Bengal Light

Bengal Light, or BLUE LIGHT, is a brilliant signal-light used at sea in a case of shipwreck, and in ordinary pyrotechny for illuminating a district of country. It is prepared from nitre, sulphur, and the black sulphide of antimony. The materials are reduced to fine powder, thoroughly dried, and intimately mixed in the following proportions by weight: nitre, 6; sulphur, 2; black sulphide of antimony, 1. The mixture constitutes the Bengal light, and when kindled, immediately bursts into rapid and vivid combustion, evolving a brilliant, penetrating, but mellow light. As the fumes evolved during the combustion of the Bengal light contain an oxide of antimony, and are poisonous, the light cannot be used with safety in rooms or inclosed spaces.