WILMINGTON — The evening proved most favorable for the magnificent display of fireworks upon the Fair Ground. Several thousand people were present and enjoyed the exhibition, which was perfect in every detail. Masten & Wells of Boston furnished the exhibit and sent a professional pyrotechnist to superintend the same, which was certainly one of the finest ever given in this section.
The announcement of the display was given by signal guns firing heavy detonations that echoed and re-echoed among the hills, after which the exhibition was given in the following order:
1. Examples of heavy exhibition rockets, displaying meteoric showers, Japanese rains, floral bouquets, serpents, etc.
2. French tourbillions or table rockets, fired in sets of three and five, rings that displayed revolving wheels in ascending and descending flights of various colors.
3. The first design of the display was shown and consisted of the “Jet d' Eau, or Water Fountain,” designed to represent a water spout or fountain of fire. It commenced with a caprice wheel of crimson fires and changed into a water fountain, throwing fine spray and silver mist 10 to 20 feet high.
4. Discharge of heavy bombs, shells, etc., from mortars, filling the atmosphere with aerial displays of silver rains, golden showers, meteoric star mist, colored bouquets, and blue and golden stars.
5. Mines and batteries stationed at various parts of the exhibition grounds opened up and discharged groups of contorting serpents, saucissons, and great showers of colored and silver fire balls, ascending and descending.
6. Batteries of heavy exhibition candles fired from magazine cases displayed purple and gold, crimson and green, and colored star jewels within a spray of silver mist and phosphorescent light.
7. The second design of the display was presented and consisted of the device called the ” Rose of Sharon” which consisted of a beautiful representation of this celebrated flower, composed of crimson lances with a central circle of yellow and gold. This device changed into a revolving sun of dazzling brilliancy and extended its rays several feet from the device and expired with a grand salute from marooned gerbs [a type of firework that produces a jet of sparks, usually lasting between 15 and 60 seconds].
8: Golden fountains discharged great sheafs of fire and brilliant scintillates of silver flame illuminated the field of action.
9. Artillery shells were exploded in mid air, their detonation being heard for miles, like the sudden peal of a thunder clap.
10. Signal rockets were fired in groups and variety, showing aerial displays of willow trees, magnesium lights, streamers, Japanese spider, floral bouquets, colored stars and parachutes of great beauty.
11. The third design of the exhibit or the “Labyrinth” was next fired and consisted of a series of dazzling circles which revolved in rapid gyrations amid bands of gorgeous flame, the piece in its center being filled with turning spirals of gold and crimson lance work. In its revolutions wonderful combinations of forms and shapes were produced exceedingly puzzling to the eye.
12. Colored Bengolas, owl lights, and colored fire illuminated the grounds in the national colors of red, white, and blue.
13. Mortar guns were fired, throwing up great bomb shells five hundred feet high, which dropped earthward showers of whistling bombs, willow trees, suns, meteoric stars, purple, blue and golden drops through the air.
14. The fourth design of the display, the “Kaleidoscope,” exhibited a wonderful pyrotechnic device so arranged as to move in contrary directions, producing an infinite variety of angles, figures, forms and shapes. Its intermingling colors of ruby, emerald, azure and blue lance fires presented a fire picture most beautiful to see.
15. Spiral rockets, tourbillions, etc., were made to take their rotary flight and displayed rings of fire, changeable to different colors.
16. Batteries and mines discharged immense quantities of colored fire balls, meteoric showers and squirming serpents that exploded with loud reports.
17. Rocket displays followed, showing changeable lights, signals, colored flame clouds, and fire illumination.
18. The fifth design was exhibited and consisted of the device called “The Star of America.” It was an elaborate national device and commenced with a zone of brilliants garnished with emerald and crimson, jets, star points were developed, interspersed with revolving Saxon wheels, within their radius, and before expiring a grand salute was heard in honor of the day.
19. Colored fire and Bengola lights were used to illuminate the surroundings in red, green, and white flames.
20. Golden fountains, mines and batteries were fired in batteries, filling the atmosphere with floral designs and brilliancy.
21. Aerial bombs, from battery guns, discharged examples of colored bouquet shells, parachute and balloon lights, meteoric cloud bursts, colored star showers, and other new combinations of the pyrotechnic art.
22. A grand flight of rockets from a rocket battery was discharged at one time which filled the air with a rainbow of light.
23. Preceding the close of the display a grand illumination from Bengolas was made in red, white and blue, showing the final design in all its beauty. As this all expired, the grand finale of the evening's exhibit was fired, and represented in appropriate colors “The Shield of Our Union,” the national flag, the motto of July 4th, and scroll work. Around these designs appeared the words, in letters of crimson, silver, and yellow, “Wilmington Welcomes Her Sons and Daughters.” At the base in an entablature the dates 1790-1890; while the piece was under fire, batteries, mines, and shells opened up a salute and covered the whole with a veil of silver spray.
24. The day's festivities were brought to a close with the motto in silver fire, “Good Night."
25. A signal bomb of immense size was discharged which awoke the echoes of Wilmington's hills, and the display was closed.