SMETHPORT — The luminaries — personalized memorials of flameless candles in white bags — that volunteers of the McKean County Historical Society placed around Hamlin Lake Saturday and later lit, highlighted the lake’s beauty at night and an ideal location for fireworks displays.
“Fireworks” is defined as a device containing gunpowder and other combustible chemicals that causes a spectacular explosion when ignited and used typically for displays and celebrations.
The Chinese, according to historians, invented fireworks more than 2,000 years ago by accident while searching for an elixir for immortality. Other accounts say that fireworks were used to scare away huge mountain men and even evil spirits.
China remains the world’s largest manufacturer of fireworks.
It was the Italians, however, who developed the recipe of metallic powders that create special colors. Reportedly, blue is the most difficult color to produce.
Pyrotecnico of New Castle returned this year to produce the show that was scheduled last weekend as part of the historical society’s “Arts on the Island” in Hamlin Lake Park, but was postponed due to the weather.
In 1889, Constantino Vitale founded this professional fireworks company that has built up a strong domestic presence while expanding worldwide, producing hundreds of shows annually at speedways, festivals, parks, birthdays and weddings and even in a cemetery.
Due to a quirky Pennsylvania law, fireworks companies must be licensed, but not the individual shooters.
Conducting Saturday night’s show were Dan Weaver, Tom Burt and Charlie Smith, who have a combined 44 years of experience in fireworks shows in addition to specialized training. Burt, the most experienced technician, has participated in more than 450 shows. They all worked for the former Cartwright Fireworks Co. in Franklin before it was purchased by Pyrotecnico.
Burt said, “We did a 21-gun salute with fireworks at the funeral of Dr. Cartwright’s father at a cemetery in Franklin during a winter.”
Weaver said, “A three-man crew, two shooters and a spotter, is preferred for a show this size.”
Burt showed one of the shells in its cellophane wrapper, explaining, “Each shell is individually wrapped with information about the manufacturer, design, color and an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms identification number in case of theft. All are packaged according to ATF regulations.”
At the site, it normally takes three hours to prepare for the show, according to Weaver. The mortars, or tubes, which are made of high density polyethylene, are placed in wooden stands that are built so the shells are resting at an angle for the technicians’ safety. The three-inch shells are individually placed into the shorter mortars, while the four-inch shells are placed in the longer ones.
When it’s showtime, the technicians ignite the fuses with ordinary highway flares. Weaver said the three-inch shells can reach an altitude of 200 feet and spread out about 100 feet. The four-inch shells can go as high as 300 feet.
“We were limited to four-inch shells due to the proximity of nearby structures,” Weaver said.
The technicians gave some hints for watching fireworks shows. Smith said the view is better farther away. Weaver agreed, saying, “The wind direction can alter the spectators’ views. We try to shoot as a pace so as not to inundate the crowd with smoke.”
By the time of Saturday’s show, the temperature had dropped to a comfortable level from a 90-degree-plus level earlier in the day, and this made the event more enjoyable for the large crowd.
The approximately 20-minute show featured a part when 230 shells were fired in less than 30 seconds.
A drone appeared over the lake during the show.
How can the technicians tell if their show was a success?
“We hear applause, cheering and car horns,” Weaver said.
This show ended with all three reactions.
