho low, stone steps, which led to a closed iron gate. My friend showed our permission to tho old and renerablo Parsee, who throw open tho gate, fund within a tew moments we were within the sacred precincts. One of the first things that I noticed as I gazed around was some ive or six solid-looking circular buildings, haps eighteen or twenty feet in height e walls of these structures were built of leavy blocks of stone and covered with a kind of white cement or plaster. Tho build togs themselves stood in a shallow moat, surrounded by tall palm trees, heavy bushes of various kinds, and herbage growing wild una uncultivated. Tnese, then, were the famous Towers of Silence.' Truly, they were well named. Save for the clicking of our shoes on the smooth stone, the fitful swaying to and fro of the branches of the tall palms, and the occasional flapping of I wing Uota essi Bowi H-hei wings by crows and vultures on tho trees, it asouna was neara in toe languid, breath- air. The hot tropical sun beat heavily iwn on tne Dare wmte wails, and every- aerc suuness ana suenco reigned su preme." "How do the Parsees bury their dead!" " When you reach tho.top of tho ' Tower ' rou will find that the entire circular surface is divided into three smaller circles, and be tween each circle is a narrow pathway. The circles arc again divided into a great number sf small, shallow sseces,,or receptacles, &3 my friend called ttbem, else separated by narrow pathways for the bearers of the body to pass. Tho top of the' 'Tower' is sur rounded by a sort of parapet, which hides the surface from outsido view. Now comes the strange part of the Parsee burial cus tom. It was tho teaching of our great prophet and master,' said' my eompanioa, that the dead should not defile the earth. Accordingly, no dead Parsee is laid in the earth, but bis body is exposed to all the fowls of the sir, to more quickly return to the dust and the elements from which it came. Here in the center ef our 'Tower' you see a deep well, down which we put to gether the dry bones of all the dead men, women and children, rich and poor, great and small. For the dead there can only be equality.1 " We next went to what is known as the House of Prayer a low, stone-archec? build ing with cokmnadc3 all around. This is the house where tho friends of the deceased re main while the body is placed on tho ' Tow. er.' Itishcre that tho sacred fire burns day and night, year in and year out, always watched by a faithful priest whose duty is to feed the flames with precious woods. The air in this House of Prayer is thus redolent with tho pungent aroma of sandal wood. The corpse-bearers live separate from the outer residence, and after each funeral they go to the bathing-house, change their gar ments, and purify themselves f ram tho de filement of having touched tho dead. Just as we were on the point of taking our leave I saw n small procession of white-robed fig ures marching over the narrow stone bridge to one of the ' Towers ' and disappear in tho small square opening in the walL "My companion must have seen the pro cession, for I noticed that his wholo de meanor perceptibly changed as with bowed head he told mo that a burial would take place only at sunrise or at sunset. Sudden ly the place seemed to be astir with life ind motion. The tall palms shook as under a gust of wind. Tho black bodies on the trees, hitherto motionless, raised their teads, spread out their wings, and, with a whir and a whiz, swooped down like aveng ing furies on tho top of the 'Tower.' Al though I could not see tho dreadful sicht. I Lknew that these birds of prey were doing ,hwit guumiBu wore 01 piciong we nesn iron mT tho skeleton. Instinctively I put up my hands as if to shut out tho sicht, and. tak I ng hold of my friend's arm, we quietly ro- aracea our steps 10 tne iron gate turcuga which we had made an entrance. "Since that memorable visit to the Tower of Silence ' I have often asked my self whether my first feeling of partial read and disgust was not one of sentiment rather than one of reason. I am frank to my that the impression of repulsion has almost worn off, and I remember that the birds only did quickly what decay docs so slowly; when Iremcmber that every thing was done with such care, tenderness and reverence by the dean, white-robed priests, mid the glorious garden of roses; when I remember the saying of my Parsee eom panion,that for the dead there can only be Bfuality." "Bridget, said iha mistress to the new hireu gUi, "you can go now and fa the, maczerei ut boss." 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